Hong Kong's aging master tailors may need a stitch in time to survive

Bill Clinton did it. So did Boris Johnson, the mayor of London. For many tourists, even if they are not current or former dignitaries, a trip to Hong Kong isn't over until they pick up a made-to-measure outfit from one of its family-run tailor shops.

As consumers worldwide seek out custom-made clothing to set them apart from the ready-to-wear crowd, the Hong Kong tailor industry's reputation for quality and speedy delivery ought to have helped it build on its advantage.

Instead, the local tailoring business is in danger of dying out after decades of underinvestment in the face of competition from low-cost centers. Nor has it matched the premium branding enjoyed by London's Savile Row and Milan.