Tailoring in Hoi An: Downsides and why i didn’t do it
If you take a stroll through Hoi An Ancient Town, almost every other shop is a tailor shop. Getting custom made clothing is a huge draw for tourists! However, I didn’t end up getting anything as I realized tailoring in Hoi An is not all that it’s hyped to be. Here are some reasons why I did not get any tailoring in Hoi An.
#1 TIME
Depending on how many days you visit Hoi An, you might not even have enough time! Your first task when you arrive in Hoi An will have to be visiting and selecting a tailor shop. You’ll likely spend at least an hour or two picking your fabric and patterns. Then you’ll have to go back twice to complete the fitting and tailoring. There are so many things to do in Hoi An (read my travel guide to get started), I didn’t want my time taken up by tailor visits.
#2 Too Much Selection
You have your big names in Hoi An: Bebe, Yaly, Kimmy. But there are over 300 listings of tailors on Tripadvisor (not to mention there’s for sure lots of fake reviews)! There were just too many shops and it was very difficult to decide which vendor to go with even after doing lots of research online. For me, I like being able to do thorough research and since there was no way to research all the tailors, I felt apprehensive about picking a random shop off the streets.
#3 Lack of Styles
If you are looking to get a 3 piece men’s suit, I would say it might still be worthwhile to get it done in Hoi An. However this post is more so aimed at women. There are very few offices that would require a full suit for women, so your other option is to get casual clothing tailored in hoi an. However, most casual clothing do not require precise tailoring like a suit needs and that’s why I feel it wasn’t worth it for me to get anything custom made. I can usually find lots of cotton dresses I like off the rack in retail stores at home. Also, the patterns and fabric for casual dresses were not particularly trendy and it feels very much like vacation or resort wear.
You can bring whatever design you want, but based on the mannequins, the styles that they can be made look pretty simple. Most of the dresses are made with only one print in a cotton or chiffon material.
#4 Cost
The cost of tailoring in Hoi An might not be as cheap as you think! A maxi dress is quoted around $120 USD which is more than how much I would normally pay if I purchased it off the rack. Granted that it’s custom made but there are so many maxi dresses I can find at the mall that I love. For a leather duffle, I was quoted about $200 USD. Again, you can definitely find similar priced items online.
#5 Cost per Wear
It’s likely that you are getting a special occasion piece made, in which case the cost per wear might be very high. So if you are getting a fancy dress made, you should think about how many times you’ll wear it. The cotton sun dress designs are just not things I would wear a lot so I knew that wouldn’t get a good cost per wear either.
#6 Variety for Tourists
Right now when you walk through Hoi An Ancient Town, there’s tailors lining every street! I think if tailoring was a less popular “tourist attraction”, a better variety of shops can open and share what Vietnamese artists are making. When I went shopping in Ho Chi Minh and there were so many cute boutiques! I bet they would also do really well in Hoi An as well if there was the retail space. Or I would have loved to try more restaurants and cafes!
For example, the picture above is Sunday in Hoi An Boutique. I’d love to see more of these shops instead of 100s of tailors all selling the same items.
Final Thoughts on Tailoring in Hoi An
I think the idea of getting custom made clothes for cheap is very alluring.ย But I’d recommend you to think through the decision before paying for tailoring in Hoi An. It just didn’t make economical sense to me and I also wasn’t in love with any particular fabric or dress design. I would have rather spent the money to buy a souvenir from a local boutique like Sunday in Hoi An!
If you liked this slightly controversial piece, make sure to read my Santorini regrets. It may be the most beautiful island but it is certainly not my favorite Greek island.
