Franz ElizI’ve heard good things about Hoi An, like its quality tailor-made clothes. In the past, I didn’t have the chance to visit a tailor in Hoi An, so I thought it would be a good idea to visit one this year during my visit to the city. I’ve always wanted to make a tailor-made wool coat, and I found just the right tailor for the job: Blue Chic Tailor.
Blue Chic Tailor is one of Hoi An’s best tailor shops located in the old town, with hundreds of positive reviews on the Internet. It offers tailor services like clothing alteration and making custom-made clothes. The tailor-made clothes are usually ready to try as quickly as within 24 hours.
While there are many tailor services all around Hoi An, I decided to go with Blue Chic Tailor. It’s a family-run business that has been around for the past 15 years. Keep reading as I’ll share my experience with Blue Chic Tailor.
Blue Chic Tailor Is One of Hoi An’s Best-Reviewed Tailor Shops
I was looking for a different tailor shop (also with good reviews on Google) but stumbled upon Blue Chic Tailor instead. It’s easy to spot Blue Chic Tailor as the shop has a large signboard that’s brightly lit at night.
Since I couldn’t find the tailor shop I was looking for, I decided to give Blue Chic Tailor a try. I went on Google first to see what others have to say about the tailor. I was with my best friend Abed who also wanted to make something custom-made.
One of the staff greeted us and assisted us with our requests. I wanted to make a wool coat, while Abed wanted to make a brown suit. The salesperson assured us Blue Chic Tailor would get our orders done by the next day. What that basically meant was we could come back to the shop the next day to try our new clothes. Any adjustments would be made on the spot if necessary.
Considering how professional the workers are and how quickly they get the job done, no wonder the shop is one of the most popular tailor shops in town.
Address: 03 Nguyễn Thái Học, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam 560000, Vietnam
Various Fabrics To Choose From
I wanted a wool coat and I got one thanks to Blue Chic Tailor. The wool fabrics come in different colours. One of the staff helped me to choose the fabric, even the lining for the coat. As soon as I decided on the fabric, the staff measured me up. She also asked me if I’d preferred my coat to be body-fitting or slightly bigger. I asked for a bit of room for layering under the coat.
The staff also helped Abed choose his fabric. Honestly, choosing the colours wasn’t that easy. It was hard to imagine how the final product would turn out by simply looking at the fabric.
Non-Pushy Sales
While the salesperson tried to encourage us to make more clothes, she wasn’t pushy. I simply said no and she was fine with it. The staff didn’t treat us differently just because we refused to make more clothes. It didn’t feel like the staff were faking to be nice just to get more sales, either.
Bargaining for the Best Price
You can try to ask for a discount and chances are the shop would give you some, especially if you’re buying more than one item. The discount might not be much, but it’s better than nothing at all. The salesperson is very friendly, so don’t hesitate to ask for the best price.
Giving Positive Reviews
Before leaving the shop, we were asked to leave a review. Of course, we gave the shop a positive review as we were pleased with the service. The shop offered their WiFi so we could leave the review on the spot. Ha, clever marketing right there.
Air-Conditioned Room and Cold Water Bottles
While trying out our clothes, the staff turned on the air-conditioning so we were comfortable. It was so hot and humid last summer.
They also gave us cold water every time we dropped by the shop. If we needed more water, they would give us more. I noticed offering free water to customers is quite common in Vietnam, even in small restaurants.
Quality Workmanship, Overall
Since Abed and I had to be in Da Nang the following day, we rented a scooter to get back to the tailor shop. Hoi An is only an hour from Da Nang, so travelling between the two cities wasn’t a problem.
When we arrived at the tailor shop, our orders were ready. We gave our clothes a try. I was happy with mine. The coat is really heavy. After trying my coat, one of the tailors asked me to choose my buttons; the coat didn’t have any yet. Sewing the buttons on the coat only took minutes.
Abed looked very nice in his new suit. He was pleased with it. But he thought the fabric would’ve been darker. As discussed earlier, choosing fabric colours can be a challenge. The outfit was a little too tight, so he asked for slight adjustments. The adjustments took under 20 minutes only.
Overall, we were pleased with the workmanship.
Are the Clothes Expensive?
Clothes like coats and suits at Blue Chic Tailor are okay for most tourists, in general. They’re not the cheapest but not the most expensive, either. Considering how expensive tailor-made clothes can be in first-world countries, I’d say the pricing at Blue Chic Tailor is reasonable.
However, I cannot say the same for some of their clothing options. Many of the clothes worn by the mannequins cost the same as my wool coat. I thought they were expensive, which was why I refused to make any other outfit. Maybe if those clothes were cheaper, I would’ve considered making one. In East Malaysia, I could get a basic dress made for less than US$50.
My wool coat was value for money, in my opinion. A tailor-made wool coat like this would easily cost me more than a thousand ringgit (more than US$300) back home. But at Blue Chic Tailor, I could get one for less than US$100.
Note: The wool coat probably only cost less than US$100 due to my small stature. It would probably cost more if I were bigger. I was pleased with the fabric quality. The wool doesn’t feel itchy.
How expensive is too expensive? Only you can answer that question. Just because it’s Vietnam doesn’t mean everything has to be dirt cheap. Compare the prices of tailor-made clothes in your home country to the ones you can find in Vietnam. Also, determine how much you’re willing to pay. If it’s over your budget, then it’s best to check out other shops.
A good option is 7Seven Cloth Shop. Some people had their suits made there for only about US$100–130.
A Disgruntled Customer
While I was at the shop, there was an unhappy customer. She seemed distraught by the price she had to pay and said something like, “I can’t afford this. This is too much”.
Upon seeing that I got a little worried. I was worried that I might be smacked with a price I didn’t agree on. For a while, I thought to myself, ‘How could she not know how much she was supposed to pay?’ Fortunately, we paid the amount we agreed on when we collected our clothes.
Now, I’m not saying that the customer was wrong or the shop scammed her. But misunderstandings happen sometimes, so it’s important to be clear when negotiating prices.
A Coat That Suits Me to a Tee
I could easily get a ready-made coat online, but chances are the coat might not fit me well. It might also come in a fabric I don’t want. I have a coat made of synthetic fibres, but I’m also looking to wear something made of natural fibres such as wool. The problem is many beautiful ready-made wool coats are too big for me and they’re not cheap.
I knew I could make an affordable and nice one in Vietnam.
Do I Recommend Blue Chic Tailor?
I recommend Blue Chic Tailor to anyone travelling to Hoi An who wants to make custom-made coats or suits. Overall, the service and workmanship at Blue Chic Tailor are commendable. However, I can’t say the same for their other clothing options since I never purchased them.
I’d say if you’re going to visit the tailor for a custom-made outfit, go fancy. Instead of spending on a casual outfit, spend on a nice gown, suit, office attire, coat, or jacket. They’re more value for money. But hey, that’s just my opinion.
How Legit Is Blue Chic Tailor?
Blue Chic Tailor is a legit tailor service in Hoi An. However, their credibility is in question as some customers have had bad experiences with them. Keep in mind that online reviews aren’t always 100% accurate. So, it’s best to be careful no matter which tailor you choose.
Tip: Consider tailors outside the old town if you want something cheaper. You’ll just need to make the effort to look around because some of the good ones are low-key, meaning they might not have an online presence. If your tailor doesn’t speak English, you can always show the pictures of the outfits you want them to make. For pricing, use a calculator to negotiate the price with the tailor.
Negative Feedback on Blue Chic Tailor
I came across a bad review on the tailor shop recently. According to the reviewer, the shop messed up on even the simplest design given to them. Moreover, the charge was high. The reviewer also thinks that the shop probably has fake reviews.
I don’t know if the shop posts fake reviews, but as mentioned earlier, the staff asked me to leave a good review after collecting my order. Of course, I left a good review because I was satisfied with the end product. If I weren’t, I wouldn’t have left them any good reviews. I noticed that many businesses have the same strategy. That way they can build a good reputation online.
Summary
Want to make a nice tailor-made outfit in Vietnam? Consider getting one from Blue Chic Tailor. You can find the shop in the old town. Pricing-wise, I believe it’s competitive (in the area), but don’t hesitate to look around. There are many tailor shops all around Hoi An, so you’re spoiled with choices. Blue Chic Tailor is one of the best ones and I was happy with their service; so were hundreds of other travellers.
