I arrived in Hoi An armed with a carefully complied list of clothes and shoes I wanted tailor made, I had done my research and had photos, together with notes on the colour and material I wanted each item and also what I was willing to spend on each item, based on its relative value in the UK. I was pretty excited and planned on buying almost a whole new wardrobe.
I planned to first get quotes from a high end shop, then to get quotes from other shops to compare quality and cost.
I headed to A Dong Silk first, a shop highly recommend on review sites that was busy with westerners trying on their tailor made coats and shirts. I showed the shop assistant a photo of a suit dress that I had picked out – a simple design in a grey light wool material. I was quickly informed that they didn’t have wool but they had kashmir instead, however my mouth dropped when she said it would cost me $100 for one dress. There was no room for bargaining either, this shop is well aware that they have been recommended in the lonely planet and will not budge on their prices.
I didn’t want to pay $100 for one dress when I could have got the exact same dress from the UK for about the same cost, so I walked out promptly, gobsmacked at the price and with alarm bells ringing that maybe this was not going to be as easy as I originally thought.
The next shop we went to was rather more helpful and was willing to bargain on the price, although they also didn’t have wool, only kashmir. As I wasn’t sure how kashmir would look, or whether it was actually genuine kashmir, so I gave up on this dress and just chose to get quotes on the cotton dresses. Based on 4 suit dresses they quoted $23 a dress (lined). I was still unsure on the cost though as I wanted to ship the dresses home which added an extra cost of approx. $10 a dress, bringing the total cost to $33 a dress for a simple cotton dress.
The final shop we visited was in the cloth market – we were dragged in by a lady on the street. I showed her what I wanted and she quickly measured me, showed me the fabrics and quoted me $240 for 4 dresses, which quickly turned to $180, then on leaving her stall, $120. I didn’t really get a good feeling from this place, they were rather pushy, the fabrics looked inferior and I thought if I was going to buy from anywhere then it would be from a shop, the second shop I had visited.
At this point I was very undecided about getting dresses made, Ben was hungry and tired from walking around, so we decided to have lunch and think it over. I was worried about a number of things…
a) What if I didn’t like the dresses or they didn’t suit me?
b) What could I do if they were of an inferior quality but I’d already paid a deposit? I’d have to choose to either lose my deposit or pay the balance to have bad quality dresses. Also how hostile would the shop assistants become if I refused to pay the balance?
c) Would the dresses look OK in the material I had chosen?
Considering I needed to pay to post the dresses home and worry about them getting lost in the post, I didn’t think the price I was quoted was worth it. I could buy a suit dress in the sales in the UK for $35, but at least in the UK I could try it on and also return free of charge and with no hassle if I changed my mind. I understand the clothes in Hoi An are tailored to fit, but unless you are a weird size or have one arm longer than the other then is tailoring really worth the risk and the hassle?
Hoi An may have been the mecca to purchase tailored clothes a few years ago but like everything in Asia, when it becomes popular the price increases but the quality usually decreases.
I used to enjoy the shopping and picked up all sorts of things you could only get abroad, but now that online shopping is global and simple, there’s barely any reason to buy anything abroad. I came back from Taiwan and people asked me if I bought them any presents, and I said no, since you can just go to the international district and buy exactly the same things, and it’s all made in China anyway so it doesn’t matter. They made frowny faces, though.
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A nice post. Love to hear more about your experience in my country. Thanks
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I had a beautiful suit made in Hoi An. It was wool, a dress, jacket and trousers for $150. I ended up having three fittings and taking it home in my suitcase. At least three people worked on the suit and it was lovely quality so i think the price was excellent. It wouldn’t have been perfect if it had just been shipped though.
It kept me warm all winter in England too!
T
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I was a little disappointed reading your post that you finally decided not to buy anything in the end. Although I know how easy it is to do that when you’re tired from looking around in shops for a long time, and not feeling confident about the sellers.
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The thing I love about tailor-made clothes from Viet Nam is that you know you’re supporting a small business. They charge a fair price for a great service, particularly in Hoi An where you can often get clothes made overnight. My experience is that the tailor will work with you to get the fit right. They can’t read your mind, but they can craft beautifully made clothes. As far as experimenting with fabric and styles, it is a learning curve. Having a plan is useful. For example, ensuring some of your clothes are in a base colour that suits you, like navy or grey. It can have a little or a lot of that base colour, just keep a theme going.Have at least one garment, like a dress that has a bold b/w print. To make an impact with any jacket, make it in a bright colour that you love, but in a plain fabric. That way you get to mix and match your clothes.
If you’re only comparing on price, you’re missing a big piece of the puzzle. Dresses that cost that little back in the UK are no doubt made in one of those awful garment factories that have awful working conditions. It’s a really dark side of the fashion industry.
Don’t be afraid of paying $100 for a quality woollen garment. Without a local contact to bargain for you, you probably can’t get it cheaper when you’re getting such a high quality fabric. I have a woollen jacket from Hoi An that cost me $80. It’s beautifully lined, a gorgeous style and very warm. It’s my favourite winter piece. It’s not only quality, but I love it because it has a story. I feel connected with the tailor that made it, and it brings back memories of strolling the beautiful streets of that ancient town.
I attempted to have a dress made in Thailand - and it ended up being a disaster. I found beautiful material and a friendly shopowner, but when I went in for my first fitting, the dress didn’t look anything like the picture I had pointed out and it was so small I couldn’t even put it on to try it. The second fitting wasn’t much better, and so I ended up forfeiting my deposit because I had lost all trust that they’d get it right before I left town.
I may try getting something custom-made again, but if I do, it will specifically be a cotton sundress or something along those lines…I’d love the souvenir and the story but am not willing to part with big money for something that may or may not go well.
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