SUITS ME JUST FINE: BANGKOK TAILORS
May 14 '04 (Updated May 09 '05)
The Bottom Line I now get my suits made at the same place as an action movie star does.
"Heading to Hong Kong, then you just have to get a suit made. Hang on I'll dig up the name of the tailor who did mine."
Such was the advice given to me by a close friend when I gave him the news that Hong Kong would be the last stop on our Asia trip. I had to admit the idea had crossed my mind. I'd always heard about the fantastic deals there, and to be honest I'd seen my friend’s hand tailored suit and it was nice.
As the trip plans began to take shape though I realized that we probably wouldn't have time to get one done as we only had a couple of days in Hong Kong at the end of our trip. Then I remembered something I'd heard earlier from someone who'd just come back from Asia. He'd been in Bangkok and had a couple of suits and shirts done up there and swore by the quality.
He'd also mentioned that a lot of the Indian Tailors had fled Hong Kong prior to the handover and set up shop in Thailand. Prices in Hong Kong were up, but bargains could still be found in Bangkok. In other words if you wanted a real old fashioned tailor made Hong Kong suit you got it made up in Thailand now.
That was something to consider. We'd be staying in Bangkok longer than in Hong Kong. Besides while my wife considered shopping a part of the whole trip experience, hanging around shops and stores wasn't high on my list of priorities.
When I'd been planning the trip I'd received a bunch of information on all our destinations. The map of Hong Kong was literally covered with ads; most of them for tailors with prices, and contact info. A quick check of the Bangkok map I'd also received showed it was the same. The prices noted were better too.
Weeks later we were stuck in a taxi in Bangkok's notorious late afternoon rush hour traffic heading from the airport to our hotel. I had a new tourist map picked up at the airport in my hands trying to make some sense out of the maze of streets and canals. Like all the other maps it was covered in ads.
One looked almost too good to be true. Two Cashmere suits, one summer suits, two extra pairs of pants, three shirts and two silk ties all for $125.00 US. I showed it to my wife and she nodded. The address was a short walk from our hotel so we decided to check it out in the morning.
The place in the map ad was easy to find and about a ten-minute walk from our hotel along Sukhumvit Road. On the way there we noticed that almost half the business on the street seemed to be tailor shops.
Every one of them had large signs in the window or on the sidewalk offering special deals. Most also had someone outside clutching at the sleeves of those that walked by, handing them flyers or business cards and trying to drag you inside.
Inside a well-dressed employee immediately came up to us, offered us bottled water and started into a smooth sales pitch. I showed him the ad and it was if he didn't even seem to acknowledge it.
He kept up with his pitch pulling bales of elegant silk and cashmere from the piles around the showroom and showing us catalogues of the latest designer fashions all of which could be faithfully reproduced in a short while. The sales pitch reminded me of the time in Morocco when I'd been at the clutches of a carpet salesman in Fez who just didn't seem to understand the word "no."
I asked how much three suits, shirts and extra pants of the excellent material, and it really was high quality, laid out in front of me would cost and nearly choked when he punched in some numbers on a calculator and showed me. There was a lot of zeros after the initial number and a coma in there too I noticed.
"That's in Thai Baht, right?" I asked. The exchange rate was about 30 Baht to the Canadian Dollar.
"Oh no sir, Dollars, US Dollars." came the urbane reply.
"Well what about the ad?" I asked displaying my wilted and crumpled map once more like a talisman.
He sighed and reluctantly dragged us over to a corner of the shop where a few worn pathetic rolls of synthetic cloth were stored. The deal he explained was for this material only. It was obvious the ad was the old bait and switch designed to lure us into the shop. After that it was up to the salesman's smooth pitch to keep us there.
We said we'd think about it and beat a hasty retreat. Back on the street I made up my mind. I really did want a hand made suit, but there was no way I was going to pay the prices quoted in there, nor have one made out of the tacky polyester he had shown me. My wife suggested we look at a couple of other places before finding a place for lunch.
Walking back along Sukhumvit towards our Hotel I began to pay closer to attention to the signs in the other tailor shops. The deals were good, but nothing like the map ad. That suggested that maybe they were legitimate or probably close to it anyway.
Just before the turnoff for our hotel we ducked into one of the tailor shops. I'm not sure why we chose this one, maybe it was because the kid out front was polite as opposed to aggressive when handing out the business cards.
This one was smaller; more cluttered and had a more workman like look to it than the first, which I took as a good sign. Like many of the other shops there were the requisite photos of celebrities who’d had suits made there on display. In this case it was Steven Segal. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
The owner, as at the other place was Indian, actually he said he was originally from Nepal. Most of the shops owners and sales staff are Indian. The tailors though are often Thai.
There was the same sales pitch, pleasantries and an offer of a cold drink, beer or a soft drink this time, while we perused the catalogues and rolls of cloth on display. This time however it didn't seem as high pressure. It was if the shop owner had already decided that we were only browsing and if we bought something it was a bonus. It was a smart move on his part, we stayed.
I first told him we were leaving the day after tomorrow and early in the morning and would that be a problem. None he assured me, measurements could be done now, a quick fitting that evening and the finished product delivered to our hotel around the corner tomorrow night. Less than 48 hours all told. I asked the price for first a single suit with a couple of shirts and then for two.
We haggled a bit, and then he offered us a deal. A couple of two piece suits for myself, with two hand made silk shirt and two silk ties, and two more suits with blouses for my wife. Hers would come with both slacks and skirts. All four suits would be made of the good material he showed us not the "special deal" rolls that it seemed every shop had some of. Double stitching, and all the nice extras, like buttons, included and all guaranteed to be ready as promised.
Total price after a bit of give and take on both sides to satisfy our respective honours was a little less than $750.00 Cdn. at the current exchange rate and yes he accepted credit cards with no surcharge. That sounded like a real as opposed to map ad deal, and we readily agreed.
The next day while talking to another tourist and comparing notes about our respective tailors I realized just how good a deal it was. He said he'd paid almost double what I had for his two suits. Mind I had no idea of the quality of his.
The initial measurements were done right there in the store and took only a few minutes as did choosing the cut and style we wanted and the materials and colours for the shirts. Measurements stay on file and one can phone or e-mail orders in. After that we were on our way to spend the rest of the day sightseeing around Bangkok.
That evening we returned as agreed on our way out to dinner. The shop owner made a call and said the tailor who worked off site would be there shortly. In the interim would we each care to try on the shirts? There is something special about pulling on a silk shirt that has been measured to fit you and you only. It fit like the proverbial glove.
A few minutes later the tailor arrived and I slipped into the pants and partially completed jacket. He hemmed and hawed about me with pins and chalk and then when satisfied we repeated the process with the second suit. Then I relaxed and enjoyed a cold beer with the owner while my wife had her fitting.
Satisfied we went out for dinner and a night on the town. The next day was spent playing tourist again.
Once more in the evening we returned to the shop for the finished product. There was a slight delay, and we strolled off for dinner. After dinner we returned and the suits were there and as we tried them on the tailor made some final adjustments, while I, ok my wife and owner, chose a couple of ties.
The owner said the adjustments would take about an hour and he also wanted to press them. Then he'd have them delivered to the hotel. It seemed fair and we had to pack anyway, including making room for our new purchases. While my wife was finishing that I strolled down to the lobby. Looking out the door I saw the tailor coming up the street, with two suit bags over his arm. A few minutes later they were safely packed away and we flew out of Bangkok the next morning.
I don't usually wear a suit to work although my wife does. The couple of times I've worn one or the other I've received compliments, even my friend with the Hong Kong suit is suitably impressed. Mt\y wife won’t admit it but I think she’s received some envious compliments from co-workers too.
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to check out a sale in a local Toronto men's store. I compared what was available and the prices with what was hanging in my closet, yes it was a good deal.
My only regret, I didn't splurge and get another suit made up or at least a few more shirts. Then again I have a good reason to visit Bangkok again.
Louis’s Collection
M-S 9:30-9:30, Sunday10:30-6:00 pm
172/1Sukhumvit Road (near Soi 8)
Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Tel: 026533898
Fax: 662-2557707
e-mail: louis97@loxinfo.co.th
www.louiscollection.com
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