Hoi An, Vietnam, 7/28/11
Hoi An is one of the mercantile capitals of Southeast Asia with tailors occupying nearly every other storefront. It's known as the best place in the region to get custom clothes made, the only hard decision being which tailor to choose and how to stop. The tailors are world-class and the coastal town is a sartorialist's wet dream.
Becky, Harriet, and Lauren print out pages from Vogue.com and recent designer runway shows. The tailors measure every inch of the girls' bodies, furiously scribbling notes in the journals. Armed simply with a few color print out and some measurements, the tailors recreate the haute couture garments with excruciating exactness. In less than 24 hours. With multiple fittings and edits to get the dresses exactly right. Upon completion, the blonde Brits have transformed from shabby, dirty, unkempt backpackers into models rivaling Kate Moss for the crown of England's top model.
Others customize sneakers on NikeID.com, print out their creations, and pass them to tailors. Backpackers forgetting their time and place drop off photos of Jimmy Choos and Christian Louboutins. Some traveled all the way to Vietnam to have Vera Wang wedding dresses recreated. Visitors order leather jackets, thigh-high boots, cowboy boots, suits, tuxedos, fedoras, ski jackets, dress shoes. No matter the request, or through what means the order is conveyed to the tailors, the craftsmanship is typically completed in 24 hours. For a fraction of the cost in the states or Europe. And you don't pay until you are completely happy. I see two gentleman ordering matching silk suits, one in canary yellow another in sky blue, both decorated with a shiny floral pattern. "They're so cheap, we're having these made just for a party" one announces. Sure beats searching Goodwill. One of my family friends told me a story of Hoi An. She FedEx-ed her favorite button-down dress shirt to a tailor in town asking him to duplicate it in ten different fabrics. A few weeks later, the ten new shirts arrived in Connecticut. The new garments matched the original down to the millimeter, produced with laser-like exactness. So much so, that all ten new shirts included small tears on the sleeve that were on the original shirt.
I really don't need any new clothes, but as no American garments fit me, how can I say no? Amit, Stacy and I head to Kimmy's, one of Hoi An's premiere shops. I'm measured and order a bespoke wood and cashmere gray checkered suit, based off a D&G design. I choose sky blue Vietnamese silk for the lining. Everything is customized based on my desires during four fittings -- jacket lapels, vents, length, fit, pockets; pant length, tapering, crotch. 24 hours later and I have a completely bespoke new suit, plus a military-style winter coat, four custom shirts, and four shorts. Roughly $250. The only real cost is the size my backpack has now become.
After the initial fitting, Amit, Stacy, and I grab lunch at a hole-in-the-wall next door. Of course we're starting with strong Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, a brew so potent my hair in standing on end. We go through the Hoi An favorites from yesterday -- Cao Lau and White Rose. Positively addictive sauteed squid with pineapple The food is hearty and delicious but the highlight is definitely the minced shrimp paste wrapped around sugar cane and roasted. The cane sugar boils and seaps into the shrimp, forming a utensil-free snack that is crunchy, sweet, and savory. I should keep a handful of these precious treats in my car cup holder.
***
We decide to watch the sunrise and push through the whole night sans sleep. Harriet, Lauren, Becky, and Jeremy head back to room early to take a nap and never wake, so it's just Elaine, Amit, Louise, and I. Louise and I head to the beach on my motorbike at 4am. Before the sun rises, we have the beach to ourselves, sipping caipirinhas in anticipation. We sit under small bamboo thatched umbrellas. The morning sun slowly approaches across the sea, in shades of red, orange, yellow, pink and purple, reflecting over the water. As soon as it's light out, the beach is mobbed with local Vietnamese going for their morning exercise.
I'm sad to leave Hoi An as I had no time for a Vietnamese cooking course or to see all the museums. Plus the town's charms are positively captivating, like a love potion. But more of Vietnam beckons, so I grab my custom clothing and our new sevensome takes the overnight bus to Nah Trang.
