You might hear the Hoi An tailors before you see them. The streets of the historic beach town are lined with them. Employees call out to passing tourists from all over the world, hoping to convince them to order custom suits and dresses.
Though Hoi An tailors tend to be pricier than those in Saigon or Hanoi for their quality, they remain the favorite choice of foreign tourists visiting Vietnam for their ultra-quick turnaround times and ability to create quality wardrobe staples. Plus, tailors in Hoi An still offer incredibly inexpensive prices for custom clothing compared to those in the West.
I arrived in Hoi An with a long list of items to order for myself and my family, with only a vague idea of what to expect. Over the next three days, I was thrown into a whirlwind of heated haggling, numerous fittings, and even a motorbike adventure to find the perfect áo dài silk. Ordering items at four different tailors and visiting far more, I learned a lot about how to navigate the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s competitive custom clothing scene.
Here’s what to expect and the tailors you need to know about:
Discover more of the best things to do in Hoi An by clicking below:
Why Are There So Many Tailors in Hoi An?
Tourists may have only discovered Hoi An’s plentiful tailors within the last two decades, but they date back over 500 years.
Hoi An was previously a trade city on the Silk Road. The skill of tailoring was passed down between generations, eventually catching the eyes of tourists and growing into one of the city’s biggest industries.
14 Must-Know Tips for Ordering Tailored Clothing in Hoi An
1. Do Your Research—Don’t Pick the First Tailor You See
Hoi An is home to over 200 tailors, each of them competing for tourists passing by on the street. You’ll be called out to left and right, but just because one tailor is the loudest doesn’t mean that they’re the best.
Do your research in advance. Hoi An tailors vary widely in price point, quality, and ability. While some specialize in men’s suits, others focus on women’s clothing. Tailors in the fabric market are typically inexpensive, sometimes scammy, and of cheaper quality, while those on the main road might have inflated prices for average quality.
If you are browsing tailors on the street, pay attention to the garments they feature on their mannequins. This will give you an idea of the types of garments they typically produce and what they’re comfortable with making.
For a list of all the best tailors in Hoi An, keep scrolling to the end of this article.
2. Skip the Cheap Hoi An Tailors: You Get What You Pay For
It might be tempting to opt for one of the super inexpensive tailoring stalls in the fabric market, but if you want high-quality materials and clothing that lasts, you’re best passing over them.
Though there are a few tailoring stalls in the fabric market worth exploring, like Sewing Bee, it’s easy to fall victim to a Hoi An tailoring scam. Stalls display garments that appear to use quality construction techniques only to bait and switch customers with chintzy materials, uneven stitching, and poor fit. Think of these stalls like the fast fashion retailers of Hoi An tailors—the price is nice, but they always sound like a better idea than they actually are.
Instead, to save money but still receive quality goods, turn off the main road and onto the back streets.
3. Wander Off the Main Road
You’ll likely find the best quality at the best price by stepping away from Hoi An’s main drag to discover less frequented tailors.
These tailors, like The Tailory, often trained at large, expensive tailors like Yaly Couture and now offer similar quality at a much more competitive price. Hoi An isn’t an especially large town, so you won’t need to walk too much further to save a little extra.
To find the best, head to Tran Hung Đạo.
4. Don’t Know What to Order? Copy Your Favorite Garments
Take those pants that fit just right or that dress you can’t stop wearing straight to the Hoi An tailors. Tailors can create a pattern based on your original garment, recreate it in fresh colors or a different type of textile, and change up anything you don’t like about the item along the way.
Copying your favorite items is a great way to ensure that you’re ordering something you’ll love and actually wear once you leave Vietnam. Just don’t bring anything overly complicated. The more complicated a garment is, the more likely that it isn’t going to come out quite how you want it.
5. Bring Pictures to the Tailors
Don’t leave anything to the imagination when getting clothing tailored in Hoi An. Make sure that you and your tailor are on the same page about what you’re looking for by finding inspirational images of the garments you want and taking them to your tailor.
This is mainly the approach I took while tailoring in Hoi An, save for really basic items like an áo dài for my sister or a short-sleeved button-up for my boyfriend. I even provided sample images for the plain high-waisted trousers I ordered to make sure that the tailor and I were on the same page about fit and finishings—there are so many ways to make even a simple wardrobe staple.
Make a secret Pinterest board, rounding up images of everything you want to order. Screenshot them before your trip, then show them to the tailor, who will probably ask for them anyway.
If you don’t know what to order, don’t worry. Tailors typically have books of popular garments ordered at their store and sample garments on the showroom floor for you to get inspiration. Ordering one of these items is also usually a safe bet.
6. Get Multiple Quotes
There’s no shame in shopping your custom clothing order around for the best price. When I wanted to get an áo dài made out of fabric I designed and brought to Vietnam, I was quoted starting prices with a $30 USD difference between Yaly Couture’s flagship location and Tường Tailor, a few blocks away from the main road.
If you have the time, bring your full tailoring list to a few different tailors to get a feel for what a fair price is before committing to a final shop.
Looking for Hoi An tours? Click below to find top-rated experiences:
7. Haggle, Haggle, Haggle
Haggling is the name of the game in Vietnam. A starting price is hardly ever the final price, and you’ll spend much more than you need to for thinking it is.
You can typically get your tailoring order down in price between 25 and 70 percent depending on where your tailor is located and how inflated their prices are. Between all of the tailors I used, I noticed that tailors on the main road usually came down the most, while tailors on the back roads had less room to negotiate since their prices were fairer to begin with.
Start low, really low. Across Vietnam, it’s common to offer a very small fraction of the original offer. This isn’t considered offensive like it is in the States. If your first offer really is too low, the seller just won’t bother with haggling back.
Pick your final offer before you start negotiating, and stick to it. It’s perfectly okay to walk away if you can’t reach a mutually beneficial price.
Allow a decent amount of time for negotiations. At the tailor where I placed the bulk of my custom clothing order, I spent well over a half hour talking through the deal before coming to an agreement, which was 35 percent of the original offer and included a few freebies.
8. Bundle Items Together for a Better Price
I’m a supporter of trying a few different Hoi An tailors, but only when you’re ordering enough for it to make sense.
Order a few garments at each tailor you use to get the best deal. The more you’re ordering, the more generous your final offer will be. It’s much more cost-efficient to order more at a single tailor than one garment across multiple.
9. Only Pay Partially Upfront
Tailors will likely give you the option to pay the full cost of your order upfront or to pay 50 percent at the time the order is placed and the remainder when the garments are picked up.
Always opt to split your payments. If something goes wrong with the order, you have the leverage to have it fixed until it’s correct. If you pay upfront, your leverage goes away, and you might walk away with items that are rushed and not quite right.
10. Pick the Right Payment Option
Do tailors in Hoi An accept credit cards? Yes, most do, but you might want to think through if it makes sense for you.
If your card charges foreign transaction fees, paying for a hefty tailoring order on it could add a surprising extra charge (I recommend the Chase Sapphire Reserve card if you want to avoid this). However, paying on a credit card will likely give you purchase protection for peace of mind in the event something goes wrong, or you get bait-and-switched.
Many tailors also offer the option to do a wire transfer or pay cash. If you choose to pay cash, you might be able to get the price down a little bit extra, but you’ll lose that protection.
Consider paying cash for large orders at extremely reputable tailors or for small orders where the loss is negligible. For anything else, I’d swallow the extra few dollars a card payment will run you.
11. Allow Time for Multiple Fittings
Hoi An is a good city to take slow, not just because it’s a charming, sleepy beach town during the day and lively night market after sunset, but also because tailors typically need one night at a bare minimum to get your initial order ready for a first fitting.
At each tailor I purchased from, I was called back for at least two, if not three fittings. Is it a little time-consuming? Yes, but it also guaranteed that my items fit like a glove by the time I left the city.
Spend at least two nights and three days in Hoi An or nearby Da Nang to ensure you have enough time for your items to be tailored and fit properly. If you pick them up without a fitting or just have one, you might find that they don’t fit right at all.
Even at the same tailor, similar garments can come out with totally different fit issues each time they’re made—leave nothing to trust.
For example, one áo dài I had tailored at Blue Chic Tailors fit nearly like a glove save for the length, while the other was way too big through the torso due to how the fabric stretched. Had I not gone for fittings, I would’ve needed to pay more for a tailor at home to fix both garments.
Try on your clothing one last time after picking it up before leaving Hoi An to make sure there are absolutely no issues with it.
12. Bring Proper Clothing for Fittings
As a tourist, packing the heels you’d typically wear to work on vacation probably isn’t your first thought, but you’ll thank yourself for bringing them if you’re planning on ordering custom clothing in Hoi An.
Especially when ordering suits, dresses, or blouses, tailors will ask for you to bring the heels or bra you’ll wear with the garment so they’re able to fit your piece properly.
13. Keep It Simple
Hoi An tailors are very talented, but they’re not miracle workers (even if their lightning-fast turnaround times make it seem that way). The tailors are able to turn clothing around quickly by manipulating existing patterns to make garments.
Your favorite sundress, a basic suit, or a cute jumpsuit are all safe bets. Avoid overly complicated garments with advanced draping or fit, as they likely won’t come out how you want them to. For example, I ordered a linen top with loose draping bending away from the body and received a piece with flat folds and no volume at all.
Also, avoid cold-weather clothing. This is Vietnam, after all! In my experience trying to order a coat, Hoi An tailors aren’t quite as familiar with high-end outerwear construction, nor do they stock many heavy textiles appropriate for that type of garment. There are exceptions to this rule. If you insist on outerwear, order it from a top-tier tailor experienced in it, like A Dong Silk.
14. Don’t Forget the Shoes
You can truly get a custom look from head to toe in Hoi An. In addition to being known for custom suits and clothing, the town also has dozens of leather cobblers making custom shoes, bags, backpacks, and accessories like belts and wallets.
I got a pair of custom-made sandals for $25, fully crafted and lined out of leather. The cobbler traced my foot on a piece of paper, took a couple of quick measurements, and 24 hours later, I walked out with possibly the most comfortable sandals I’ve ever owned. I wear them just about everywhere—one of the best travel purchases ever.
For something simple, like sandals, multiple fittings may not be needed, and the turnaround time is quick. For more involved purchases, like dress shoes or Birkenstock clocks, plan to need additional time. It’s well worth it—custom footwear is typically expensive and difficult to come by in the States.
Hoi An Tailors: Clothing Prices
As mentioned earlier, tailors vary a lot in price and quality. Below is a range that you can expect to pay at a decent tailor for a few popular items:
- Áo dài: $30 to over $80
- Basic blouse: $20 to $40
- Dress shirt: $15 to $30
- Trench coat: $50 to $120
- Trousers: $30 to $60
- Sundress: $20 to $60
- Suit: $90 to over $700
- Leather sandals: $15 to $30
- Leather bags: $30 to $120
Many tailors offer deals for suits specifically since they’re such big business. If you order a suit, it’s not uncommon for tailors to throw in a button-up free of charge as a bundle deal.
I found the áo dài prices in Hoi An to be inflated for the quality and the fabric options to be really limited (very few options for traditional painted designs or quality embroidery). If you speak Vietnamese and have a little time, I encourage you to order custom áo dài in Saigon or Hanoi, where you’ll have much better fabric options and a fairer price.
10 Best Tailors in Hoi An
BeBe Tailor and Kimmy Tailor are recommended everywhere, but customer reviews suggest that if you’re paying top dollar for tailoring in Hoi An, your money might be better spent at Yaly Couture.
Similarly, several guides to tailoring in Hoi An recommend Bao Khanh Silk at 101 Trần Hưng Đạo, and Lana Tailor at 90 Lê Lợi, both of which are now permanently closed.
Based on my rigorous research and personal experience shopping for tailors in Hoi An, the following tailors are typically reliable choices for ordering custom clothing. I visited the town within the last year, so you can rest assured that these tailor shops are still open for business.
Of them, I chose to place orders with The Tailory, Blue Chic Couture, Thương Tailor, and Song Da.
A Dong Silk
62 Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Price: $$$
Sartorialists, turn your attention to A Dong Silk. The premium suit tailor has made a name for itself in Hoi An for offering premium menswear tailoring. It’s not the most inexpensive tailor, but customers rave that the price is still absolutely worth it, especially when compared to suit prices in the Western world.
Custom suits start at around $140, while custom shirts begin at $20 for basic materials and construction. The tailor also offers womenswear tailoring and special occasion dresses, which vary in price.
If you want the highest quality materials and upscale construction, A Dong Silk is one of the best choices in town. Prices are still less eye-watering than at Yaly Couture, and you’ll walk away with clothing that will last years.
A Dong Silk doesn’t limit their custom suits and clothing to tourists in Hoi An. The tailor’s online website allows customers all over the world to order.
The Tailory
85 Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam 51300, Vietnam
Price: $$
The Tailory is a hidden gem in Hoi An if you’re looking for basic menswear pieces like suits, button-up shirts, ties, and shorts or basic women’s pieces like jumpsuits, suits, trousers, linen sets, and simple dresses.
The owner of The Tailory previously worked at A Dong Silk. As a result, you get high-end quality without the matching price.
I ordered two custom button-up shirts for my boyfriend at The Tailory: one luxurious short-sleeved button-up made in Vietnamese mulberry silk and another long-sleeve button-up made of a thick oxford imported from Europe. With a couple of fit sessions, both shirts fit him like a glove.
At $20 a piece, the shirts were a steal for the beautiful quality, and the friendly, welcoming staff just made the experience even better.
Bao An Tailor
341 Nguyễn Duy Hiệu, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam 560000, Vietnam
Price: $$
Bao An Tailor might fly under the radar in Hoi An, but it’s a traveler favorite for its balance of quality and price.
The owner of Bao An Tailor previously worked at popular Kimmy Tailor, so like The Tailory, the shop brings customers top quality at a much more affordable price.
Bao An Tailor works on a range of clothing, mostly casual women’s dresses and sets, along with men’s suits. Expect to pay $80 to $150 for a suit, upwards of $20 for a shirt or skirt, and $20 to over $50 for dresses.
Blue Chic Tailor
03 Nguyễn Thái Học, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam 560000, Vietnam
Price: $$
Most of the tailors in Hoi An’s Old Town are egregiously overpriced, but Blue Chic Tailor is one of the few outliers.
Tucked away at the end of the main road in the Old Town, this tailor doesn’t get quite as busy as the others, allowing you to be able to get a good deal, especially if purchasing several items.
The large tailoring shop is a solid choice for women’s apparel like dresses, skirts, coordinating sets, and jumpsuits, but is also a great pick for suits as well. The tailor received a large order from me spanning several áo dài, trousers, and a lightweight coat. Prices, after some serious rounds of haggling, were fair, working out to about $40-50 per garment.
All of my items have solid quality, and the fit is phenomenal. My white high-waisted trousers from Blue Chic Tailor are a go-to piece in my work wardrobe—I’ve truly never had pants that fit better and wish I had ordered four more pairs.
Service at Blue Chic Tailor was outstanding. The staff was attentive, communicated through WhatsApp to arrange fittings, and went above and beyond to find exactly the right áo dài fabric for me, driving me all over town after I couldn’t find what I wanted in the store. When I selected the material for my white trousers, they were quick to note that they would line the pants to make sure they weren’t see-through.
I almost wish I bought a suit here. During one of my fittings, a couple was getting them made, and they looked impeccable for the price.
I do think prices are still a smidge higher than they are on back roads, especially since the quality, though high, isn’t mind-boggling, but overall, it’s tough to go wrong picking Blue Chic Tailor for custom clothing in Hoi An.
Yaly Couture
Nguyễn Duy Hiệu: 358 Nguyễn Duy Hiệu, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Nguyễn Thái Học: 47 Nguyễn Thái Học, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Trần Phú: 47 Trần Phú, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Price: $$$$
Yaly Couture is by far one of the most popular tailors in Hoi An and also one of the most expensive.
The tailoring juggernaut operates three locations in Hoi An: two smaller locations in the Old Town and one large flagship location that often attracts tour buses.
Yaly Couture is best for more complicated garments, special occasion clothing, and clothing that demands higher-end construction. You’ll be charged a steep price but can rest assured that your clothing will likely be just as expected.
Expect to pay $115 to $700 for custom suits, $19 to $115 for shirts and skirts, and $45 to $250 for dresses.
My personal experience with Yaly Couture wasn’t the best—I visited their flagship store with the hopes of having a couple of pieces made, including an áo dài made out of fabric I brought with me on the trip. The price I was quoted at Yaly was $30 higher than at nearby tailors, and the custom garments I wanted were turned down completely.
Staff was unfriendly and generally dismissive—not like what the reviews claimed at all. I think I definitely had an abnormal experience. Staff speaking to other guests in the store seemed incredibly friendly and accommodating, and the clothing adorning the mannequins was wonderfully made.
Those not in Hoi An can order clothing from Yaly Couture online.
Mr. XE
71 Nguyễn Thái Học, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Price: $$
Mr. XE is a menswear tailor on the corner of the main road in Hoi An that’s nearly impossible to miss if you’re wandering the Old Town.
The tailor isn’t the cheapest option out there, but has fair prices for its location and quality and is convenient. Plus, customers love how friendly and knowledgeable Mr. Xe himself is, praising his eye for detail and perfectionist mentality.
Suits range from $100 to $150 USD at the mid-range tailor. Dresses start at $40.
We stopped into Mr. XE when shopping around for tailors to make my boyfriend’s shirts. They had a decent selection of suiting fabrics and seemed very attentive to customers. Though the emphasis at Mr. XE is menswear, they also make women’s special occasion clothing and basics like wrap dresses.
Ultimately, we chose to go with The Tailory for the shirts since they were a basic item in common fabrics, but I don’t think we would have made a poor decision had we chosen Mr. XE.
Thương Tailor
67 Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Price: $$$
I came across Thương Tailor by accident while trying to find The Tailor. Located next door, the expansive tailor makes just about everything.
Prices at Thương Tailor are slightly higher than at Blue Chic Tailor, with a little less room for negotiation. Nevertheless, the quality overall was solid, though I wouldn’t call the shop the most high-end option.
The benefit of going to Thương Tailor is that you’ll have access to shelves upon shelves of fabric. The shop is stocked with two full floors of textiles, making it easy to find something that works. I made three áo dài and a linen top at the tailor and loved that the áo dài textiles were heavy—not cheap-looking at all.
Thương Tailor staff members are very personable. They made the tailoring process easy and paid very close attention to fit on the áo dàis I ordered. Even if something was a fraction of a centimeter off, it would get pinned and fixed, and I’d be asked back for another fitting.
The linen top is another story. It’s too big, and I noticed a little too late that the straps weren’t finished properly, though I think this is partially because the tailor was having a tough time nailing the draping for it. It was surprising because Thương Tailor completed a complicated, unusual áo dài I ordered with ease, and the áo dài I ordered for my sister, who wasn’t on the trip, is beautiful on her.
I wear my pieces from Thương Tailor the most (and practically live in that linen top in the summer). Even with a couple of snafus, they were money well-spent.
Tony the Tailor
294 Nguyễn Duy Hiệu, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam 560000, Vietnam
Price: $
Tony the Tailor is one of the longest-running tailoring shops in Hoi An. The family-owned business has been in the town since 1990, making both women’s and men’s clothing.
The shop doesn’t negotiate much, but it doesn’t really matter. The reason Tony the Tailor is so loved is because their prices are exceptionally reasonable, and they always deliver on quality. It’s a little bit of a one-stop shop for tailoring in Hoi An—the store also offers custom leather goods like belts and shoes.
You can expect to pay $20 to $30 for a button-up shirt and $115 to $170 for a suit.
The tailor also offers online ordering and international delivery for those looking for custom clothing that aren’t visiting Hoi An soon.
Sewing Bee
Cloth Market, 1 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Price: $
The Cloth Market in Hoi An is typically synonymous with scammy, inexpensive tailors and shoddy quality, but Sewing Bee is one of the few exceptions. The low-cost tailor is honest, though its quality follows the golden rule of tailoring in Hoi An, “You get what you pay for.”
Go to Sewing Bee for straightforward, casual garments. I would use it for trendy pieces you likely don’t expect to last in your closet for very long.
Prices range from $90 to $160 for suits, $17 to $25 for shirts and skirts, and upwards of $18 for dresses, making Sewing Bee one of the most affordable tailors in Hoi An.
SONG DA
349 Nguyễn Duy Hiệu, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Price: $$
SONG DA is the humble custom leather goods shop in Hoi An where I ordered a pair of sandals.
The salespeople here are friendly and attentive, without being pushy like some of the larger cobblers in town. Prices are very reasonable to start out, certainly less expensive than the more popular stores in Hoi An’s Old Town, so you won’t need to do much haggling to get a good deal (though you definitely still should).
When I walked into the store, I saw a style I liked but didn’t like the finish or color. It didn’t matter because the store could fully customize the style to exactly my preference. If you don’t see a color you like, just ask—they can probably get one you do. Alternatively, like at the tailors, you can show them a photo of the style you’d like to order.
Within 24 hours of measuring and tracing my foot, SONG DA had my sandals ready for pickup. They fit my feet so perfectly that no additional adjustments were needed. These shoes have been workhorses for me—I reach for them constantly because they’re so comfortable. Even more impressive is how they’ve held up, even when I’ve been caught in heavy rain.
Expect to pay $15 to $30 for sandals and more for advanced shoe styles like dress shoes and boots. The shop also offers small leather goods such as wallets, crossbody bags, and belts, in addition to leather jackets and backpacks.
Also worth a visit is Quầy Lưu Niệm Lê Phan down the street, another reasonably priced leather goods tailor.
Hoi An Tailors: FAQ
Most of the tailors in Hoi An speak really proficient English. It’s not difficult to communicate with them if you don’t know Vietnamese, though speaking at least a little Vietnamese will always help.
Vietnam has tons of high-quality tailors, thanks to its robust manufacturing industry. Tailoring is a skill that is passed down in Vietnamese families and perfected over generations. Tailors in Vietnam can often turn around garments quickly using luxurious materials like wool, cashmere, silk, and linen.
Prices for suit tailoring vary across Vietnam. Suits in Saigon and Hanoi are typically $200 to $400 USD for high-quality materials and custom fit. Lower-quality options are less common than they are in Hoi An, where tailoring is geared towards tourists. In Hoi An, suits start at $90 USD for decent quality, ranging up to $700 for top materials and finishes.
Clothing made in Vietnam ranges in quality. You can get high-quality garments at much more affordable prices than in other countries, but you get what you pay for. The country has tons of tailors that use high-end finishing techniques and luxury textiles if you’re willing to spend the money.
Find more of the best things to do in Vietnam here.
Where to Shop in Saigon, Vietnam: The Best Stores and Things to Buy
22 Street Food Dishes in Saigon You Need to Try
The Best Things to Do in Sapa: Your Sapa Travel Guide
A Single Girl’s Guide to Saigon, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide)
xx,
E
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