FITTING VENUE: Hom Market offering a diverse selection of the best fabrics in town. Photo courtesy of Alex Reeves
By Alex Reeves - @afreeves23
While bumping my head off low hanging beams, contorting myself to navigate stairwells and bathrooms designed for much smaller people lost its charm after around six months of life in Việt Nam, it was not my biggest size-related bugbear. That honour belonged exclusively to the inexplicable lack of clothing and accessories made to fit my ‘chunky’ six foot frame.
Now, this article is most certainly not a hit piece on Uniqlo or H&M, they’ve saved me many a time. However, when you're trying to build a wardrobe which covers you for Hà Nội’s seasons, social events and work alike while your whole social circle seems to be shopping in the same few places, they get old quickly.
Fashion is one of life's opportunities to showcase our individuality and whether you’re an understated dresser or looking to make a statement, we all have our own tastes. Trend or off-trend, dedicated follower of fashion or practical to the end, it is nice to look nice.
I’ve gambled twice before on having clothes sent from home to suit my tastes. The first? A never-ending battle with customs who insisted on taxes which far exceeded the clothes’ value. With postage already included it became a conundrum, a chore rather than the intended dose of retail therapy.
The second made it seamlessly (no pun intended), desperately needed boots which upon closer inspection humorously bore a label stating “Made in Vietnam''. I mean come on? Our environmentally conscious readers will wince at the thought, a 12,000 mile round trip for a pair of boots? Made here and yet completely unavailable on the domestic market, I guess sometimes in life things just don’t make sense.
As with almost all the micro-frustrations, first world problems and minor inconveniences which come with settling on the opposite side of the planet - Việt Nam provides a solution and a damn good one at that. A little digging, thinking outside the box and paying attention to my surroundings and it hit me; tailoring!
We still live in a country where being fitted, measured, choosing your fabric and taking control of your wardrobe does not require mortgaging your soul. This is an age-old trade and a skillset very much alive in modern Việt Nam, at prices that don’t exclude the majority.
Silk, leather, suits, boots, shoes and trousers. The steady and fast hands of Việt Nam’s tailors have you covered. Those of us who have visited Hội An or Hà Nội’s old quarter will be familiar with the all too friendly conversations which evolve quickly into sales pitches but that is but a brief glimpse into what is on offer and often with the tourist tax added.
A local friend or a gander through helpful online communities reveals a handful of well reviewed and detailed tailors, seamstresses and capable cobblers who can knock you up pretty much anything you fancy and it won’t break the bank.
This is a win, win. Việt Nam has a rich history in fabrication and fashion. The experience of being guided through a fabric market and choosing the feel of your future favourite garments is a cultural experience in itself. The precision fit when they’re done will make you think back to the designer purchases of your past and wonder why you didn’t move here earlier.
The social and environmental benefits are a no brainer. You invest in the artisanal talent and hard work of local people, you avoid the ethical dilemmas associated with fast fashion and you look good doing so. So next time your wardrobe needs a reboot, go local. Trust in craftsmanship and a price mark which would make a Parisian couturier do a double-take. Tailor it. VNS
OVietnam