Excerpts

Vijay Wadhwani, the globe-trotting chief of a tailoring empire, rails against corporate casualness, saying "The ideal wardrobe for any businessman of standing is six suits, a dozen white shirts and 10 ties.''

Vijay Wadhwani is an international tailor. A very super duper master craftsman, who runs a mini empire of cutters, machinists and hand stitchers in Hong Kong under the name "NobleHouse". His job is to travel the world to court customers, discuss clients' needs and take the full complement of 30 required measurements for any one suit.

He was entertaining in his hotel room when I called on him during his last visit to Tokyo. He was chatting across the table with the daughter (now a wife and mother) of an old client and buddy in Osaka. They were admiring the view - swathed as it was in humidity -  and catching up with family gossip. Tamari Morii, an ikebana "master" of the Ohara school, swears by the timeless appeal of the NobleHouse label: "My father has over 50 of Vijay's suits. The overcoat he made for me when I was young still feels comfortable, still looks great." Fifty suits? And lucky and woman - or man - who can still get into something they wore 27 years ago!

Samples books - 3,000-4,000 swatches of fabric for suits, blazer and sports jackets, top coats, slacks, vests, formal wear and shirts for men, and blouses, suits and top coats for women. Clients can choose between the very best English and Italian fabrics, Scottish tweeds, French gabardines, silk and mohair. Natural fibers are the best, especially in heat and humidity. Designs remain classic but always up to date.

He first saw potential for suits in Japan in 1976. Toshiba had a branch in Hong Kong who were his clients. They wanted to introduce theirs associates in Tokyo, "so I walked straight is." After that it was a matter of sitting back as the word began to spread that there was this great tailor who was taking orders for customized suits - noble suits - at really quite astonishing prices. Even today, he says, an ordered suits costs on average ¥ 50,000 - ¥ 70,000, which compares very favorably with off-the-peg, let alone made-to-measure suits.

Vijay says "There are several things a business-person just can't afford:  to spend one day in an uncomfortable suit, to buy a garment simply for its label, to confuse style with fashion, to own a closet of forgettable clothes, to confuse value with price and sacrifice style, fir or fabric tailoring. Basically, be less than well dressed".

As well as those 30 individual measurements he takes for any suit, he photographs the back and side so his tailors can assess a client's posture. "We also talk about their job and what is comfortable and what not. If they travel a lot, for example, I suggest pleats in the trousers".

An order from Tokyo takes about four weeks; six for the U.S. Such service would not be possible but for a reliable and highly-skilled workforce. Back in Hong Kong, NobleHouse has three divisions: "Shirts" (with a staff of 25), "Ladies" (7-8, depending on workload) and Men's," with 80-90 on the manufacturing side. Plus an administration staff of eight in the Kowloon office. "Our Shanghainese tailors and cutters are the most loyal; some have been with us since the day One".

The success of NobleHouse lies in the personal service provided and the quality of the finished products. "We have our own quality control, with no room for carelessness". He also has firm ideas on correctness. "The ideal wardrobe for any businessman of standing in six suits, a dozen white shirts and 10 ties". Then with a broad smile: "With this he's set for success. Wearing a noble suit he cannot fail."