Clothes from the Tailors of Bangkok
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.
we have leather jacket made at savilerowfashion on suriwong road. it was great.
Tried Universal Tailors upon the recommendation of a friend and reading their fantastic customer’s review and they turned out to a treat. At the end of my trip, I have with myself 3 fitted suits, 10 shirts and a brazer. Their fabric choice is huge and have a great workmanship.
I just attempted to get a suit made at Savile Row tailor shop, in BKK, nearby Patpong Soi 1. The experience was most unpleasant, to say the least. The salesperson, Navid, was very nice, pleasant and accomodating. However, the tailors they use are absolutely incompetent. The pants fit VERY tight and were uncomfortable. After 2 re-trys, they still got it wrong. The jacket was so tight the sleeves bubbled up when I put it on with a dress shirt. From the appearances, I believe this tailor shop is using untrained, Burmese tailors that have zero experience making clothes for bodies the size of expats.
To be fair, they refunded my money in the end and took back the suit. However, I wasted 3 days in the process and I now must go see my tailor in HK to get a decent suit made!
Take my advice and forget these “low cost” tailors in BKK that hail from India/Pakistan/Burma/, etc. Go to HK, pay a little more, and get a great fitting suit from a Chinese tailor.
i m looking 100% cotton for shirts. wholesale from direct factory or wholesaller. can u plz send to me any adres or phone no.
regards
I am an American who has been teaching English in Thailand for the past two years. Working and interacting within Thai culture, where everything is based on appearance and face, makes clothes a very very important asset for the job.
Unfortunately, upon my arrival in Thailand, I knew little or nothing about suits. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to stumble upon Excelsior at the recommendation of a friend.
Good for the price and value for money.
What you pay for is what you get. Actually, for Bangkok this place is rather a good deal. I ordered a suit, a pair of odd trousers, a sports coat and a shirt from Excelsior. Had three fittings, on consecutive days and the clothes turned out Excellent.
If you really are looking for a decent suit Narin Couture is the place to visit. Taylor made suit with really good fabric costs around 500€(Includes 2 pants 1 jacket). He’s graduated from Paris taylor school and has won awards in tailoring. If you wear a suit in work and wanna have a really good suit and not one made in indian sweatshop this is really the place to visit!
I am lookign for an area in Thailand where i’d find tailors that make womens clothing, not so much suits, just general clothing. Would anyone have a suggestion as to where would be the best spots to find some or many outlets that do their own making, or sell more wholesale than retail?
1. Cheap deals of 99 usd 129 usd and 199 usd have to be avoided at all costs.
2. Definitely avoid touts and tour agents taking you to shops,in between your temple tours or City tour.even people calling you form outside their own shop.
3. Avoid any shop offering Alcoholic drinks and free stuff, you can get them in BARS. you don’t need tailors to get you drunk.(although some tailors operate like Bangkok bar girls especially on soi NANA.)
4. Shops with own Tailors and in-house Workshops get a BIG PLUS. these are the actual real tailors.
5. Never pay the full balance at the beginning. A deposit of about 50%? should be enough I think..Just like Jeremy says.
6.Be reasonable…. tailoring is a Balance between Good Fabric, Cut ,and Quality . You cannot get it very cheap. expect to pay 100-150 usd for poly wool blends,250-350 for imported wools and 350-500 up for really fine quality genuine brands wool . YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
A lot of good poins on this forum have been raised by Richard and jeremy and George… keep it up good work.
I had a trip to Bangkok and decided to check out Savile Row Fashion.
My experience with Narry and Aron. No pressure, excellent advice, and a very good price quoted upfront. My main concern was my stay in Bangkok got cut short and only had 2 days to complete the transaction. Narry worked out a plan that fit my schedule. I even decided to upgrade to a better material (absolutely no pressure from Narry.)
Due to my schedule, he measured me on a Saturday and came by my hotel for the fitting on Tuesday evening. Narry said it would take a couple of days to complete the suit. I realize I was taking a risk in not having a second fitting and trusting the suit would show up on my doorstep a few weeks later, but everything worked out great.
I found a friend who agreed to deliver it, saving me the shipping fees. (Narry even reminded my friend of the refund due.)
Don’t go to “James Tailor Bangkok”!
It all might look quite fancy and high quality. They even have bodygards in front of their doors and do also pick up from your hotel. The guys there know how to make a customer to feel like you are in good hands. BUT you are not. They can even show you the “Best of Best”book in which they are mentioned in as one of the best tailors in Bangkok.
Don’t buy anything there. The material they show you looks quite good but after one time wearing it you see that it is the biggest crap.
My wife’s dresses were very badly tailored and after one time wearing there were already holes in the dresses.
I bought two suits which were quite OK at the beginning but after one time wearing it the material looks and feels like the ones from the 80ies!
It was so a ripoff the worst thing we ever bought in our life!
i found this post doing a random search for “Bangkok tailors” to do research on suits in Bangkok, and instead came across the good reports about Excelsior, so I went to check them out, never having had a tailored shirt and suit before. They have been long time established in Bangkok and have been doing great jobs.
I’m a local Bangkokian but I’ve lived overseas for over 10yrs, & have found local stuff to be of better & better value. Certainly bespoke shirts where I live start at Aust$160, where as Excelsior starts at 30 $.
Anyhow I went in & although they did have a huge range of material & I’m sure my shirts will be great.
I ordered some stuff. had a pair of pants and shirt done. Both were good and I am a big guy. I have other stuff in the mail, as my trip was too short to get additional fittings, So had to get them mailed and they turned out to be pretty good.
The guy I was dealing with was extremely friendly, courteous and able to provide some advice on various aspects. They have all my size dimensions on file now, so I can order additonal shirts and pants as neccessary.
Excellent place and will recommend more people to Excelsior in Bangkok.
Great report! Thanks for taking the time to let everyone know about your experience at Excelsior tailors.
I go into my third fitting, and I have to say, that I’m blown away.
Have you ever subscribed to a VIP service? Maybe, you’ve gone to the VIP area of a club? Most of the time you get a bottle of warm champagne and a couple of glasses. The one thing that made my experience with Savile Row at the Rose Hotel a truly amazing experience was the service. It really did make me feel like a VIP.
Remember that vest thing where I almost wanted to throw up? The vests were fixed, and they looked great!
I don’t know anything about clothes, except for what I look like wearing them. I don’t know what “darts” are , but they put them in, and it made the whole thing way way better.
The jackets no longer looked all boxy and gross.
I looked like , well, I looked like a spy. A secret agent , James Bond had nothing on me.
That’s what I liked about the place. I didn’t know if I wanted a single vented jacket, or a french cuff, but by the end, I had a whole ensemble. I didn’t just have an outfit. I had a wardrobe. I could easily imagine myself accessorising it, and adding extra pieces.
I’m not the best looking guy, but I looked good.
I put on one of the three piece suits (I didn’t even care about the heat), and out I went.
I can tell you I was definitely turning heads.
Maybe it was because the Thai’s were wondering “What the Balls is that Farang doing wandering around in a full suit?” , but I am thinking it’s because I looked so good.
So all problems solved, I walk into my hotel. The girls at the front desk definitely give me a little more attention…..
Savile Row in Bangok, it makes you WANT to wear a three piece suit on a sweltering Bangkok night.
Samson = HOT
Hey guys, I was actually on this forum and took the advice of some commenters when I decided to go get my suits.
Here’s my trip report. Enjoy!
The main reason, I’m in Bangkok, as you all know is to get suits. I’ve researched on the internet, and found lots of places. Tailors in Thailand are like , Rednecks in Wetaskiwin, ubiquitous.
The one I went with was SavileRow Tailors in Bangkok.
The main reason, was because they had great reviews from lots of different sites, and responded well to all my emails.
They pick me up at my hotel in Khao San road, to go get my first fitting. A lady called Preeety picks me up, so far so good. They promised a 7pm pick up and it is indeed 7 pm.
I get to the tailors and they are busy busy busy. They are just finishing another guys suits. This place is small physically. There are bolts of different materials. I already have prenegotiated the prices with them , so I dont’ worry about that part.
Another thing I like about their shop is they have pre determined levels of sewing, and workmanship that you can pick from. They’ve sent me jpegs of their different levels. They leave it up to you which quality you want.
I have had Thai suits made before. A full suit can take as little as 20hrs . Yes indeed, I got 3 made a couple of years ago, and they are still fine.
They also can be quite inexpensive $100 a suit.
The thing though is that if you can take a couple days, you can get amazing suits. Not an OK suit, but a mind blowing suit.
I’m getting the $400 suits. These ones I’m getting made are supposed to be the same as Hugo Boss quality. I’ve also given them 10 days to make this perfect.
They sent me detailed Jpeg images of the differences before I arrive. I’m a little skeptical, but I know I’ll be able to examine the final details in person.
After an hour picking the materials, I have settled on several suits made of Thai Silk/wool.
No polyester this time, nice.
I’m making 5 suits, all 3 piece suits, with the vests. I’m also getting another pair or pants per suit.
So each suit is a Jacket, 2 pairs of pants and a vest.
All Thai silk/wool.
Then 12 shirts, Egyption cotten
They also have free beer, so, while I’m selecting I’m drinking Leo and just really enjoying myself. They should have free beer at my work.
Ok, maybe not, I can just see myself getting plastered.
The whole thing is $2900 canadian. It’s not cheap at all, but that’s why I’m here. To get some amazing suits.
One last thing about the tailors there, it seems like every Tailor shop in Bangkok has a “suit $100″ sign on the window. This one doesn’t. It’s in the Rose hotel, and its plastered with photos from previous customers. The suits they’ve previously made definitely look alright.
The second fitting is in two days. I arrive again, after being picked up by Preeety. She’s a nice lady and has some suggestions for where to go in Thailand.
I arrive, and find that the shirt sleeves are TOO SHORT. Yup, my gorgeous shirts all seem like they’ve been made for a guy 2 inches shorter than me in the sleeves. NASTY! I have this dreadful feeling in my stomach. What have I done?
They assure me, it’s not a big deal, that it’s only the first fitting and that the shirts will be the proper length. I go “Okay, ” and try on some paper jacket fittings.
I go back to my hotel with a little bit of dread….
The next day I go in again. The shirts have been finished and they are now the correct length. Phew! I was really really worried about that.
The jacket is really boxy though. I wanted a slim tailored jacket, not a boxy one, they again assure me , that this is only the second fitting. I’m mollified, because I know that they fixed the shirt, and that they’ll fix jacket.
The vests though are a different story.
They are UGLY.
Really really, really, really ugly.
It’s like they don’t make a lot of vests. I told them in the beginning that I needed to be able to wear the vest by itself.
Well, the vest by itself looks like if somebody had taken a dress shirt and cut off the sleeves. There is no style or flair to it.
I am really easy going, but I can’t have the vests looking like this. Most of the time I’ll be wearing them by themselves.
So they call the tailor in.
I knew I should have gotten a test one made, not all 5 …. but I really trusted them.
The tailor and my sales guy talk for about 15 minute in Thai. I’m sure the Tailor is saying things like “but this is the way vests are supposed to look:”.
They come up to a solution that they are going to put some darts in….. and that this should make the vests look better.
With trepidation…. I go in for my third fitting today…..
Will they have corrected my boxy suit and boring vests?
Overall I am very pleased indeed with the suit I received from Tailorpro house. When I first looked at the website I was given confidence by the number of measurements they asked for as I had never used an on-line tailor before.
But as I said I am more than happy. The fit is excellent; the workmanship is excellent (my wife is a seamstress so she knows what to look for); the communication was first-rate; and the speed of delivery was good as well.
Email tailorprofashion@gmail.com
I have been reading a lot of posts and forums on Bangkok tailors, it is surprising how some of the posts seem to be so Sales oriented.
It seems that there are many of the tailors blogging themselves and bragging about there satisfaction. s-row and ex definitely seem to fake it out.
My recommendation….. try tailors on Sukhumvit… there are all sorts good and bad, you will need to judge them YOURSELF.
Elaborating Jeremy’s points and adding a few more…
1. Cheap deals of 99 usd 129 usd and 199 usd have to be avoided at all costs.
2. Definitely avoid touts and tour agents taking you to shops,in between your temple tours or City tour.even people calling you form outside their own shop.
3. Avoid any shop offering Alcoholic drinks and free stuff, you can get them in BARS. you don’t need tailors to get you drunk.(although some tailors operate like Bangkok bar girls especially on soi NANA.)
4. Shops with own Tailors and in-house Workshops get a BIG PLUS. these are the actual real tailors.
5. Never pay the full balance at the beginning. A deposit of about 50%? should be enough I think..Just like Jeremy says.
6.Be reasonable…. tailoring is a Balance between Good Fabric, Cut ,and Quality . You cannot get it very cheap. expect to pay 100-150 usd for poly wool blends,250-350 for imported wools and 350-500 up for really fine quality genuine brands wool . YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
A lot of good poins on this forum have been raised by Richard and jeremy and George… keep it up good work.
Savilerow Fashion is a first-class tailoring business that has been making suits and clothes. They deliver made-to-measure suits, shirts, and trousers, as well as other garments. You can choose your fabric and let savile row give you that look and fit you’ve always wanted, all at excellent prices, with quick turnaround and worldwide delivery options.
I last shopped at Savile row Fashion Bangkok and thought they were absolutely awful. However I have had to have a change of heart- they were the only people to actually have gotten what I want. The staff is very helpful and friendly as well- I never found asking them a question a chore, as a matter of fact they went out of their way to help me! The stores are nice and clean and airy- unlike some shops I have been to. The prices are actually quite pleasing- hell. I will definitely be going to savilerow again.contact savilerowfashion@gmail.com. They are also among top 5 bangkok tailor
Hey I have been using Excelsior for years . The quality of the suit is great same and the price is reasonable.
Fit has nothing to do with the quality of a suit, because every body is unique, and therefore the ideal fit has to be tailored for any man. Nothing off the rack will ever fit you perfectly, only “close-enough” in some circumstances.
If its solely the quality you are interested in, then you want to look at 2 things – the quality of the fabrics used to make the suit, and the quality of the workmanship put into the suit.
Most high quality suits are going to be made of high quality wool, with an equally high quality silk inner lining . If anybody is on a visit to Bangkok would recommend them to have a fit at Excelsior and its much better than buying off the rack suits.
don’t know if this will help.
Have lived in Bangkok before and have had numerous experience with tailors.
What you need to definitely avoid is walking to a shop that
1. Advertizes cheap deals, 199 USD to 249 USD for 10 pieces of clothing.(pay cheap and look cheap)
2. Tour groups or touts taking you there ( upto 30 % commotions given out)
3. Avoid fancy small shops run by sales people from Nepal or Burma( not trying to be racial…. but these guys do not have any tailoring sense and are just there to sell you anything for any amount.)
I have been to some of the tailors and had suits from a few of them…. looking back at my dairy this is what my notes told me…I will try and give points to some of the tailors.
Bangkok Tailor -Quality(10 being the best-Price(10 being the best value for money)-friendly service ( 10 being the best)….
Tailor name Quality Price Service Total
Raja 7 – 8 – 7 – 22
Rajawongse 6 – 8 – 7 – 21
Pinky 6 – 7 – 5 – 18
Narin 9 – 7 – 7 – 23
MOON-RIVER 9 – 8 – 8 – 25
Milan 8 – 8 – 7 – 23
Hermann 5 – 5 – 4 – 14
Conclusion…. there was very little difference between Narin, Moon river and Milan in terms of quality.Narin seemed good quality and very high price,his shop is almost always empty and he seems to works alone? so no support.?
Milan seems to be very old and dusty.style options is limited.and fabrics are old and dated.Moon River seemed to have a fresh appearance and a wider range of fabrics and prices.
Location…. all these shops are between NANA and ASOK stations. Milan and MoonRiver are just below the Asok station.
hope these guidelines will help.
Warning -Please avoid the james tailor, Brioni tailor , tony tailor and manhattan tailor… they are all touts shops to get genuine tailoring done in Bangkok please dont let anyone take you there but go in urself you will save time and money.
I have been using the service of Excelsior for years. They also travel to Europe where i had my company uniform made from them. I have always recommended people to them. They always have a large seleciton of fabrics. The fabrics swatches that they stock was large to look.
My suit is fantastic! It’s a notched lapel, three button, Single vents in the imported Ethan Smith Fabrics.
Can contact them at http://www.excelsuits.com
http://www.narin-couture.com
E-mail : narincouture@yahoo.com
Tel. +66 (0) 2251-9237 and 9238 Fax. +66 (0) 2253-3879
We have been happy with a number of items made for us at Savile Row tailor, which is in the Patpong Road Area. Contact is with Aron – who has always been helpful and obliging. Recently had 2 suits and 12 shirts made for husband, and a cashmere suit made for son, who was not with us – only minor alterations required at home. Very reasonable prices, compared to other bad experience we have had. Has also made cashmere, leather and silk/linen jackets for other family members. We have also sent friends over, who have been very satisfied with the overall service and quality of garments.
Men’s or women’s clothing well made at this store.
contact savilerowfashion@gmail.com
I have been using Marty’s New Fashion for a long time now. Pretty satisfied always. They are not pushy and don’t have boys standing outside hussling you in. The atmosphere is very comfortable inside the store. I usually go for midrange quality which usually cost around 200 dollars per suit (30 baht/dollar). Location is also convenient between sois 8 and 10 on Sukhumvit rd. Once tried, forever trusted, just like what their website says.
does anyone know a tailor thats good with sowing fitted european shirts/blazers?….possibly with embroidery as well..I NEED ONE ASAP FOR MY CLOTING LINE.
thanks
Hi Richard,
Very impressed with the information you’ve given. I’d like to add a few more things to your detail of suits if I may (again, things either myself or co-workers have noticed of Bangkok tailors).
1. Most of the shops that have the “2 suits, 2 shirts, 2 ties etc for $199″ should be avoided at all costs.
2. Definitely ask to burn any fabric before making your decision
3. Avoid any shop that says no fittings are needed.
4. Ask for small arm holes. This is another thing I’ve noticed with the suits in Bangkok. The first was as you mentioned, the large shoulder pads and the second, is the large arm holes. If we are wanting a tapered suit, why oh why do they still make such large arm holes?!
5. Never pay the full balance at the beginning. A deposit of about 50%? should be enough I think.
Lastly, few more shops that are high on my recommended list:
1. Crown Tailors just inside of Sukhumvit soi 8 (my usual tailors that I visit)
2. Rajas on soi 4 (read an article about them in the vogue mag. so they must be good too? :S)
I would say give it two days. Many times there won’t be any alterations necessary, but if there are you’ll be glad to have the extra time. They can always ship the finished clothes to you when they are done, but it costs more that way.
Do you usually have to leave a deposit? Would you recommend placing and order, heading up north for a week, and coming back to pick up your suit, or is it better to remain in the city until its done?
Yes. most of the tailors will require that you leave a deposit and you’ll get a receipt. No big deal if you head out of town and go up north for a week. I’ve already left for several weeks to Singapore and when I came back the suits/shirts were all ready to go. Once you find a good tailor that has your measurements you can even have them make things and ship them to you, my ex father-in-law used to do that for years.
Yes, you will have to give a deposit.
There will be no problem disappearing up North and then coming back in a week. However, bear in mind you will still need to have a couple of fittings when you get back.
Thanks guys and I will be sure to save some time for my husband to get the extra fittings upon return. Is one day enough, or would you recommend two just in case?
Wow I really want to travel to Thailand. I’ve heard nothing but great, great things about the whole country!
Loving the picture of Royal Tailors that you found. Who says Bangkok traffic is bad?
Traffic? What traffic? Just another normal day on the streets of Bangkok.