Suitably Bespoke

Four generations on, Wong Hang Tailor rebrands itself and moves into high gear.

- Ulisari Eslita

Fashion-wise, Joko Wido-do (Jokowi) may be the most flexible to be suited up among all of Indonesia’s male presidents. According to Samuel Wongso, the fourth generation of the family that owns Wong Hang Tailor, Jokowi is the only Indonesian president bold enough to try different suit styles. “We’re quite surprised when we saw Pak Jokowi wearing our all grey-plaid suit, shaking hands with the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, who wore a navy-plaid suit that day,” says Samuel proudly.

Wong Hang’s relationship with Jokowi began since Jokowi was governor of Jakarta. In the beginning, Wong Hang offered Jokowi suits in primary hues such as navy blue and black, but gradually it offered him a wider selection of colors.

“We also offered our very own water-proof fabric to Pak Jokowi. We told him that the next time King Salman comes to Jakarta during the rainy season, he wouldn’t get wet if he uses this fabric,” Samuel said with a laugh.

The tailor shop was set up 85 years ago by Samuel’s great-grandfather, Wong Hang, in Surabaya. Initially, Wong Hang only served clients who lived nearby his house. His clients then widened to include the Dutch and the Japanese, who then helped him to expand his business to as far as Jakarta. Taking on the Jakarta market is another story altogether. One of Wong Hang’s early customers, Sudomo, the late former coordinating minister for political and security affairs during the Suharto era, helped him grow the business in the capital city.

“Pak Sudomo was very satisfied with our suits. He asked our family to enter the Jakarta market and introduced Wong Hang Tailor to many VIPs,” Samuel recounts.