BEST TAILOR IN HOI AN, QUANG NAM, VIET NAM

THE BEST TAILOR IN HOI AN

1- If you google “the best tailors in Hoi An” (which is perhaps how you arrived here), it’s not hard to find lists after lists, many with similar tailor shops named. But are they truly the best?

2- I think the answer is nuanced. Most of the best tailors do truly make incredible clothes. And I would certainly check them out as well, especially if you’re looking to make something especially intricate like a wedding dress.

3- For my part, I checked out a few of the top-ranked ones but felt they were a bit snobbish. In fact, the folks at one of the top three literally ignored me when I walked into one of their stores. Let’s just say when I finally got someone’s attention, it wasn’t good enough service for me to continue considering their offerings.

Hoi An Tailors: Blue Chic Tailor

03 Nguyễn Thái Học, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam 560000, Việt Nam

The lovely sisters that own Blue Chic are absolute gems. They will greet you with a smile, offer a cold beverage and provide the hospitality of a Western-style retail store. Here are five reasons I why believe Blue Chic is the best tailor in Hoi An:

1. We are honest.

Vietnam (and especially tourist spots like Hoi An) can be real scam. They’ll say and do whatever to get the sale. Not Blue Chic. If you decide on a design that they don’t think they can execute on properly: they’ll tell you. If you choose a fabric type that doesn’t work well for the design you chose: they’ll tell you. Vietnam is not a “customer service” oriented country but at Blue Chic you’ll be treated with respect. They care about their customer’s happiness and it shows.

2. We make great quality pieces.

Even though the typical turnaround time for a piece of clothing is 24 hours, they don’t skimp out on quality. If it’s a more complicated piece, they’ll be honest with turnaround time to ensure that they’ve put in their best effort to make you happy. Out of the twelve pieces I had made, I’ve only had an issue with one. The issue was self-inflicted, unfortunately. Took one of my pieces on a hike and tried to climb a steep hill and ripped a hole in the backend. RIP.

3. They price fairly.

No need to haggle the prices with Blue Chic. They will always give you a fair price — and each time I returned they gave me a small discount because I kept on coming back. They value customers that value them!

4. We’re located inside the Hoi An Old Town

They have a lovely shop which is located right in the Old Quarter, which means you have SO MANY CONVENIENCES when it comes to SHOPPING. After my second or even the third time in their shop, I could not even have enough time to choose more fabric as they have so many options from their own selection. They personally walked me through the collection until I found the patterns and colors I was envisioning in my head. Fantastic. Denim overall dress of my dreams by Blue Chic!

5. We speak excellent English.

Another important aspect for an excellent Hoi An tailor = ability to communicate English well. Don’t worry with Blue Chic, there will be nothing lost in translation. Both sisters speak excellent English and will be able to understand your requests as well as verbalize any of their concerns or honesties in regards to your designs.

Don’t just take my word for it — here are snippets from other happy customers from their page!

“An absolutely gem of a place; loved the place, the staff, the service and the quality of the clothes.

5*.

I will definitely order again.” – Emilie Warren- Ward

“The service here was fabulous, in less than 24 hours I had 2 summer dresses made in different fabrics and they fit like a glove! All alterations were made in a matter of hours and great quality items. The ladies are also wonderful, I would’ve bought for the service alone never mind quality of clothing”- Bethany Isla Ewan.

“The best place for suite made is you are in Hoi An. Don’t miss it”- Van Ratha.

P.S. They have no idea I am writing this article — all opinions are my own. I truly believe in supporting business and incredible people, especially these awesome women.

Step by step guide to Hoi An Tailors: get your clothes made!

Now that you’ve read my long-winded explanation of why Blue Chic is the best tailor in Hoi An, now it’s time to get some custom-made pieces for yourself. Here’s a step by step guide to getting clothes made in Hoi An!

Step one: Browse the internet for design inspiration

I created a private board on Pinterest for all my design inspiration. Dresses I liked the style of, rompers that had great shapes and the denim overall dress of my dreams. Use Pinterest to gather ideas by searching what you’re looking for: “Casual summer dress” “casual jumpsuit” or “maxi skirt. If you love the style of popular stores like Forever21 or Zara, browse their websites and screenshot pieces you love.

Pro tip: try to gather as many photos as possible — front of the piece and back, whatever you can find. The more details you have, the better your piece will come out.

Step two: Head to the tailor

After selecting what you want to be made (or gathering the articles of clothing you already own but want to be copied) — it’s time to hit the road jack! No need to make an appointment, but I usually send them a quick Facebook message as a heads up that I would be stopping in for a visit.

Step three: Have your design consult + be specific!

Time for the good stuff! Take a seat, chill out and talk through what you’re envisioning. Show your tailor pictures of designs you have curated and talk through what you like and don’t like. Be very specific.

If you know that certain necklines look bad on you — tell them. If you hate cap-sleeves — tell them.

If you bring in articles of clothing you want to be copied, point out specific things (if anything) changed. For example, I had one of my favorite jumpsuits copied exactly but wanted the legs to be more tailored and less wide than the original.

Step four: Select your fabrics

After you talk through what you want to be made, it’s time to select the fabrics! This part can be extremely overwhelming as there are SO many to choose from. Try to stick with what you know you’ll wear — don’t pick some “out there” print that you normally wouldn’t go for.

If you have a vision of what color or print you want, but you don’t see it at the tailor — it’s possible they have more fabrics elsewhere or can find something close to what you’re looking for!

Step five: Get measured

You’ve decided on a design, you’ve chosen your fabrics and now it’s time to get measured. They’ll measure you for each individual item you want to be made. Button placement, dress length, neckline — all will be discussed and measured.

Keep in mind that for dresses and skirts, they can always be made shorter after the first fitting. Have them a little longer than you actually desire, as it’s easier to shorten the length than make longer!

Step six: First fitting

Your first fitting will probably be in 24 hours or less. (It’s magic). They’ll evaluate their current workload and what you’ve ordered then provide an estimate of when you should return to try on your pieces.

My advice for the first fitting: do not freak out. It’s very rare the pieces will be perfect. Parts may be too big or too small, the length is off, the sleeves are too tight — it will be okay.

This is where things get altered. Be verbal and honest about what you want changed.

Step seven: Second fitting

Usually, the second fitting is a few hours later in the day (depending on how much you wanted changed). For the most part, your clothes may be ready to go. Sometimes, a few more alterations need to take place. Again, be honest with how you feel about your clothes!

Step eight: (Potential) third fitting

Depending on how your second fitting went, you may have a third fitting. Hopefully that’s all it takes to have the custom clothes of your dreams!

Step nine: Take your new clothes home!

Yay! You’ve got a fancy new wardrobe — custom to your body shape and taste! Go out and take an epic photo-shoot with your new clothes and make all your friends at home jealous with your new threads.

What’s the price of custom Hoi An clothing?

Every tailor will be different and every article of clothing will be priced according to the work and amount of fabric it takes to produce.

My most expensive article of clothing was the green maxi wrap dress, priced at $51 USD and my least expensive were the skirts and crop top at $13 USD each. The average price for my articles ranged from $25 USD to $35 USD.