MyMaleEgo

Any advice as to where, how and if it's worth it?

rhkkmk

it is worth it...sports jackets are about $100..i get 6 shirts for $80-100 and they are fantastic...

i use jack at monet il sarto, and many fodorites have had good luck with him...if you stay at the peninsula it is a 5-10 minute taxi ride..

he is located on the 2nd level of the mini mall attached to the marriott resort and spa which is just down the river from the penn on the same side of the river ....you can also go by boat...take the penn boat to the pier at the skytrain and switch to the marriott boat...the shop overlooks the mall parking lot...

he does women's clothing also...

there are hundreds of tailors in bkk...some do package deals but generally these are inferior...

most of the suit fabric is quite lite weight so be aware of this....i like the heavy silks for blazers...

Kathie

You can get clothing made for less than off the rack prices in the US. There are hundred (probably thousands) of reputable tailors in Bangkok. It is most important to have at least three fittings for a suit. The places that advertise 24 hour turnaround will disappoint you in terms of fit and quality of tailoring. The good tailors all have extensive arrays of fabrics. As Bob says, you'll find lovely wools but they will all be tropical weight.

I don't remember what your itinerary looks like, but plan on at least three full days in Bangkok if you want to have suits made.

DonTopaz

I can strongly recommend Raja's Fashions, on soi Nana directly across the street from the Nana Hotel. This is where Mr. Bobby runs things, and he does an excellent job.

Maybe because many of his clients are ex-pats or regular travelers, he has a good selection of non-tropical fabrics, as well as washable cottons (for slacks).

rhkkmk

rizzuto wore a really nice pair of jeans to the boston GTG last week that he had made in bkk....i had never seen any jeans custom made there and they were great...i think he said they cost about $35....that is fantastic...the more fittings you have the better the finished product will be!!!

i think the very best buy is shirts...

most tailors will have some style books available but it is best to know exactly what you want and like and they will do it....the difference is in the details...you can bring pics or a sample and they will copy it...
we have even brought some fabric of our own...

for your new wife a great place for her is cotton house which is on the ground floor of OP Place, which is directly behind the oriental hotel...they do amazing work...silks and cottons and linen mostly...

DonTopaz

Thanks, Bob. I actually had the jeans made at Dema Fashions (a/k/a Ravi's) in the Bel-Aire Hotel, which is on Soi 5 (a stone's throw from Raja's).

Raja's is excellent for most clothing, but he doesn't carry jeans fabrics.

Shade22182

I have been a client of Bobby's in the past and his brother, Jesse, as well.

I really believe that Jesse and Victor (Rajawongse adjacent to the Landmark hotel) provide the best value of any purchases I have ever made in any country. In fact, I just got back from Thailand yesterday and will write a full trip report for the board...but suffice to say I completely revamped my wardrobe and, as always, could not have been happier with the quality of the tailoring at Jesse and Victor's. Below is a link to a USA Today article that describes their boutique.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2...9-tailor_x.htm

Shade

MyMaleEgo

Guys, do you think if i'm spending 3 days in Bangkok that's going to be enough time to tailor a couple of suites?

rhkkmk

i think you mean suits not suites...a suite would take a long time to decorate?? haha

3 days is not long...if you went upon arrival and had a fitting later that day and the next day and a final one on your last day you might squeek it out....i usually go early, have a fitting or two and then plan to pick things up on my next to last day 2 weeks hence or so...you want to allow max flexibility to avoid disappointment with quality issues...some can do things in 24 hours, but as often noted here, the workmanship and details and fit are not often good...you could just waste your money...

don't you have a couple of days in bkk at the beginning and then at least one day at the end of your trip?? if so that would work well...

MyMaleEgo

Thank you for the spelling lesson.
I guess I can pick it up when I’m returning from Koh Samui to Bangkok.

Shade22182

You'll want an initial fitting, a second fitting, and then a few days for the tailor to make final adjustments. Expect 3-4 days each between order --> initial fitting --> second fitting and then a day or two for the final adjustments. Finally, if you're like me, each time you go in for a fitting you'll find more suits or shirts that you want to add.

Shade

prissy_princess

My husband had 5 shirts made at Raja's. We're not too happy. Even though the tailor took his measurements, it seems like he's already got the shirt patterns pre-made (S-M-L-XL). The shirts just don't fit right, definitely not custom-tailored.

And the shirt collars bubbled after 3 wash.

Yes, it's cheap, but that's what you'll get: cheap shirts.

I'd rather go to Meticulous at Siam Square. It's more expensive, but much better quality.

Kathie

prissy, did your husband have fittings? That's the time when you ask for modifications to be made. Fittings are perhaps the most important thing to do when having clothing custom made. Otherwise, you'll get an approximation rather than truly custom clothing.

DonTopaz

Given that this is <b>prissy_princess</b>'s first post on Fodors', given that many other posters have used Raja's and certainly not had anything similar to the experience that prissy_princess described, and given that prissy_princess provided a plug for some other tailor ... I'd really wonder if prissy_princess is a legitimate poster or if s/he has a relationship to the outfit that s/he touts.

StanKase

Back to facts. It has been my experience on 3 trips and several friends on multiple trips as well who had shirts made as well, that while the price sounds good it is not the Best Buy in the long run. Slacks, Sport Jackets and Suits (not overcoats) are your best bet at 1/3 or less the US price. But, as I have said before without 3 fittings on sport jackets or suits do not expect a quality job. On slacks 2 fittings &quot;might&quot; do. I like Monet Sarto and the owner Jack though others like one or both of the Raja brothers. But when I can get Super 140 wool Canali or Boss fabric mill slacks for $75 at Monet Sarto and Sport Jacks of the same quality for $140-$160 vs. $450+ in the US how can you go wrong. Oh yes, suits of same quality fabric are $275-$300 if you buy 1 but ~10% less if you buy 2.The suits in US would be $1200-$1400. Shipping home is best. Just request a ship date being the day you leave Asia and it will arrive in 7-10 days. Monet Sarto will split the cost of shipping on orders of $700-$800+. I think I paid $50 or $60 on my last order in April.Hope this helps.

lskohn

Though I don't know Raja's (the one related to Jesse and Victor of Rajawongse, the shop I know and swear by for men's clothing) I've been following the web forums on BKK tailor recommendations closely, and I have never read any complaint about them like prissy_princess's. There are several unrelated tailors that have &quot;Raja's&quot; in their name, and but the one on soi Nana gets good reports, both in this forum and on similar sites. Perhaps you were at one of the other &quot;Raja's&quot;? Or picked a cheap polyester fabric, thinking to save some money?

Or, given that this was a dead thread - over a year old - perhaps rizzuto's analysis is correct. If so, it is an
unfortunate use of the forum. As with anything on the web, caveat lector (if I remember my Latin correctly)!

watts

Agree and disagree. Hardly do you see a complaint about Raja's, (only once in a while) but again, highly suspicious that the thread was jumped after nearly a year. Anyways, on a side note, I get my clothes tailored at Crowns in soi 8, although I sometimes go to Rajawongse for a few different shirt fabrics.

prissy_princess

Nope, I'm not promoting any particular tailor. I'm browsing Fodor's to find out about tours to Ayuthaya and around Bangkok.

We decided to get the shirts made at Raja's because we know that many expats from US embassy haves their shirts made there. That's why we were very disappointed when they didn't come out great.

Kathie

Prissy, did your husband have fittings? Without fittings, a &quot;custom-made&quot; shirt is just a guess.

prissy_princess

The fitting went like this: We ordered 5 shirts; for the fitting, he had 1 shirt made. We didn't like the collar, the interfacing was too stiff (like cardboard) and the back collar was a bit too wide so it wrinkled the shirt. He insisted that the collar will get softer after 1 wash (it did, after 3 wash, but then it bubbled), and that will solve the problem of the wrinkle part (nope, still wrinkled!). We asked whether he can change the shape of the collar a bit, because it look too small proportionally. He said no, because the tailor might have had cut the fabric already. So much for fitting...