Buying tailor-made suits and dresses in Vietnam

As much as I wanted to buy myself a tailor-made suit during my working career, I never did. The one on the rack with the pants that needed to be taken up, down, in or out, and the coat that was only just a bit too long in the sleeves and broad across the shoulders, always seemed to be the end choice. It was usually on sale, so that helped. Custom-made suits were for those with a budget that was far more generous than mine.

Recently, my wife and I spent a few weeks in central Vietnam. I knew that Hoi An – a beautiful city with a fascinating history – was world-famous for its tailors, so before we left home we decided we would each treat ourselves to a souvenir. A custom-made suit for me and a custom-made formal dress for my wife.

Some research was needed to get the best of our proposed tailoring experience. I asked questions on social media and spoke with family and friends about any experiences they may have had that might assist us. With that feedback we compiled a list of tailors in Hoi An that sounded promising. I decided on a colour and style for a suit and my wife collected images of dresses that appealed to her.

Our flight had us arriving in Hoi An early and we had plenty of time to wander around the city before we could check into our hotel. The staff at the hotel were only too happy to take care of our baggage prior to check-in and so, with our list of preferred tailors in hand, we set out.

Hoi An is a beautiful, busy little city. Colourful lanterns hang by the thousands along the narrow streets and most of the shopfronts have been restored to reflect the rich history of the area. Sparkling modern interiors for some and small traditional interiors for others. All depending, of course, on the purpose of the shop.

By mid-morning we had gathered a few extra kilos of souvenirs to add to our holiday luggage, but had not yet been to a tailor. Though we had walked passed dozens, none were on our list. That was until we made our way around one more corner and there it was. A larger shop with one of the sparkling interiors. Fabrics of every description along the walls and samples of garments beautifully displayed on shop mannequins. Staff everywhere!

This was the first of the tailor shops on our list and, hesitant to appear too eager, we considered visiting some of the other shops on our list. Two of the staff must have read our minds and decided my wife and I would not leave the shop without an armful of clothes each. They gave us cool bottles of water and a comfortable seat to sit on, and thrust books of fabrics and patterns in front of us. When I mentioned I might be interested in having a suit made the saleswoman, using perfect English, told me that one suit wasn’t enough. I needed five at least to get me through a week. And a shirt and tie with each suit would be a good idea. By this time my wife had been whisked away to another seat and was busily flicking through pattern books with another saleswoman. We definitely weren’t getting out of there without our souvenir custom-made clothing! That was okay with us, though.

Within no time at all we were measured and our decisions about styles and fabric had been confirmed. I only purchased one suit. No shirts. No ties.

My wife had shown her saleswoman one of the images of a favourite dress she had saved on her phone, and had it confirmed that the style could be done. No trouble at all. The dress was very complicated in its design, with a high neckline and various hemlines, but that didn’t seem to phase the saleswoman. We were prepared for any outcome, good or bad. This was, after all, an experience we hadn’t had before.

We went back to our hotel to check in, and settled in for our few days in Hoi An. Later that afternoon we returned to the shop for a first fitting. My suit was looking good. A tuck here and there, and an adjustment to the length of the coat and sleeves was all that was needed for me. My wife was a little concerned about the front hemline of her dress, and that was adjusted to her liking. There was tucking for her also and then we left the shop with instructions to come back the following afternoon for the final fitting and pick-up.

As promised, our custom-made clothes were ready for collection the following afternoon. They were neatly packaged and ready for travel home. I even received a bonus red silk tie. A happy experience made all the more happy by the friendliness and good humour of the saleswoman and the skill of the tailoring team who worked behind the scenes. I now have a custom-made suit with quality fabric that cost me the same as a basic off-the-rack suit – on sale – in your average men’s wear store at home. My wife has a stylish formal dress that cost her about 20 per cent of the price of the one she used as an example.

When we got back home we checked over our purchases, tried them on again and are very pleased with ourselves. The best souvenir idea we have had in a long time.

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