Southeast Asia is packed with
would-be Buddhists, travelers on a real spiritual mission
espousing lives of detachment from material desires. These folks
usually walk away with just the "one suit, two shirts, trousers,
and a tie package" when they leave Hoi An. Shopaholics wander
the streets in a daze.
Hoi An is
a silk mecca. The quality and selection are the best in the
country, and you'll have more peace and quiet while fitting than
in Hanoi. Silk suits are made to order within 24
hours for about $35; cashmere wool is $45. There are
countless shops, and the tailoring is all about the same quality
and fast. A good way to choose a shop is by what you see out
front -- if you see a style you like, it'll help with ordering.
Make sure you take the time to specify your style, down to the
stitch (it can come back looking pretty cheap without
specifics). Try any of the shops along Le Loi; to recommend one
in particular would be like recommending one snowflake over
another. The tailoring is very fast, but not always great, so
plan to have two or three fittings. Be choosy about your cloth,
or go to the market and buy it yourself (Hoi An Cloth Market
is at 01 Tran Phu St.), and haggle. It's not a bad idea to bring
an actual suit or piece of clothing that you'd like a copy of.
Get measurements from friends and relatives for good gifts.
Yaly
Couture at 47 Nguyen
Thai Hoc St. (tel. 0510/910-474) is a good answer to
selecting your own tailor from the many budget places. Yes, the
prices are higher, but quality comes with more of a guarantee
and similar efficient service.
There are
also skilled cobblers who make custom shoes at affordable rates.
Find them near the market on Tran Phu Street.
Tran Phu
Street is lined with art galleries and the good
pottery and carved-wood vendors. Along the river,
lots of places sell blue and white ceramics. However
cumbersome your finds are, like those lovely Chinese
lanterns, shopkeepers are masters at packing for travel and
to fit in your luggage, and will do so before you've even agreed
on a price or decided to buy. Haggle hard.
Que Noi
Gallery (83 Nguyen Thai
Hoc St.; tel. 0510/863-184) is exemplary of the fine
high-end galleries springing up in town.
Hand-painted Chinese scrolls
make a great souvenir, and Mr. Ly Si Binh (21 Nguyen Thai Hoc
St.; tel. 0510/910-721), can script you anything from
Peace or Determination to your best buddy's name (if
it's wrong, he won't know the difference anyway). And it's fun
to watch cheery Mr. Binh at work, too.
Bambou
Company (96 Nguyen Thai
Hoc St.) produces unique T-shirts of local theme and design, all
Western-size cotton shirts.
