If you are travelling to Vietnam, it’s a great opportunity to renew your closet getting some clothes tailor made. Tailors in Vietnam are mostly known for suits and silk. However, now a days you can get everything you can imagine and most tailors have a wide variety of fabrics.
Otherwise, you can go to the fabric market in Hanoi or in Hoi An and search in the hundreds of stalls for your favourite one.
Since my sister is getting married in July and I will be travelling in Asia until that time, I found this a great opportunity to get my dress for the wedding. But this was my one and only chance, so I did A LOT of research. And now I can give some tips for getting your clothes tailor made in Vietnam.
Where to get clothes tailor made in Vietnam
Everywhere in Vietnam is possible. Almost every clothing shop is able to make the clothes custom made for you. If you are looking for something simple, or duplicating your favourite shirt for example, most shops will do a good job. I would just walk in a few shops near your hotel and ask about pricing and go for the one you like the most.
Hanoi
For man suits, there are many good options in Hanoi. I cannot speak about our experience since we only visit a few and did not buy anything. According to the many reviews I read while doing my research Duc Minh tailor and Bambou silk are the best. The fabric market is in the south of Hanoi, called Cho Hom market. If you buy the fabric at the market, the tailor will only charge you for the labour cost.
Hoi An
Most of the best tailors of Vietnam are in Hoi An, which is actually the main and best place for getting clothes tailor made. The streets of the town centre are full of fabric and clothing stores. You can also get shoes custom made in some of them!
Custome made summer dress
For simple clothes, I’m sure all stores will do a great job. Out of my own experience I can highly recommend Hai Pho (663 Hai Ba Trung st.), where I bought two short summer dresses. She had a wide variety of fabric and a good eye for what fits you best. She was also very patient while I was taking very long in choosing the fabric.
Haute couture
For the dress I’ll wear on my sister’s wedding I wanted to go to a tailor with high quality fabrics. I was looking for a long dress and a something more over the top. The top three tailors in Hoi An are A Dong Silk, Babe tailor and Yaly couture. You can get to this conclusion after a quick google search but they don’t have much information online. I read many reviews and went to all of the stores and after all, I decided to go to Yaly couture. All the others also looked great and any of these 3 will probably do a great job for a high couture dress or suit. I would suggest visiting all of them and looking at their fabrics, and then choose the one you liked the most.
During one of the fittings at Yaly couture
My experience with Yaly couture was very positive. Tina was the girl taking care of me while deciding the fabric, taking measurements and during the fittings. It was quite a complicated dress to make, I had a lot of requirements and the pattern of the fabric made it even more complicated for the tailor. They were happy to make any adjustments I needed and as many fittings as were necessary. Magically, they made the dress in a record time, fitting perfectly and looking amazing!
How does it work to get something tailor made?
Now a days, we don’t often get clothes tailor made. So, I was a bit confused about how the process would be.
Most shops have a wide variety of fabrics on display, as well as some standard clothing as examples of what they can make. When you enter the shop, you can choose the fabric you like and ask for the price for the clothing you would like.
Fabrics for tailor made clothes
You can show them a picture of what you want, that’s actually the easiest way for them. But you can also explain them, or get something similar to what they have on display.
Sample dresses
After choosing the fabric and the style you want, they will take measurements and arrange an appointment for the first fitting.
During the fitting, the clothes may be not completely finished as they may need adjustments. Most shops will be happy to take measurements twice if needed, or more. After the last fitting, they may need a short time to finalize the clothes.
How long does it take to get clothes tailor made in Vietnam?
It’s always best to go get measurements as soon as you arrive in Hoi An or in Hanoi, to make sure you will have enough time, but most shops will take no more than 24h for simple clothes.
Also, for suits and long dresses, 24 hours is possible. But these may need more fittings, therefore we would suggest to allow for 48 hours.
From measurements to the first fitting it can take less than a day. If you get your measurements in the evening, it may be ready for fitting the next morning. Between fittings they will need a few hours, or if it’s something simple, maybe just a few minutes.
I had a lot of stress before getting my dress tailor made in Hoi An, as it was my only chance before my sister’s wedding. I was afraid something would go wrong or it would take too long and I only had two days! But I can assure that it’s definitely a good idea to get clothes tailor made in Vietnam. And they are also a great souvenir to take home!
Don’t miss out our travel guide to plan the best Vietnam itinerary for your trip!
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