Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean review! This Saturday, I’m reviewing the fit and craftsmanship of the tuxedo I had commissioned from Ehkay Corner Tailors.
If you have not yet done so, do read Part 1 of the article here, in which I chronicled my experience commissioning a tuxedo from Ehkay Corner Tailors.
Without further ado, let’s see how the fit turned out! Do note – all photos below are unedited and taken with natural lighting. What you see is what it looks like in real life.
Ehkay Corner Tailors – the Fit
Despite their very affordable price tag, Ehkay Corner Tailors incorporate a Muslin fitting – which is uncommon amongst affordable tailors!
Let’s start with the front. First and foremost, the tuxedo is of the right snugness – I could button the jacket without feeling constrained. One doesn’t see the “dreaded X” around the jacket button here. In addition, the waist is well-tapered. I have wider hips, but the jacket here is tailored so it follows and drapes nicely along the contours of my body. One of the clear signs of a shoddily tailored/off-the-rack suit is that it looks like a “body sack” – that is to say, it makes the wearer look rectangular. Luckily, that doesn’t happen here! Also, I would say the jacket is the right length, ending right around the centre of my palm. However, I think that the shoulders on the tuxedo could have been cut better. The fit of my left shoulder (right side of the image above) is good – the shoulder lies flat, without wrinkles. However, we do see a bit of rumpling and wrinkles on the fit of my right shoulder (left side of the image above). Both shoulders are cut to length – they end at my shoulder bone, and as such, there’s the absence of the dreaded shoulder divots. This indicates to me that the wrinkles are probably caused by excess fabric from my disproportionately sloped shoulders. As the photo above shows, my shoulders are sloped differently, with my right shoulder significantly lower than my left. When this slope isn’t properly accommodated, there will be excess fabric, resulting in wrinkles.
I’m pleasantly surprised by the fit of the sleeves! For the most part, it drapes cleanly, with minimal wrinkles. As aforementioned, we don’t see the presence of the dreaded shoulder divots here – one of the cardinal sins of tailoring, in my opinion. The sleeve pitch is almost nailed as well – in fact, I would say that the fit of the sleeves from Ehkay Corner Tailors is probably in the top 3 of all the tailors I’ve reviewed thus far, bested only by bespoke tailors thrice/quadruple its price. The sleeve pitch is one of the hardest aspects of the fit to nail, as it depends on the client’s natural stance and posture – and these (unlike other aspects of the fit) cannot be measured with a tape and recorded as numbers. Thomas Mahon, one of Savile Row’s most prominent tailors, once said: “…even after all the diligence of checking again and again, things can go wrong, and pitch is often where disaster strikes.” This was where the benefits of the Muslin fitting exhibited itself! Lastly, the lack of wrinkles indicates that the sleeves are the correct width – they are neither too tight nor too loose along the entire arm. The sleeve length is just right as well, ending just around my wrist bone, showing a tad of the shirt underneath. Elsewhere, one can see that the jacket collar is properly fitted as well – it rests upon the shirt collar nicely, and there isn’t a significant gap in between.
Moving on to the back, the tapering of the waist is evident, giving the wearer a “slimming” effect. Unfortunately, there are visible wrinkles in the arch area of my back, caused by excess fabric. As I’ve mentioned in previous tailoring reviews, I have a significantly arched back, which often results in wrinkles near the arch. To date, no tailors have been able to deliver a fully clean back. However, compared to other affordable tailors that I’ve reviewed, I would say that Ehkay Corner did the best job with my back, with fewer wrinkles.
As we were going for a classic look -this is a tuxedo, after all- we decided on a half-break look. I’m glad to say it turned out well! The pants are of my desired length, gently caressing the tips of my dress shoes.
I think the shirt fits pretty well, too. In particular, I like that it’s cut to accentuate the broadness of the shoulders. However, if I were to nitpick, one can still see slight wrinkles on my right shoulder (on the left side of the image above). The left shoulder (right side of the image above) fits perfectly – the shoulder of the shirt lies flat, without wrinkles, and ends at my natural shoulder bone. In comparison, the excess fabric on the right shoulder results in slight wrinkles. Again, this is probably due to the uneven slope of my shoulders. That being said, most laymen probably wouldn’t even notice this – you probably didn’t either, until I just pointed it out! Elsewhere, the wrinkles that one sees on the forearm are again due to excess fabric, which is there to provide greater mobility. A full cotton shirt (such as this one) has a tendency to wrinkle easily due to the softness of the material.
Lastly, the length of the shirt is good, ending near the base of my palm. In addition, Ehkay Corner Tailors ensured that the left cuff was slightly wider than the right to accommodate a dress watch underneath.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the fit at Ehkay Corner Tailors. The fit of the sleeves and back of the tuxedo jacket is probably the best I have experienced so far amongst affordable tailors, bested only by bespoke tailors, which are thrice/quadruple their price.
Ehkay Corner Tailors – the Craftsmanship
Despite the low price tag, the craftsmanship of the tuxedo I got from Ehkay Corner Tailors is quite good.
Firstly, I like the lapel roll present here. Usually, a lapel roll indicates canvassing within the suit’s lapels. In contrast, the lapels of fused suits often look flat, almost ironed on – lacking in dimension and presence.
For this tuxedo, I went for a shawl lapel. Usually, one goes for either a peak or shawl lapel on a tuxedo – it’s a personal preference, but I like a shawl lapel more due to its gentle curvature. In addition, the lapels (as well as pockets and buttons) of a tuxedo jacket should be finished with satin for a lustrous, more formal look. This is one of the main reason why a tuxedo often cost much more than a usual suit!
As mentioned earlier, buttons on a tuxedo should be fashioned out of satin, and the packets should also be trimmed with satin. Also, tuxedo jackets are often single-buttoned, as compared to suits which usually feature two buttons. Lastly, tuxedos should use covered buttons, rather than regular buttons.
On a regular suit, one would see either single (down the middle) vents or double vents. However, tuxedos are often ventless for a cleaner look. Yes, there are a lot of subtle differences between a tuxedo and a regular suit. These differences should be explained and communicated to you by your tailor, but it is helpful to be aware of them as well! However, if these details are intimidating, no worries – Ehkay Corner Tailors has been tailoring tuxedos for over three decades now, and will certainly take care of these details for you. To be honest, I wasn’t aware of some of these differences myself before Dinesh explained them to me.
As there are certain stylistic traditions to follow when it comes to a tuxedo, the main opportunity for you to express yourself and have some fun is in the lining. Here, I decided to opt for a subtle black paisley pattern – the pattern keeps it from being boring, without being too flashy, which would go against the classic look of a tuxedo. Do note – linings at Ehkay Corner Tailors are a paid add-on.
Customers can also choose to customise the inner pocket of their suits for an additional charge. Here, we went with a “gun” pocket – something interesting, and different from the usual inner pocket. In addition, monograms are available too, as a paid add-on. Interestingly, one can even choose the thread colour for the monogram – we went with red here, as red and black always make for a striking colour combination.
If you don’t know how to fold a pocket square (or simply don’t have one), suits from Ehkay Corner Tailors come with an in-built pocket square, which is fashioned out of the same material/design as the jacket’s inner lining. I personally think this is quite a handy and convenient feature!
On tuxedo pants, one should see satin pipings running along the side. Again, this is one of the key differences between a tuxedo and a regular suit.
Moving on to shirts, a tuxedo shirt is significantly different from a usual dress shirt. Firstly, the tuxedo shirts often feature wingtip collars, which pair best with a bow-tie (as seen above). Wingtip collars expose the band of the bow-tie, making for a more formal, black-tie look.
Another key difference is that tuxedo shirts often come with either a pleated or pique bib front. Here, we went with a more traditional pleated front. Pleats are always made with the same shirt fabric, ensuring that it will match the tuxedo shirt well. In addition, we also decided to go with a covered placket (which hides the shirt buttons) for a cleaner look.
Lastly, one should always wear either a cummerbund (as seen above) or a vest with a tuxedo. Usually, a cummerbund goes best with a shawl lapel, and a vest best with a peak lapel. Traditionally, a tuxedo looks incomplete without either a cummerbund or vest, though contemporary high fashion has often done away with this particular accessory. Key things to note: the cummerbund should be worn with the pleats facing up, with half the cummerbund covering the shirt and the other half covering the waistband of the pants.
All in all, I’m very satisfied with the craftsmanship of the tuxedo from Ehkay Corner Tailors, and how it turned out. I like that the tuxedo is half-canvassed (as opposed to fused, as on most affordable tailors), and the mixed-wool fabric feels light and breathable on the skin as well. There are certain traditions to follow when commissioning a tuxedo, as explained above – if you’re unfamiliar, it’s the tailor’s job to explain the details of a tuxedo to you. This is the first tuxedo I have had made, and I must say Dinesh of Ehkay Corner Tailors was instrumental in my education about tuxedos and black-tie events in general. In sum, I think the tuxedo turned out looking pretty good.
Conclusion – so Ehkay Corner Tailors “shiok” or not?
Definitely so. In fact, I would say that Ehkay Corner Tailors is probably the best bang-for-buck tailor that I’ve reviewed thus far. One can get a half-canvased, mixed wool suit starting at just S$432 with the below discount – I say that’s quite a steal (it’s even cheaper than Benjamin Barker)! In addition, fit is, for the most part, pretty good as well, due to Ehkay Corner’s incorporation of a muslin fitting process.
For those interested in commissioning a garment from Ehkay Corner Tailors, simply flash this post for a 10% discount. After the discount, a 2-piece half-canvassed suit from Ehkay Corner starts at just $432. That’s almost the same pricing as G2000 suits.
Read Part 1 of the review here, where I reviewed the experience of having a tuxedo tailored at Ehkay Corner Tailors.
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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Ehkay Corner Tailors’ Location:
#01-57 & #01-01 Orchard Plaza, 150 Orchard Road Singapore 238841
Photo Credits: Rachel Choo, @rachcsc
