Has anyone used the tailor, Dong Phuong, in Hoi An located at 15b Le Loi Street? On another message board posting I read about her excellent services, as well as the poor services of another. As I plan to have several items made for me, in a short period of time, I want to be sure the tailor I use is highly recommended.

As there are certainly many reputable tailors in Hoi An, if you know of another, please post their name(s) and address(es).

Also, if you did use a tailor in Hoi An, did you bring your own material? Do the tailors have a selection or can you buy elsewhere in town and bring to the tailor? With not a lot of time I want to minimize the comings and goings to the shop as I will be travelling with a friend who I know is not as interested as me at having clothes made.

Lastly, did you tip the tailor?

Thank you for any feedback you provide!

I don't know this tailor, but the best predictor of how satisfied you are with the clothing you have made is how many fittings you have. If you only have a short period of time, you are reducing the chances you'll be happy with what you have made. All tailors will have selections of light-weight fabrics. You bargain with the tailor for a price, and no "tipping" is expected ot necessary. Make sure you know exactly what you want made (down to the tiniest detail). Bring along a garmet to duplicate or photos to help the tailor understand exactly what you want.

I used a tailor's store called Yali when I was in Hoi An a few years ago. I had 4 pairs of trousers & some shirts made and all were and continue to be excellent. I looked at items other people were collecting and all were of good quality.I had photos of what I wanted but they do have books there you cn browse though also. They had so much fabric I had a hard time choosing. I did meet a girl there who had brought her own fabric but it was for her wedding dress and she didn't want to take any chances. As Kathie said make sure you allow plenty of time so they can alter things as required. Sorry I don't know the address but you should be able to ask at your hotel and get directions. I did not tip and also as Kathie mentioned had finalised the price with some bargaining prior to them starting work.

Have fun

J

I went to 15b in May based on the recommendation I found on the internet. There are so many shops in Hoi An at very different levels of quality. I had things made at Adong as well, which is one of the higher end. 15b was fine for basic skirts and tops, very inexpensive. However, if you only want to go back for a few fittings, it's best to stick to simple designs - a-line skirts or jersey tops. Things like suits and trousers require more fittings to really fit well. The fabric selection at 15b is comparable to every other shop on the street. My only complaint is that they pushed very hard to convince me that things fit when they needed to be adjusted.

If you want to try any of the pricier tailors as well, I would recommend Yali. Friends had suits made there that they were very happy with, but they were several hundred dollars.

My regret is that I didn't bring pictures of things from catalogs that I wanted imitated. The pattern books they have tend to be somewhat dated.

Just be prepared to go to a lot of fittings - for one dress, I had to go back 6 times! It can become frustrating when it seems to take over your day, but the tailors work incredibly hard and long hours. Hoi An is so compact that it's easy to stop in in the course of exploring. The visits are fairly quick, so it shouldn't try your friend's patience too much!

Have a great trip - if possible, eat at Mango Rooms and Cafe des Amis while in Hoi An!

Kathie since you are so knowledgable about both places, can you give some kind of comparison between the tailoring in Hoi An and that in Bangkok? I am thinking that for high-end items like business suits, Bangkok is the place. But I would be ordering more casual wear: Women's shirts and pants, silk shorts, "Oriental" style jackets, etc... Where should I concentrate my energies?