How to get clothes made to measure
Hoi An has been a cloth-trading town for centuries and today has hundreds of tailor shops, able to make a suit, a dress or a copy of your favourite shirt in a day or two. The results range from superb to disappointing. A little planning makes all the difference.
A shop can sew a simple shirt or dress overnight, but good results come from two or three fittings. Plan on:
The golden rule: order on your first day, not your last. That leaves time for alterations and a final check before you pack.
Prices depend mostly on the fabric and on the shop. As a rough guide at the time of writing: a made-to-measure shirt from about $20–40, a dress from about $30–80 and a two-piece suit from about $100 to well over $300 in good wool. The cheapest offers usually mean the cheapest cloth and the fewest fittings.
Pick the shop yourself. Drivers and touts who “know a good tailor” often earn a commission that ends up in your price. Read recent reviews and visit two or three shops before you decide.
Most established shops can ship your clothes home by post or courier, and keep your measurements on file so you can reorder later. If you travel in the rainy season, fittings are a perfect plan for a wet afternoon, alongside a cooking class or a lantern-making workshop. See our guide to the best time to visit Hoi An for when the rain comes.
Fittings take half an hour each. Fill the gaps with three of the best-rated experiences in town.
Build your own silk lantern in a small Old Town workshop, from bamboo frame to silk panels. The lantern folds flat for your suitcase. Easy, calm and a great keepsake from Hoi An.
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Shop for herbs and vegetables at a local market, ride a basket boat through the coconut forest and then cook three or four classic dishes such as fresh spring rolls and banh xeo. One of the best-value experiences in Vietnam; choose the shorter or the full version when booking.
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Two hours in a small Old Town workshop learning how Vietnam drinks its coffee: phin-filter drip coffee, egg coffee, coconut coffee and salt coffee, made by you and tasted on the spot. A lovely rainy-afternoon activity and one of the highest-rated classes in town.
Check availabilityA shirt or simple dress can be ready in 24 hours; for a suit allow two to three days and two or three fittings.
Yes, if you allow enough time, choose good fabric and pick a well-reviewed shop. Rushed orders in cheap fabric are the main source of disappointment.
Roughly from $100 to well over $300 at the time of writing, depending mainly on the fabric.
Most established shops can send your order by post or courier and keep your measurements for future orders.
