jrmstr33

Visited Bangkok earlier this month and wanted to share my experience with Alex @ Tailor on Ten..

Went out seeking a bespoke suit that I could wear multiple times a week.. From this thread and my extensive research I narrowed it down to Tailor on Ten and Empire Tailors. I had a very short window for the suit to be made as I arrived on a Sunday morning and was leaving on a Wednesday morning.

Did a bunch of sightseeing around town on Monday and I had just about given up hope, but decided to give ToT a call at 3pm on Monday just to see what they'd say. Spoke with Alex on the phone and right off the bat he told me he would have to check with his team first. Called me back in 15 mins as promised and set proper expectations with me. He said I might not get the perfect fit I was seeking but it would probably be close. I appreciated his honesty and decided to give it a shot.

I ran over (two stops on the BTS to Nana station) and was getting fitted 20 minutes later. Note: the location is about an avenue and a half from the BTS station. Not a bad walk as it's pretty much a straight shot from the BTS station. Came back on Tuesday at 3:30pm to have my first fitting. Luckily, it wasn't too far off... Pants were spot on, but there were several adjustments needed to be made on the jacket. Had dinner nearby, dropped the wife off back at the hotel and came back around 7pm for fitting #2. Had it very close (95%).. Alex was kind enough to let me use his wi-fi to take a conference call, and by the time I was done, so was my suit!

I must say, the entire process was a bit intimidating to me at first, being that this was my first bespoke suit.. But Alex and his team made me comfortable from start to finish. He didn't promise the world (which I really appreciated) and gave me solid advice along the way.

I've worn the suit at least five times since I've returned to the US and I love the fit. Definitely will be going back to Alex and Tailor on Ten in the future!

broadwayboy

How is Tailor on Ten with custom-shirts? Any experience to share, please? I used to have mine done at David's in HKG (Mandarin Oriental shop), but don't travel much there or to NYC where they have annual visits.

exerda

What do you want to know? I had three made last December during a brief visit to BKK and came away quite pleased with the entire experience as well as the quality of the work. I plan to go back this December and get at least several more shirts (maybe a suit, too, depending on time and finances).

I had very little experience with any custom tailoring. They walked me through all the options, had plenty of fabrics to choose from, talked about cut and helped me make up my mind on things, paid a lot of attention to details, did a couple of test fittings, and had everything ready within the 3 days I was there.

Youngmiler

Just got done with the first measurement for a suit from Narin Couture, it was certainly on the pricey side with a 27,500 baht price tag plus shipping, but I went with a Italian super 140 wool which is a huge reason the price was a little high. Waiting for the second fitting, but will edit post with updates upon further fittings and completion.

dtsm

Amarin Plaza, next door to Grand Hyatt Hotel [McDonalds on ground floor]
Second floor, R.J. Uomo Tailor, owner is Madame Manju
Shop # 8-9, when you take escalator up, turn left and walk to end
Tel 662 256-9626

My son back in Aug 2010 found this place, had shirts made. A business associate visited this past July and made 9 shirts, shipped them back stateside without any problems. Egyptian cotton made to order, he brought in a shirt for them to 'copy'.

jkingsle

I recently had my third batch of shirts made at ToT. All good as usual.

aBroadAbroad

Depending on how much time you have, and how much you want to spend, I'd recommend doing some comparison shopping before deciding on a tailor in Bangkok. Compare fabrics, ask lots of questions, get quotes for an identical item (e.g., if it's shirt, specify cuffs, cut, collar type, etc.).

Note, if you are knowledgable enough to appreciate fine higher-end fabrics, you'll quickly realize that most shops claiming to have imported designer fabrics (e.g., Zegna, etc.) actually do NOT carry authentic goods. If you can't tell the difference, you probably shouldn't bother paying the mark up for the so-called "good" stuff at a place that might be dealing in knock-offs. In fact, I know first hand that some of the popular shops are passing off synthetic blends as 100% wool or Egyptian cotton, some of which are discussed in this thread. Caveat emptor.

That said, if you'd like a reliable shop to use for comparison shopping, I'll mention our preferred tailor once again:

Tramp
Oriental Place (short walk from the Mandarin Oriental)
30/1 Soi 38 New Road
Bangkrak
Tel 02-630-6649 or 089-816-6143

The shop is the size of a walk-in closet, and you'll seldom see anybody there other than Mr. Kyi (pronounced Key), but his fabrics are the real deal. He's not cheap, but he puts out an excellent product for the money, and his fitting skills are top-notch (almost too good... don't put on any weight after buying from him).

You can try dropping in, but an appointment is definitely best, especially at high season. He will spend a good deal of time with you during your first visit, so plan accordingly.

seanthepilot

This is a very good point.

Now, I will point out again that I have very limited experience with buying suits, both in Thailand and in the western world.

I recently had a suit made in Bangkok. It was OK. However, the shirts that I picked out used the more expensive of the fabrics, and ended up costing 50 bucks each. You know, I know nothing about fabrics, but the 50 dollar shirts are about the nicest feeling shirts in my wardrobe.

So, some places may actually be honest, it seems.

flo0816

I had 10 shirts made there last year. Go for luxury line not the superior. My shirts were not perfect due to a tight schedule and some missunderstandings but quality for money was ok. Make sure they dont't make the sleves too tight. Quite uncomfortable when you are working on a keyboard all day I can tell you. On my shirt they did not do a good job glueing the collar. I washed them 30° and got bubbles on the collar. To be fair Alex gave me a refund to make up for this and to get it fixed back home.
My suits from ToT are ok. Don't get the floating canvas. In my opinion you will have a very hard time finding a tailor in BKK who knows how to do it properly. Fabric at ToT is nice but I am much happier with the cut I got from Raja. Unfortunately at Raja the fabric I received was not as nice. But that's my personal opinion. Hope that helps.

soarer

I believe they have moved around the corner somewhere.....

Soarer

SeamasterLux

Amen to that, finally a comment that makes sense. Beware of most shops that tell you they have Boss, Dolce&Gabbana, Versace, Ferragamo, etc. fabrics because these brands are not drapers, i.e. do not produce fabrics. They buy fabrics from drapers like Dormeuil, Loro Piana, Scabal, Holland & Sherry, Cacciopoli, Vitale Barberis Canonico and so on.

As mentioned by mr, if you can't tell the difference between a real high-quality fabric and a cheap one, don't bother. Another piece of advice: if the fabric's soft, it doesn't mean it's cashmere. Far from it, it's usually a mix with non-organic material that makes the touch nice but that don't last for long.

I also agree with what has been said regarding Canvas, no one in BKK (as far as I know) truly knows how to do it (or at least do it properly). There is a reason why suits in Europe or in the US in MTM or bespoke cost so much: high-end fabric, craftsmanship (around 50-70 hours for a bespoke suit), hand-sewing (at least partially), real knowledge.

If someone were to offer you a ferrari at the price of a Seat Leon, what would you think of the guy?

tnmlyger

They are now on the corner of Soi 8.

Thai-Kiwi

They have a website, and have moved. http://www.rajasfashions.com/

edit: just found youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EtFiajuRww

Notwithstanding any lack of expert knowledge, I have had no personal complaints when using Rajas (Bobby Gulati) when in living in Bangkok - but close friends use other other places. Each to their own!

They own 'On 8' hotel, so perhaps this is the reason for the relocation, or have the bright lights of NEP taken their toll?

Cheers, TK

soarer

Rent went up to market level , and their long lease expired......
at least thats what i was told

soarer

eastnortheast

Yep - Raja's sub leased their property. The owners of the whole block signed an master lease agreement with new people. These new folks have plans for renovations, etc. However, one of the downsides was an increase in rents for the current sub-leasee's. In Raja's case, I believe asking rent went up 400%.