How to Get Custom Made Clothing in Hoi An, Vietnam

I just spent 5 days on Hoi An, Vietnam.  I knew that I wanted to get a bunch of clothes made there, but I didn't know anything about how getting clothes made works, or even the process of seeing a tailor.  I feel like I've learned a lot in the last few days, and so I thought I'd put my advice here for future travelers.

The process:
The process of getting a tailor made suit is a follows.

0) Look at trip adviser for up-to-date reviews of various shops.  Remember that most hotels have deals with a specific shop and get commissions to refer people there.  This means these shops are more expensive than other places, and might not necessarily be very high quality. 

I loved this shop:  

Thien Thanh Cloth Shop
Address: 43 Le Loi St.
Phone: 0510 3 862 182

I did NOT like the place my hotel recommended, please don't go there:

Hai Au Xanh Clothes shop
Address: 481 Cua Dai, Hoi An 084, Vietnam



1) Check out places with good reviews.  Find a shop person who you like and feel you can communicate with (they have varying levels of understanding/speaking English).  Trust your instincts about the person, if you feel like it is too hard of a sell, they are trying to get you to buy things you don't like, or that your styles clash -- go somewhere else.

2) If you have time get something small made at several difference places on your first day to see which tailor you like the best.  Then go back to the place you like the best to get more.

3) Pick out a design from one of the catalogs, or have them reproduce a piece you already have (bring it with you), or bring in your own photograph of what you want.

4) Communicate, communicate, communicate!  Talk about what you like about the item, how you want it to fall on your body, how long you want it to be, what colors you like, how you intend to wear it.  A good sales person should be taking notes and understanding and engaging in this process.

5) Pick out the fabrics (see note on fabric below).

6) Come back the next day for a first fitting.  Don't be too worried if you don't 100% like how the piece looks during this first fitting.  What is more important is how the sales person responds to what you say.  A good sales person should be able to suggest improvements and should be quick to point out the need for alterations.  You shouldn't have to convince a sales person that you need an alteration.  If you find yourself having to insist about things, then don't buy anything else from that tailor.  At this point check the item thoroughly. Is the stitching even?  Are there any holes or stains on the fabric?  Is the line even?  Can you move in it, sit in it?  If there is something you don't like the look of, point it out to the sales person, they should be able to suggest a way to improve the piece or address the problem.

7) Come back late that day for a final fitting. Hopefully everything will look perfect at this point, but you can still ask for adjustments if you don't like how something looks.

8) Go back to the tailor who you liked the best in the first "test" round, and order more from them.

Prices
Tailored clothes in Vietnam (as of 10/2012) are about 1/3 of the price of the same retail item in America.  Suits are $70-$120.  Dresses are $20-$40.  Dress shirts are $10-$25.  Prices depend on the quality of the material and the deal you negotiate.  The more you buy the more of a discount you can negotiate.

Where to Go
The shops with a bigger storefront (i.e. Yally's) tend to be more expensive, but will also be more polished in terms of efficiency and willingness to make changes.  They will also have a wider range of fabrics to chose from.  The tailors inside the market are the cheapest (the market is only open during the day, not evening like most of the shops in town).  I suggest talking to a few of the sales people at a few stores before you decide who to buy from.  The sales person is going to be your line of communication between you and the tailor.  A good sales person will be able to help you understand the pros/cons of different fabrics, help you figure out which colors go well together and go well with your skin tone, and will ask specific questions about how you want the clothes to fit, how many pockets you want, what lining do you want, how wide to you like the arms and legs, how much padding do you want in the shoulders, etc.  A good sales person will also help you understand how to make alterations in the first fitting to address any problems.

Fabric
Before you start the ordering process with a sales person look at their fabric.  Make sure they have the type of fabric you are looking for, in the colors/patterns you like.  Think about the clothes you like to wear at home and what fabric they are made out of.  Not all fabrics are equal.  Examine how thick, soft, etc the fabric is and ask the difference between different fabrics.  Most of the sales people will be hesitant to tell you prices before they measure you.  This is because once you go through the whole process of getting measured and picking stuff out, you are invested in the product and so you are less likely to walk away.  Instead look around the shop that the dresses/jackets they have already made as examples.  Ask how much it would be for them to make the SAME dress for you.  Ask the difference between two items which look similar but have different fabrics.  Go to several shops and get an idea of prices and talk to the shop people before you decide to get something made.

We both got several suits, pants, shirts.  I got a couple skirts and dresses.  We also got custom made shoes. I'll let you know how they hold up to wear.  Pictures to come soon!