Hoi An buy · Money and Shopping in Hoi An
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Money and Shopping in Hoi An
Money and Shopping in Hoi An
Made-to-measure shirts, blouses, dresses, suits etc. are on offer from the renowned tailors of Hoi An. When last counted in 2002, there were 140 shops in the city, and the number is now well over 400. It's one of the few places in Vietnam where the motorbike taxi drivers look positively sedate by comparison. Be careful who you choose to manufacture your clothes. As a rule of thumb, give all tailors 2 days advance to prepare your garment and keep going back until you get your clothes right! Suits should cost between US$80 and up to US$250 for a good quality suit. If you choose to pay less, beware that you get what you pay for, slightly lousier quality of cloth and problems with workmanship, such as misaligned stripes on the pants and blazer. Shirts start at US$15 . Note that shirt collars tend to be made looser than at home and so don't worry if you have to ask them to make alterations. Pay attention to button quality and button holes. Possibly ask for a few spares and double stitching. Skirts normally sell for around US$15. Dresses should cost around US$20 upwards. However, prices might change depending on design and detail.
Some tourists love the idea of going in to one of the tailors and making something from scratch. While this is possible, it is better to have something made from the samples that they already have or copy something that you have brought to the shop - makes life a lot easier. Some wiser tourists return with old favorites to get them cloned/remade anew. What also works well is print detailed pictures from designer sites. The rule here is the more detailed the description / picture, the better the end result will be.
Note that if you go to the larger, more renowned tailors such as Yaly and Adong, the prices are much steeper (a 2 piece suit costs between US$80-300 depending on material). The maximum discount that seemed possible (checked against three different stores) was 15%. Both places have good workmanship on simple items such as jackets. Tony's tailor is a good value-for-money choice; high quality finishing and honest but relatively fixed prices. A suit should cost less than US$80. Another good alternative is Mr Xe, with well-made suits starting at US$50 and a great range of materials.
Business in Vietnam is based on payments of commissions for business - a wonderful example is the customs tailor shops in Hoi An! The going rate for anyone bringing in a customer is 20-40% of total retail price paid. As a starting point to bargain in Vietnam always offer at least 1/2 of the asking price - or better still start at 1/3rd and work your way upwards!
Since there are so many tailors to be found in Hoi An, it can seem difficult to find a good one.
Papillon Noir, 30 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoi An city (city center), . They have both ready-to wear (all price-tagged!) and tailor made clothes. Special because its all natural silk or silk mixes, and the silk is handpainted (you can see them painting in the back of the shop) if you want to. Really good suits for men and women, think raw silk on the outside and processed silk as a lining. They also organize silk painting workshops to learn how to do it yourself. �
Friendly Shop, 18 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An city (city center), . They can make shoes and bags in 24h �
Book Store, 32 Le Loi st., Hoi An city (city center). All kinds of books for sale and exchange. Maps, postcard, stamps are available. �
NIT Tailor I & II, 42 Tran Phu Street, 135 Tan Phu Street (In the center of Old Town), ☎ 0510.3929394 ( ), . Run by sisters. The bigger store is located on 135 Tran Phu Street, but it doesn't really make a difference which one you go into, since they work together. The owners and staff are very competent and friendly (and not pushy at all, like some other store owners), accommodating any wish for changes, and with excellent attention to detail. We were told that their father had been a tailor for 40 years, who mentored a lot of other tailors in Hoi An. They have assisted him since they were little girls, which gives them a lot of experience. Prices seemed very fair for the quality, with suits from $50 USD to $125 USD, depending on the material. All in all, a great place to go. �
Adong Silk is another large tailor. There is a better staff to customer ratio but the customer service is comparable between the two, as are the prices. The quality of workmanship is excellent here. Again bargain hard if you're buying multiple items.
Ants Silk, 69 Ba Trieu Street - the owner is extremely patient and thorough when producing suits. She moved me around town until she was sure I had selected a fabric I truly liked for all my shirts and suits. Prices were much more reasonable than the places I visited in the Old Town, and I can say that the clothes looked great and lasted as long as things I had made from other shops. Owner even refused to let me buy one fabric, demonstrating that it wasn't real silk (I wanted a 100% silk shirt).
Nhat Vy - add 121 Tran Hung Dao st. near Thien Trung hotel . The staff is very friendly with good customer service . the prices cheaper then in the central , keep the good tailer and ensure after finish to try . when you make cloth in Nhat Vy there will keep the side to do buy internet if you need some thing more - (Include Email)
Cloth Market, located next to the Central Market and looks like a cloth warehouse. Inside are many small tailor stalls that are generally cheaper and more reliable than shops elsewhere. Orders usually take a day or two.
Elegant, 66 Le Loi Street friendly staff with good customer service, garments finished in 24 hours.
Linh Chi, 4 Le Loi Street
Mr Xe, 71 Nguyen Thai Hoc St. (walk east from cargo club, on right-hand-side 2 blocks), ☎ 0510.3910 388 ( ). 9AM-7.30PM. Owned and run by the lively Mr Xe, who has all types of garments and materials available. Excellent attention to detail and very accommodating when it comes to alterations. Suits (Men/Women), from $50, can be finished in 24 hours. �
Kimmy, 70 & 46 Tran Hung Dao, ☎ +84 510 3862 063, . Not as pricy as Yaly's or Adong (the top choices in Hoi An) but similar selection at $50 lower. Friendly staff offer great advice, and have huge range of examples of latest fashions (books/magazines) to inspire you. Shipped home finished shirts for us. Good experience. �
Phong, 42 Phan Boi Chau
Thien Long, Gold Dragon Shoe Shop, , 495 Cua Dai Street, Hoi An Town. Run by a 22 year old local man, named Nam, this shoe store features a wide range of shoes including formal shoes, casual shoes, flip flops and sandals. Shoes can be custom made, and Nam also has good contacts for suit and clothes tailoring. However watch the pricing of the shoes as they are expensive, ranging from $40-$50 for a dressy pair of heels or leather boots. His fiancee is also stuborn and may refuse to make you shoes if you ask for changes to be made. Being said Nam is a very good salesman just watch his fiancee.
Thuong, 30 Le Loi Street, a great alternative to the fancy shops mentioned above. Friendly and no hassle service providing great value.
Thinh Thanh, 53 Le Loi St., a block from the water and right next to one of the few late night pubs. This place stays open later than almost any other shop and provides friendly, low stress service, at typical prices.
Hoi An also has a good selection of Vietnamese art, both modern and traditional, serious and kitschy. Galleries can be found all over town but Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St, on the other side of the Japanese Bridge, has the heaviest concentration.
Reaching Out, , 103 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Quality gifts made by disabled craftspeople in Vietnam. More expensive than in the market but goods are very well made and not like the mass produced stuff found elsewhere. Beautiful silver & brass jewellery, purses, pottery, clothing, quilts, lacquer boxes, etc.
Central Market, Bach Dang Street, (just before the Cam Nam Bridge) has all of the cheapster t-shirts and bog-standard souvenirs you've seen at every other stop in Vietnam, but it also has plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood, and all of the other stuff they use in Hoi An's terrific restaurants. T-shirts should cost around 40000 dong, and any amount of haggling will not reduce the prices beyond this level. There are shops selling backpacks, around US$20 for a 100L backpack. However, Hanoi has a wider but more expensive selection.
Thanh Ha Pottery Village - about 2km west of town, this traditional village has been making pottery for more than 450 years. It was on the verge of extinction until the wave of new hotel construction in Hoi An revived demand.
Kim Bong Carpentry Village - about 3km west of town.
NuNi, 115 Tran hung Dao Street (near Then Trung Hotel), ☎ 0520.926.504 ( ). 9AM-8PM. Two charming sisters are the shop girls. Prices were comparable to higher (skirt $30, dress $20, suit jacket $50), however, it took SIX visit to get the fit correct. Finally, product was acceptable, but not great - looked a little homemade. �
Art Cafe 30 Nguyen Thai Hoc, based in Hoi An Old town. . Sells locally handmade marble and is owned by a Swiss sculptor by the name of Eric. The whole concept of this enterprise is by breathing life into marble.
Galaxy DVD Shop, 65 Phan Chau Trinh street, Hoi An. DVD stores with high quality DVDs for entertainment.
Loc cloth shop, #1A, Hoi An Market, Tran Phu St., ☎ 0510.3863250. You make all the decisions but they can help you along the way. The process can be simpler if you have images of the clothing design in mind. The service and workmanship are excellent and prices are cheap compared to most other places. �
Nguyen 1A, Hoi An Cloth Market 1A (01 Tran Phu at Huang Dieu St), ☎ 095 568 021, . 9 - 6 Daily. Down the left side of the market from Tran Phu St... Fabrics galore and many catalogues ... Good work at Great Prices ... Ask for Bi... She is very knowledgeable and helpful ... It's well worth the trip Budget. �
Lifestart Foundation Workshop, 77 Phan Chu Trinh, . The non-profit Lifestart Foundation Workshop focuses on creating unique handmade arts/crafts to help support those living in challenging situations in and around Hoi An. Each item is individually made by members of the workshop and the entire proceeds from the sale of the products go directly to the workshop members to provide a sustainable income and sense of independence. It’s the perfect place to visit if you are looking for fairtrade gifts in Hoi An. �
Randys Book Xchange (Book Store), Cam Nam Island (Over bridge to Cam Nam Island turn right on the first street), ☎ 0936089483, . 8:00 to 7:00. the largest used book store in central Vietnam with over 10,000 novels. No copy books. under $10. �
Lotus Jewellery, Two stores: 82 Tran Phu and 53A Le Loi, Hoi An (beside the Museum of Trade Ceramics), ☎ +84 510 3917 889, . 08:00-22:00. Possibly the most beautiful Jewellery store in Vietnam! Hand made Sterling Silver Jewellery deliciously created using Red Coral, Freshwater Pearls, Mother-of-Pearl, Abalone, Onyx, Jade, Turquoise, Amethyst, Citrine, Blue Topaz and other delights. Using only pure silver and genuine Asian jewels, the collections are varied but mostly draw on ethnic or natural inspirations. The atmosphere at the shop is relaxed and inviting and the prices are also fixed making the customer experience all the more pleasant. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Hoi An
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Hoi An Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
