This blue floral dress is the other item I had tailor made for myself in Hoi An. The red floral dress was displayed on a mannequin outside of the store. Once I entered the shop however, I could see all sorts of super fun fabrics. My eyes instantly gravitated to this blue floral print; I was determined to have something made with it.
Wrap dresses work really well on my figure–this style gives me a much needed waste, and it also suits my décolletage. In this shop it was easy to see that they had this style down pat: there were versions with ruffles and without, with sleeves and without, long and short, shirts or skirts. Basically a wrap garment is an iconic style that never gets old.
Here’s the process for having a tailor made dress in Hoi An. First, once the style and fabric have been chosen, the price of the garment is negotiated, and yes bargaining is part of the transaction. This dress cost more than the red floral dress since more fabric is used for the wrap. It cost $35 USD while the red one was $30. Once the style, fabric, and price are determined, the measuring starts happening, and they take tons of measurements–measurements that are very, very detailed.
The Hoi An tailors are busy bees, often working through the night. I was told to come back the next day. During this visit, I tried the garment on, and any adjustments were made–the items really are tailored to my body. They make any adjustments and by the next day, my clothing was ready. So basically, three days are needed. However, they can put a rush on anything and have items made in a shorter time–even within a day! The only requirement is the fitting to make sure the fit is just right.
For example after I wore my red dress, I realized I wanted it a bit shorter. After I wore this blue floral dress, I knew I needed a snap since the wrap kept opening up a little too much. I dropped both dresses off, went to lunch, and came back within the hour and all the adjustments had been fixed. The tailors and shopkeepers are very accommodating to the costumer. They’ll even deliver to a customer’s hotel if need be. Wouldn’t it be fun I I could design all my clothing!? Ahhhh, I wish I could…. It’s almost worth a trip back!
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