Roshan Melwani, possibly the world's most famous tailor, has one easy rule to stay fashionable.
- Roshan Melwani is the third-generation proprietor of Sam's Tailor, a clothing shop in Hong Kong started by his grandfather Naraindas "Sam" Melwani in 1957.
- Sam's Tailor has become world famous for the stylish bespoke suits and clothing it has made for celebrities, world leaders, Hong Kongers, and tourists. Some of its most famous clients include US President Bill Clinton, David Bowie, and Russell Crowe.
- During a recent meeting with Business Insider, Melwani revealed his best fashion advice: splurge on a fancy pair of jeans.
41-year-old Roshan Melwani, the third-generation proprietor of Hong Kong-based Sam's Tailor, likes to dress well. As he likes to say, "No one wants to buy clothes from someone who doesn't look good."
Sam's Tailor has built a reputation over its 60+ year-history as a world famous tailor by providing stylish bespoke suits to an impressive roster of celebrities and world leaders - everyone from Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, to celebrities like David Bowie, Russell Crowe, and Bruno Mars.
In many ways, a trip to Hong Kong isn't complete without a stop at Melwani's shop.
For the most part, Melwani dresses in stylish bespoke trousers and shirts made by his own shop. So when I asked the gregarious tailor his best fashion advice, I thought I knew the answer: buy a fantastic suit, of course.
Wrong.
Melwani recommends investing in a high quality pair of designer jeans.
"Whether you buy jeans from Versace or Levis, they are going to last you forever," Melwani told Business Insider. "But it's worth it to spend $900 rather than $100 for the most beautiful pair of jeans because you can wear them dressed down, dressed up, day or night. You can wear them every day of the goddamn week if you wanted to."
A nice pair of slim-fit jeans can be worn with any type of shoe - from loafers to boots, with socks or without - according to Melwani.
"It's not as necessary to buy an amazing suit, but most of my team wears jeans to work every day. I'm one of the few guys that wears trousers," said Melwani.
But just because he recommends buying high-end designer jeans doesn't mean he recommends paying full price. Melwani is a family man with three kids, living in Hong Kong - ranked the most expensive city in the world by some measures. In his situation, it's "criminal," he said, to buy designer clothes, which can easily top $1000, at full price.
Instead, he knows what he's looking for and waits for sales.