Hoi An, Vietnam: A Tailor-made Haven

NOTE: I've uploaded photos from way back - starting my last post from Chiang Mai. Scroll down to check out some of the shots!

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Those who are seeking a bargain on tailored items such as prom dresses, tuxedos, and suits... look no further. Hoi An is the place to go for all your tailoring needs! There are literally HUNDREDS of tailoring shops around town (even for shoes and purses), so its hard to gauge which place is the best to go to. 99% of the cloth shops make virtually identical products, the only difference being the craftsmanship. A full (tailored) suit can range anywhere from $50 - $400 USD, depending on the material.

So, where did I end up going? After a bit of research, I found that the shops named "A Dong Silk Wear", and "Yaly Couture" were the top and least-criticized shops in this town. Of course, this quality assurance comes at a price, as they typically sell suits which are in the upper price bracket. I figured going this route should save the hassle of getting a poor product, not to mention save all the time from the guesswork for fitting. Luckily, this choice worked out as expected... the suits I got made are tip-top! I won't get into how many I actually bought, but it was a damn good deal... now... I just need to buy a duffel bag to fit them all in.

Fact of the matter is, those who are shopping around here can wheel and deal their way to getting the suit/dress of their desires. Some places are better than others, and the best way to find out is to do your research! Go into those shops and look at their display products. Check the seams, and how well their clothes were put together. That's the best advice anybody can give...

Now, I shouldn't skimp over the details of Hoi An. This little city has quite a history behind it, as it used to be a major shipping port in central Vietnam (because of the river that runs through it). There are structures and buildings that date back to the 4th century, with architecture from the Chinese, Japanese, and French. Unluckily for this little port - the river changed its flow (and size) drastically somewhere in the end of the 19th century. This booming port, was then reduced to not much of anything... the land was infertile and there wasn't anything for kilometers away.

Along came the tourists, and you now have modern-day Hoi An. Okay, so I skipped a few hundred years, but this little ex-port has made quite a recovery from its poverty-ridden state. You can see the remnants of its old-self all over the place in its architecture. I forgot which of the two, but My Son (its, a place... I don't have a child) or the Cham Temple is one of those protected world heritage sites by UNESCO. I should brush up on my research before writing about it........ regardless, its worth a trip, even if tailored shoes, suits, and dresses aren't your thing.



Anyhow, I've got my shopping fix in for this trip, and we'll be heading to Saigon this Friday by plane. We chose the plane to avert 24 hour disaster to my rumpus via bus... I'm pretty relieved about that. :) Check out the pictures I uploaded! Catch y'all later...