Not even the dismal smog can rain on Beijingers’ sartorial parade. The spiffed-up scenesters at Sanlitun, China’s answer to Gangnam, are walking textbooks in personal style that balance glamour and individuality. We’re spilling their wardrobe secrets from head to toe to bring you the best outfitters, tailors and shoemakers on offer.
Senli and Frye
With the city’s largest selection of English fabric imports, Senli and Frye boasts top-of-the-line quality for anything your dandy heart desires, from biz suits to cashmere coats to casj blazers. Sen Li, tailor extraordinaire and one half of the operation, insists on measuring and cutting the suits by hand: unlike many local get ups, this shifu does not farm out the latter part to outlying factories. Even the buttonholes are hand sewn – altogether amazing detail for a trig new you.
1/F, Yaxing Bldg, 46a Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang, +86 139 1009 2410
Lao Yu
Coveted cobbler Lao Yu is your go-to for bespoke brogues and other handmade, high-quality leather shoes, from preppy Oxfords to rugged cowboy boots. Choose your preferred colour and animal skin or bring in a photo or a much-loved pair from which they can work, especially if you’re blessed with larger-than-average hooves.
37 Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng, +86 10 6404 1406
Fei Fei
With over 30 years in the biz, Fei Fei is the reigning shirt-making femme in town. This underrated mistress works her needle and thread like no other, conjuring up knockout dress shirts and linen suits that fit like a dream in seemingly no time. Beware of knockoffs in the vicinity attempting to cut into her business with similar-sounding names: the real deal features wooden doors and a calligraphed storefront sign in red.
35-1-103, Xinyuanli Compound, Chaoyang, +86 10 8455 1939
BNC
In the mood for witty, wearable duds? Beeline to BNC (Brand New China) to shop the latest and greatest from budding local brands. Neatly packed into the slick Sanlitun shop space are quirky bow ties, frilly cactus-print tops and funky patchwork jackets — in other words, a snap-happy dapper gent’s dream. Look out for their eponymous in-house line, which further champions homegrown talent with trendy capsule collabs.
NLG-09a, Sanlitun Village North, Chaoyang, +86 10 6416 9045
Hero Image: Dzhulbee, iStock
Craving more smart attire, sire? More fab shops ahead in the LUXE Beijing Guide…
