Here’s another wonderful post from Richard of Richard Elliot’s blog about tailors in Bangkok. It’s great that Richard wrote this for us because it’s not a subject I would have touched on since I’m not really a suit and tie kinda guy. Thanks again Richard and all my readers drop by his blog and say hi won’t you?
Bangkok’s Tailors – Where to Go and Where to Avoid
There is no comparison between wearing a beautifully tailored suit that fits you like a glove and a lumpy ill fitting off the peg suit that still seems to cost a small fortune back home. Wearing a perfectly fitted suit makes you feel special, more confident and helps you to walk taller. It can also be very exciting having a suit made while on holiday. Being measured up, describing exactly what you want, choosing the right fabric and attending fittings can be fantastic fun. The tailor is likely to treat you like a king. That might be because he wants your money, but it still makes me feel a bit special! Lucky for us that Bangkok has some great tailors where we can get clothes made for a fraction of the price back home!

Over half of my work / formal wardrobe is from tailors in Asia. I’ve got suits, dinner jackets, trousers and shirts. I’ve also got some tailored casual clothes too.
However, if you have never been into a tailors before it can be a bit daunting, especially in a strange city. How do I get want I want? Will I choose the right tailors? How do I make sure I am not ripped off? Hopefully the below will give you a few pointers to set you off in the right direction.
Most of the tailors in Bangkok are actually just fabric sellers. They sell you some fabric, take your measurements and pass them onto a workshop where you suit is actually made. Your suit will almost certainly been machine sown was well. What you are actually getting is a made-to-measure suit and not the bespoke one advertised in the window. Don’t let this put you off, a made-to-measure suit can still look and feel great and some nice detailed finishes can add a lot of style and distinction to the finished article.
Make sure you choose a good fabric. You will only be able to make a good-looking suit out of 100% high quality wool. Thailand is famous for its silk and cotton, but not wool. The best quality wool’s come from Europe and Japan, I usually buy English wool and that is not just because I am British! In virtually every shop you go to, cheaper fabrics and some mid range ones too will be polyester or wool and polyester mixes, even if the band sown onto the edge of the fabric says “100% Wool, Made in England”. The tailor I visit is open enough to admit what is real wool and what isn’t. If you are not sure ask for a small sample. If it rips easily and melts like plastic with a horrible smell, when you hold a match to it, then it is probably a man made fibre. If it is difficult to tear and burns more slowly with an organic smell, it is probably wool.
Make sure you specify exactly what want. Single breasted? Double breasted? Side vents? Button hole? How many pockets? Real buttons on the sleeve? The list is almost endless. If you are not confident at doing this and have an existing suit that you like, take it along and most tailors will be able to copy it for you. Otherwise get on the internet and do some research or take along a picture of that Hugo Boss suit you want copied.
Next you need to avoid Bangkok Shoulders, as my Australian friend calls them. The Thais seem to love large should pads. Unless you are going for a retro 80′s style jacket, make sure you ask for small shoulder pads.
It takes time to make a decent suit. You will need to find a tailor you are happy with, choose the fabric and have all of your measurements taken. You will then need several fittings. If you are only in Bangkok for 2/3 days then it is probably not worth it, you should allow at least a week.
I hope that all of the above hasn’t put you off! You can still get some great clothes made for you in Bangkok, with a little of bit of care and effort, that will cost you a fraction of what you would pay on Saville Row. The main area in Bangkok is on Sukhumvit road around Nana and Asok Sky Train stations. You’ll need to do a bit of research to find the right place. Don’t be afraid to go in and ask to see some examples of their work, speak to the owner and any other customers in the shop. You get what you pay for, and should budget on spending $300 – $400 USD, after any discounts, for a good suit. In my experience you would expect to get a 30 – 50% discount on the price first quoted to you.
I use Royal Tailors near Nana BTS, opposite the Nana Shopping Centre. I have heard good things about Narin Couture as well.
At completely the other end of the spectrum, if I want the fake jeans I have just bought altered I use the denim shop in the basement of Central shopping centre in Lad Prao. Or for minor repairs you see girls sitting at the side of the road with a sewing machine all over the city.

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