Advice for total newbie living in China

[Aloysius]

I think you mean "go all out" in terms of price right?

This is not a slight against anyone at all, but from a decade plus into this hobby/subculture, to many, all out means Made in Japan. I disagree with this strongly but it’s the standard view.

There is a guy on Styleforum who buys a jacket every week, basically, and only recently has started to buy ones that fit because he was refusing to buy anything but Real McCoys and other JDM jackets that literally did not fit around his body. After many many comments he’s started to consider western and MTM.

 

[zebedee]

This is not a slight against anyone at all, but from a decade plus into this hobby/subculture, to many, all out means Made in Japan. I disagree with this strongly but it’s the standard view.

There is a guy on Styleforum who buys a jacket every week, basically, and only recently has started to buy ones that fit because he was refusing to buy anything but Real McCoys and other JDM jackets that literally did not fit around his body. After many many comments he’s started to consider western and MTM.

That must have made the Japanese makers laugh. What a doughnut!

 

[Aloysius]

That must have made the Japanese makers laugh. What a doughnut!

When he finally became open to trying non-Japanese brands, he was initially buying the Japanese-market items from Western brands, with measurements that were, say, 17 PTP on a jacket labeled size 38. (His chest is about 41".)

 

[dwilson]

It took me a bit to understand measurements and Japanese tagged sizes as well. I couldn't wrap my head around being a western small and a Japanese large. Then once I actually understood my garment dimensions it made buying well fitting stuff pretty simple.

 

[El Marro]

When he finally became open to trying non-Japanese brands, he was initially buying the Japanese-market items from Western brands, with measurements that were, say, 17 PTP on a jacket labeled size 38. (His chest is about 41".)

That one always blows my mind. I don’t know how anyone can sell a jacket with a pit to pit that is equal to or smaller than the printed chest size. It seems like a reverse version of western vanity sizing, like these guys want to feel bigger than they really are.

 

[Aloysius]

That one always blows my mind. I don’t know how anyone can sell a jacket with a pit to pit that is equal to or smaller than the printed chest size. It seems like a reverse version of western vanity sizing, like these guys want to feel bigger than they really are.

The way I interpret it is that, since they don’t use inches anyway, they interpret 38, 40, 42 etc as being alternative terms for S/M/L, much like European shoe sizes are numerical but not tied to a unit of measurement.

So on that basis, ‘40’ becomes what’s a medium/average size in the Japanese population and so on. I have two Studio D’Artisan t-shirts I love, both labeled 44, but they measure about 20 in across. Similar case with many of my Japanese denim jackets and shirts.

(There are some exceptions to this, like Buzz Rickson’s, which follows the sizing labels of the American originals they reproduce, whereas RMC does the sort of sizing I lay out above.)

 

[El Marro]

The way I interpret it is that, since they don’t use inches anyway, they interpret 38, 40, 42 etc as being alternative terms for S/M/L, much like European shoe sizes are numerical but not tied to a unit of measurement.

That makes a lot of sense when you think about it, thank you!

 

[Aloysius]

That makes a lot of sense when you think about it, thank you!

It still messes with your head though if you come from using inches to mean inches, though. Hard not to feel like I've gained weight when ordering a t-shirt two sizes too big for me (by the label)!

 

[El Marro]

It still messes with your head though if you come from using inches to mean inches, though. Hard not to feel like I've gained weight when ordering a t-shirt two sizes too big for me (by the label)!

Oh I know, my girlfriend was blown away when she saw the tag on my IH N-1 reads XXXL! I explained to her that it was based on Japanese sizing and it actually fits me quite well.

 

[zebedee]

If you are close to Tony's they might be a great option since you can pick the leather you want and it's a bespoke measurement so it will be tailored to you as there's a dedicated thread here about that maker and the work looks amazing. I'm sure there are higher end retailers there so you can try off the rack sizing in store if you don't want to wait too long for a custom order. hopefully @Blackadder @puiyc1203 might be able to help more in detail

Is there a physical address for Tony?

j.

 

[Jin431]

Is there a physical address for Tony?

j.

no clue but @matchankh should know since he is a regular there

 

[matchankh]

Is there a physical address for Tony?

j.

He does. It is based in Shanghai. You can contact him through taobao (search for his webshop 武装战线 or I could pass his WeChat or email to you to schedule a visit. He has some Otr patterns and jackets from other customers you can try on.

His turnaround time is actually pretty quick. Normally a month.

 

[evablue]

The problem with going direct from Thedi would be customs. How does it even work? Like I would order the jacket to my home, then what happens in customs? It will get stuck in customs in god knows where, then I need to call some government bureau to find out where it is, then pay them customs money and hope it is released? I am confused by this whole process.

 

[Aloysius]

The problem with going direct from Thedi would be customs. How does it even work? Like I would order the jacket to my home, then what happens in customs? It will get stuck in customs in god knows where, then I need to call some government bureau to find out where it is, then pay them customs money and hope it is released? I am confused by this whole process.

In your case, I think a Chinese maker like Tony makes the most sense. Imported foreign goods would include a hefty markup while importing yourself would hit you with not only import costs but a whole bureaucratic process and risk of losing your purchase.

 

[Jin431]

The problem with going direct from Thedi would be customs. How does it even work? Like I would order the jacket to my home, then what happens in customs? It will get stuck in customs in god knows where, then I need to call some government bureau to find out where it is, then pay them customs money and hope it is released? I am confused by this whole process.

you have the option to pay through the shipping provider (DHL/FedEx/ups) so don't sweat it too much

 

[matchankh]

The problem with going direct from Thedi would be customs. How does it even work? Like I would order the jacket to my home, then what happens in customs? It will get stuck in customs in god knows where, then I need to call some government bureau to find out where it is, then pay them customs money and hope it is released? I am confused by this whole process.

If the parcel is sent by DHL then it is an easy process. DHL will send you an email to pay then the parcel will be released soon after. However if the jacket’s value is declared fully it will be hefty. Better to go with the Chinese distributor in that case.

For EMS (China Post) it’s a bit more complicated. Their program only works with a Chinese ID holder. You can physically pay the tax by heading to their office but it was a pain in the ass. Maybe ask a local friend to help.