Getting Clothes Tailored in Hoi An

In Hoi An, there is an abundance of tailor shops. For a clothing lover like me, the idea of all of these places where I could get custom made clothing was both exciting and overwhelming. At first glance, many of these shops looked the same, but I quickly learned that there are good shops and bad shops, and it's not quite that easy to get what you want. There are some shops that are clearly higher end, and that is reflected in the prices they charge and the quality of the clothing. But there are some shops where you can get decently made clothing for a decent price. Even if you don't plan on having anything made in Hoi An, once you get there, the temptation will likely be to great to resist. So be prepared. Here are a few things I learned:

BEFORE YOU GO

Have an idea of what you want to have made beforehand. You can literally have any type of clothing made- dresses, pants, winter coats, suits, etc. Clip or print pictures of clothing you like and bring them with you. When there is a language barrier, having a visual to show the tailor gets you a lot further than trying to orally explain what you want.

You can also bring fabric with you if you have extra space in your luggage for it. There are a decent amount of fabrics at the stores, but after awhile you'll notice most shops have basically the same selection.

KNOW WHAT LOOKS GOOD ON YOU

Have realistic expectations about how things will look on you. Chances are, the clothes won't look the same on you as they do on a model or on a mannequin. Knowing this will help you make better choices on what to order and you'll be more likely to walk away with something that really looks like it was made for you.

PICKING THE RIGHT SHOP

Characteristics of a good shop:
-Interesting and well made clothing on display in front
-Clean and uncluttered
-A relaxed environment
-A good amount of customers (who look happy!)
-Has clothing catalogs you can browse through for ideas
-Pleasant and honest staff who listens to what you want and gives good advice on fit, colors, and patterns
-Reasonable prices, willing to negotiate

Characteristics of a bad shop:
-Cluttered, disorganized, and dusty
-Pushy, dishonest staff (you will know)
-Lack of customers

GETTING THE RIGHT FIT

Make sure you are spending enough time in Hoi An to have plenty of fittings and still have enough time to see the town. It's easy to get caught up in the tailoring and miss out on the beautiful town of Hoi An. In some cases, the clothes will fit perfectly right away, but in most cases you may need to have a few fittings before your clothes fit well. Don't be afraid to tell the staff if you feel like something needs to be altered. If it's a good shop, they will probably notice it anyway and be very willing to fix it!

RECOMMENDATIONS

Huong Lan II
Address: 669 Hai Ba Trung Street
Phone: 84.510. 864 457

Hong Nhat
Address: 104 Ba Trieu
Phone: 0510.863 946

- These two shops had excellent customer service and made good clothes for a good price.