It took me two weeks but I found the real deal here in fabrics and tailors. Their are a lot of tailors in the downtown core that cater to visitors but this area is at the west end of Taipei.
Take the MRT to the Zhongshan Station and take #2 and find bus 518, Red Line to Chong Qxhg N. Road and Minsheng E Road and walk one block pass the Huan Nan Bank to BiHua St. Walk west on Bihua St. If all you see is open market produce stores you are going the wrong way.
Just Follow this Street.
Chances are you will not see another European or North American and the availability of English is less than an other Taipei areas.
MEN'S Tailors
There are several men's tailors where you can just buy the fabric or have them tailor a suit for you. The pictures I took are not worth of publication but the fabrics are amazing. Wools, wool and cashmere, and wool and silk fabrics from the best mills in Italy and England. The price for a big guy like me ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 NT, ($370 to $ 700 CDN). Not the cheap cheap price we used to associate with Asia but this quality would cost a mint in Canada or the USA. Unfortunately my trip is coming to a close so I`d have the five to seven days to wait. I settled for four custom made shirts at $40.00 each. That was a good deal.
WOMEN Fabrics
Lots of cottons and synthetics which we can buy at home. But the same quality and good prices for wools as in the men`s stores.
Not as much silk as I thought and the patterns favoured Asia more than North America.
Once Choice were stores like this featuring designer fabrics from Europe with prices at $135.00 per meter.
Next door this shop had silks and silk-linen blends in the $10.00 range
I`m coming back here for a dozen suits as soon as I lose forty pounds. :-)
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