How to choose the right tailor in Bangkok

Fortunately, there are a few easy signs anyone can look out for when choosing the right tailor for them.

Below we have listed four clues you might want to consider during your search. If you do, your chances of finding a tailor that will deliver high quality work for a good value will go dramatically up.

Most tailor shops in Bangkok are located alongside the long Sukhumvit road. This street is particularly popular with expats and tourists, meaning tailors shops have a steady influx of pedestrian traffic.

This is most obvious between around Asoke where tailor shops are often neighbouring each other. While this isn’t necessarily a deal breaker by any means, it pays to be cautious as not all tailor shops in the busy touristy areas have your best interest at heart.

If you are looking for a quality product and tailoring experience, it’s best to stay away from these overly touristy areas where tourist scams are a constant threat. These would be, for example, Khao San road and certain parts of Sukhumvit road where salesmen are trying to lure you into their stores with pushy sales and tuk tuk tactics.

Ideally, you will want to embark on your tailoring journey with some knowledge of men’s style and fashion, however, good tailors know this isn’t always the case. What makes a good tailor exceptional is their ability to offer tasteful style recommendations for their customer (where necessary) and give them what they need rather what they want.

For example, if it’s your first time getting tailored clothes, the tailor would ask on what occasion you will wear your suit and so on. Based on a series of simple questions, they will have a good idea of your needs and will then professionally guide you throughout the process. In case you already have previous tailoring experience, they would ask you what other garments you already possess and you will then work together on expanding your wardrobe with complimentary pieces.

Just note that it’s not always obvious whether a tailor offers a style advice or not. This usually only becomes clear once you step inside the store. For this reason, if you aren’t pressed for time, it may be worth visiting a few stores and comparing their style service. Alternatively, it’s also worth asking your fashion-knowledgeable friends for their recommendations and advice.

Quality takes time. The process of creating a suit requires experienced workmanship and consists of shaping, pressing, reshaping, stitching, measuring etc., until your suit is perfect. Moreover, there can be anywhere from 3-5 fittings required before a final product can be confidently handed over.

If you are looking for quality, forget about 24-hour delivery. Minimum turn around time at a proper tailor shop is going to be about 3-5 working days for a standard wool blend fabric suit and 6-12 working days for a high end one, further depending on the construction of your garment. For example, a full-canvassed suit may take up to 6 weeks to construct.

When asking yourself how to choose the right tailor, one of the most obvious ways to get a feel of checking whether they list their prices (online or otherwise). Doing so is an indication of transparency and it generally means the tailor shop is fully confident in their fabrics and craftsmanship.

It is these two elements that the cost for making a good suit (and other garments) comes down to. A good tailor will be using quality fabrics (we are talking about high thread count, interfacing, lining, brands…) from reputable mills. Most sought after fabrics come from Europe and are stored on flat boards. Secondly, it requires an experienced tailor to turn your selected fabric into a glamorous suit. Best tailor shops have in-house tailors, which leads to consistent and quality craftsmanship.

Naturally, if the price is too good to be true, the tailor shop is likely compromising on fabric and/or workmanship, and your new suit may not the have best chances to stand the test of time (an example of a this would be a full suit in an Italian fabric for $199 – definitely too good to be true).

Overall, the above blueprint isn’t by any means bulletproof, but sticking to it will help you get closer to finding the right tailor in Bangkok who can offer good quality for a good price.

If you are looking for an exceptional tailoring experience while getting your new suit, you are always welcome to visit Patrick & Co and talk to our tailors and style consultants. Our store is located less than 3 minutes walking from BTS Thonglor in Bangkok.