Silk tailors in Hanoi

At several of these shops, a silk order starts from something you already like. At Hoàng Vân Silk, rated 4.9 from 166 reviews, customers bring photos of pieces they want made or copied, from silk dresses to a jacket seen online. Feelingsilk recreates a favourite dress or an outfit from a link in linen or silk, and one customer had three dresses copied in 3 days. Bring the garment or a clear photo, and the fitting goes faster.

Speed is not a problem at the smaller shops. Reviewers at Tơ Tằm Việt Tailor had dresses, tops and trousers back within 24 hours, and a satin silk dress cost about US$70. Madame Ha Handmade usually finishes in 24 hours to 2 days with one fitting. Silk dresses are the speciality at Village Silk Tailor, which also makes ao dai and wedding dresses. Women's suits are possible too: An Tam Ladies Tailor charged one reviewer about C$250 per suit for blazers with trousers or a pencil skirt in silk and cashmere.

The thing to check is the fabric itself. At one shop 5 of 60 reviews call it overpriced, one comparing the silk to cheaper fast fashion, and at another a reviewer found few silks and many synthetics among the ready-made clothes. At Village Silk Tailor, 4 of 60 reviews question the quality of its linen. Feel the cloth, ask whether it is pure silk or a blend, and agree the price per piece before the measuring starts. For typical figures across the city, see the Hanoi tailor prices guide.