Getting suits in Bangkok - looking for suggestions!
I'm travelling to Bangkok soon for 5 days and plan to get 2 suits made. I've done some research, but I hope to hear opinions and suggestions from fashion/suiting experts here. I want to have a clearer picture of what I want before meeting the tailor.
Background - Mid-30s, working in IT in financial sector (not customer-facing. no suit requirements but we do get told to "dress up" for occasional top-level visits, some colleagues do suit up for that, and I want to, too.) - Have a couple of conferences, networking events, and weddings (semi-formal) lined up for me this year - Somewhat minimalistic wardrobe with conventional, non-fashion-forward pieces and I do want to add in at least one suit. - Warm and humid climate (Southeast Asia - Singapore) Suit Goals & Requirements - 2 "one-and-done" suits for leisure and business events (2 for rotations/choices!) - In-between casual and formal (am prioritizing versatility over extreme formality because I don't see myself needing a more fancy/sophisticated suit for now.) - Decent quality (durable) - Thick and structured preferred for my body shape, yet breathable - Budget of 1000 USD for 2 suits* *2nd suit is lesser priority, and I'll probably allocate a smaller share of the budget to it. Current Thoughts - Suit 1: Dark navy (see pic), 100% wool hopsack. Pretty standard design, medium notch lapel, breast pockets, flap pockets, - Chosen for versatility, texture, and durability. Fits the overall image I have in mind. Likely fits my budget too. - Concerns: hopsack suitability for suits (trousers specifically), potential for "catch-and-run" damage? - Suit 2: Undecided, possibly similar design language in a different color. Maybe a little less formal? Questions - Any general thoughts on my approach and choices? - Are my concerns about hopsack valid? Can requesting for higher quality, denser weaves mitigate these issues (this is what I found, need some confirmation)? - Any suggestions for Suit 2's color and design?
Background - Mid-30s, working in IT in financial sector (not customer-facing. no suit requirements but we do get told to "dress up" for occasional top-level visits, some colleagues do suit up for that, and I want to, too.) - Have a couple of conferences, networking events, and weddings (semi-formal) lined up for me this year - Somewhat minimalistic wardrobe with conventional, non-fashion-forward pieces and I do want to add in at least one suit. - Warm and humid climate (Southeast Asia - Singapore) Suit Goals & Requirements - 2 "one-and-done" suits for leisure and business events (2 for rotations/choices!) - In-between casual and formal (am prioritizing versatility over extreme formality because I don't see myself needing a more fancy/sophisticated suit for now.) - Decent quality (durable) - Thick and structured preferred for my body shape, yet breathable - Budget of 1000 USD for 2 suits* *2nd suit is lesser priority, and I'll probably allocate a smaller share of the budget to it. Current Thoughts - Suit 1: Dark navy (see pic), 100% wool hopsack. Pretty standard design, medium notch lapel, breast pockets, flap pockets, - Chosen for versatility, texture, and durability. Fits the overall image I have in mind. Likely fits my budget too. - Concerns: hopsack suitability for suits (trousers specifically), potential for "catch-and-run" damage? - Suit 2: Undecided, possibly similar design language in a different color. Maybe a little less formal? Questions - Any general thoughts on my approach and choices? - Are my concerns about hopsack valid? Can requesting for higher quality, denser weaves mitigate these issues (this is what I found, need some confirmation)? - Any suggestions for Suit 2's color and design?
64 Replies
Is there a reason you want a suit mtm
Rather than just buying an existing suit and having it altered
actually no... im just innately a DIY kind of person (picking pc parts, building a pc, assembling watches, etc) and fully MTM suits seem to be similar in some sense. what you've mentioned could work, but i've not looked into it yet. imo it kind of takes out the fun of being able to flip through the lists of "ingredients". i want to see A LOT of options in its raw form, then plunk it together to get something i played a part in building.
I mean how well do you know/understand suiting
not much so im here to get more info/thoughts before i head down to the tailor
without an understanding this sounds like a one way ticket to getting two terrible suits
I really would not do MTM then
Just buy a suit from a reputable maker and have it altered
stuff like benjamin barker?
Also suiting in Thailand for a MTM and non-bespoke suit isn't really an advantage over just getting a reputable suit and having it altered. You don't really have more flexibility on the fit/cut without going bespoke, they often carry pretty poor fabrics or you'll pay more than a reputable brand for named mills bc of economies of scale, etc. The US and EU have better trade agreements for sourcing fabrics for named mills as well, so you might actually pay more for fabric cost for anything decent.
MTM doesn't really benefit anyone that isn't very into suiting already
is Suit Supply regarded as a reputable suit maker? i think thats one place i can go to based on my search
Suit supply and Spier and Mckay are where I would look at your budget
i mean part of the fun is in learning tho. dont ask me about the number of watches that i've destroyed
I mean sure, it's your money
you can learn while getting good suits, get the suit supply one and get it altered. then if there are still certain thing its really missing that you want in a suit. that might be a reason to go with something more custom
ah wait. the only suitsupply in my country is permanently closed now...
make sense. this way i can leave more time & money for my main hobbies too.
frankly it's not always worth it even for people into suiting
Singapore is known for tailoring as well. Find a decent brand that has local stores and go from there
do this shit with busted $10 suits from thrift stores that you won't care about ruining
that may be true but its always hard to justify the worth of a hobby though.
source: person who routinely dismantles $10 suits
for sure, suits can be super interesting but what you are paying for with Bespoke is the tiny details that you really already have to know and deeply care about to appreciate and like zeo said even then its not always worth it
Are you in SG? If so I'd assume something like a tropical wool suit is going to be the best bet
yep SG. are you from SG too?
there is SO MUCH INFORMATION about suit construction, history, etc without needing to learn via buying MTM
putthison (ignore his snark on popular people), ethan at a little bit of rest/style and direction, style forum, ask andy about clothes, permanent style kinda
No, but I've been a fair bit and I've got friends who lived there, so familar with climate. My sense is that the advice about just buying something and then get it altered is still the right thing to do, given how possible it is to make a suit look awful when you first do MTM
When you say 'thick and structured' what do you mean by that?
yeah sounds good, that really kinda opened a new window to me. never really went through my mind to get OTR and do some alterations. my mind immediately went to "building" a suit as a habit from my other hobbies.
sidebar if you are in SEA I'd probably ensure one of your seasons is made of summer weight material (linen, tropical wool, etc), especially if you favor any sort of canvassing in your suit jacket
i'll check out some physical stores here. not really a fan of shopping for fashion but i suppose saving some additional money isnt that bad too. anything to lookout for when going for the "buy OTR and alter" route? eg: buy as close fit as possible or buy up so theres room to "cut"? are there any parts that cannot be altered?
will do some research later online but since experts are here i'll just milk some additional info while im already here
As folks have said OTR is almost always the better choice.
MTM with any maker is really only worth it if you're willing to iterate with that same maker/person multiple times and have adjustments made with a local tailor. I really only think it's worth it if you know exactly what you want and can't get it OTR or if you've really been unable to find OTR suiting that's close enough to you. "Custom" or MTM isn't inherently better, despite the marketing.
The shoulders and overall length of the jacket will be the most expensive/difficult to alter. Generally you want the suit to fit as well as possible but it's obviously easier to take away material than it is to add it
For a traditional suit fit you'll want clean lines ~everywhere. Wrinkles, pulling, folds, etc. often indicate an issue but it varies slightly
Obviously ideally you find an OTR suit that just fits you with minimal/no alterations at all
I think a traditional single breasted dark navy suit is very easy to wear for all of the occasions you'll need and more. The exact fabric is sorta up to you. A tropical wool sounds like it might be the most useful to you
my initial thought was that this will be pretty fun - to work together with a tailor to get something i hand picked. but i suppose that can also be true for selecting OTR suits (though at a lower level to my *personal *likings, how i envisioned it to go). but i think i'll still have some fun doing just that.
really appreciated all of your responses!
What's your motivation for something "thick and structured"? Not saying it's wrong, I'm just curious about what you expect from it: more durability, you like drape/clean lines, etc.
Yeah a good tailoring shop will have lots of options and ideally a good sales rep to answer your questions and guide you towards something that you'll be happy with
i'll speak candidly from my couple hours of newfound "knowledge". correct me if im wrong anywhere.
Yeah I think you will find it fun to try on different brands and apprecaite all the different stylings etc. Some brief googling suggests Decorum has branch in sg/bkk and they have some nice suits. Its out of budget for you, but its good to try on good stuff and see what you like and then you have a baseline to compare against
@beans (pinto) i have a skinny/narrow/flat shoulder, chest area, but a fuller, rounder waistline and hips (a pot belly, said in nicer words lol). and i figured that having more heft in my upper body through the suit will make things more well balanced and not let the fabric fall flat on my chests. from my understanding, suits can be half/full canvassed, which provides some structure and rigidity to the suit. basically to enhance my upper body
im not an avid shopper so these brand name are really foreign to me. thanks for introducing this! will check them out
sorry but let me just challenge this point a little, for discussion "make a suit look awful when you first do MTM". i've seen MTMed suits from friends who are also first-timers. they look pretty good though to my untrained eyes (maybe thats the reason?). are the chances of getting a bad MTM suit really that high? from what i see from you and one of the last comments. these "landmines" really exists?
I really think its less "awful" and more spending too much money for a suit that is just... ok
and you dont really love
tbh to most men any suit looks pretty solid even if its technically not "perfect" by nerd standards. I bet your friends suits look good but there's a very good chance you could look just as good with a OTR suit for a fair bit less money
Certainly an option if you like that but plenty of Italian dudes with pot bellies wear lighter and less structured tailoring and look fantastic. It's really a personal taste thing
its basically kid in a candy store vibes where you go mad and customise everything when you dont know the language of suits. I imagine its similar to making watches, where you could combine a load of things and it would just look off
Small nit: full vs half canvass isn't really more or less structured, it's a "quality" difference since canvassing is more difficult and expensive to do (and there's a wide range in quality of canvassing ability)
anyway i had no idea there'll be this many responses (new to the subreddit and this discord), thanks @oman121 @WieDelphine @beans (pinto) @zeometer @awz five zero eight two @artvandelayimporting @Soup. keep em coming! i'll still be following the thread. i do have some conclusion/decision now. i'll just adjust my approach... partially... i get the idea of avoiding MTM suits for the time being, but im *still *willing to give it a try, just to experience it. albeit with a smaller budget now. but im really appreciative of all these replies!
My biggest reason to avoid MTM is that most people don't actually need it and it's far more valuable to see how the suit actually fits on your body. Plus, many reputable tailoring shops will provide some amount of initial tailoring like sleeves and hems.
The landmines certainly exist, and I think the biggest one is picking the right fabric. It's really really hard to do
after my trip (or during), i'll explore OTR and alteration services. probably back in home country, though i expect alteration services to be more expensive than in Bangkok. but i guess thats ok since it probably wont be as expensive as MTMing an entire suit here anyway.
I'd also consider just doing the ~$1k towards the navy suit. I'm unsure of the options in SEA and the price ranges but that's what I'd target for a suit in the US to get a reasonable set of options
To go back against everything that has been said I'm aware of collaro and they have a studio in Singapore. They only do MTM/custom garments https://collaro.co/contact-us
haha yes i gotta admit that is pretty correct. i wanted to have some fun picking out my own fabric, colorways, buttons, lining and stuff while listening to what the tailor has to propose on the other factors which may better decided on by himself (i suppose cuts/fits, pocket styles and stuff like that). didnt expect this to be *that * prone to failure. but honestly i am not toooo worried about getting an godawful suit because either way i will be going for pretty mute, understated designs, nothing too fashion forward.
that said... i'll still cut down my budget to something i can comfortably afford as an experience fee
honestly i am not toooo worried about getting an godawful suit because either way i will be going for pretty mute, understated designs, nothing too fashion forwardI think you got the wrong takeaway here You can get unwearable suits very easily Esp if you don't know about cuts and what modifications do to each feature/area I'd actually wager that the suit will be very likely to be that Seen it way too many times
any recommendations on the styles of it? shade of blue & texture, etc? for the use case.
not like slightly unwearable either
Like completely unwearable
wouldn't a tailor who is in the business for years be able to provide decent enough advise for a fit to work somewhat okay-ish?
No because you're doing MTM and you're ultimately the boss in this
There's not a lot of safety rails
wont the outcome be similar if i bring an OTR suit for tailor alterations then? i probably wouldn't know how exactly to instruct them to cut it.
no
cause you should find an OTR suit that already fits well and then modify it
You have a lot more leeway to really mess up a suit on a MTM
ah okay i thought the "bricking" of suits is just when i try to lump in customizations when i dont know much about them. so it is more about the fit that the tailor can create? is that right?
It’s both for sure. It’s very easy to mess up measurements and end up with sometime that just doesn’t fit, and has weird fabrics and details you don’t need and don’t work together
The fit being wrong is the one that tends to really make suits pretty unwearable though
right
For measurements, it depends on who is taking them. Getting it done by someone who knows what their doing and knows the factory patterns and how to manipulate them well will do a good job. If you're just taking the measurements and doing it yourself, it's quite easy to mess up.
I think the pitfalls of choosing fabric, liners, etc can be just as fatal. Doesn't really matter if the suit fits well if you pick a fabric color that just isn't what you wanted.
darker is better. It's easy to move towards a more mid-blue bc they look nicer on the small fabric squares, but the suit ends up super light in color and it's just not the same.
I messed up my suit here: https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1116800072093532191/1170916971315986482
It's quite nice all things considered, but I should have gone at least 2 shades darker for what I actually want
right, i was also worried about not being able to properly visualize the full suit based on just a small fabric piece on a booklet... i considered bringing photos/videos of the shades i wanted as reference for the tailors. but at the end of the day, i suppose this can still be a hit or miss. seeing a completed suit on a store rack is surely safer to make sure the color works to our likings. anyway, your lighter suit still look great! i like it
texture wise, do you have any recommendations? a more obvious texture (coarser texture?) will make the suit less formal, right? im thinking this will better suit my use case i on the first post. versus one with a smoother finish. i'll keep your advise in mind when i shop around in a physical store
this is a good article with some options/advice
https://putthison.com/what-should-you-get-for-your-first-suit-there-are/
Put This On
What Should You Get for Your First Suit?
There are a lot of articles about what you should get for your first suit. Maybe more than the number...
also, what would you call this color? is this still navy?
Not really. It has some undertones. Could be a bluish-grey or maybe even a bit of green in it
i saw this. definitely played a part on steering me towards hopsack
i really like the color with these undertones. if i am able to find a visibly matching suit in some OTR stores, do you think it will work fine for my use case? as a substitute to navy. just color wise
it's porlly close enough yeah
I would echo everything everyone else has said, but I would also add this - if you're doing MTM in a foreign country with a "tailor" who is targeting people on short trips at 'cheap prices' there is nearly no incentive for them to make you something actually that good. This is largely also true of places like those that exist where I live that exist on doing bulk "MTM" groomsmen stuff etc.
You're not likely to come back for repeat business, or be in a position to do a return, the volume of people doing similar is really high so they won't lose customers from a bad review you're unlikely to leave, and the main incentive is to get the suit done as quickly as possible with whatever fabrics are around with minimal alterations to the block pattern because that's fast and will see you on your way in 3-5 days. This is not a recipe for doing stuff to the best standard.
If you then layer in some potential cultural [what fit is desirable?]/language barriers then it gets very messy really easily.