Flashback to 2006
Doug & I spent some time in Hoi An back in 2006 during our honeymoon through Vietnam & Cambodia. As seems customary, we had clothes custom made in Hoi An. I don't recall all the specifics but we both had multiple suits made. Doug also had a few button-down dress shirts made, and I had a red coat made. I honestly don't think I wore those pants suits more than once or twice! Also not a good idea to have clothes custom made right after your wedding, when you're coming off the best shape of your young life :)
Here are a few pics down memory lane! Never would have thought we'd be back 13 years later, with two amazing daughters, making custom clothes again!
Time to Create in 2019
Since the beginning of our travels - any time we've talked about visiting Vietnam - we've told the girls they'd be able to create their own piece of clothing in Hoi An. We've always thought it would be a super neat thing for them to do, and they were always inquisitive & excited at the idea of it. Occasionally over the past months, and increasingly in the weeks leading up to our Vietnam stint, they'd ask to take a picture of some piece of clothing they saw & liked. The wheels were turning for both of them about what they might want to make . . .
First Up: Pick Your Design
We "shopped" around at a few tailors before we picked which one to go with. There are literally tailors every/every other store front in Hoi An, so choice is abundant. We checked out the one we went to in 2006 - meh. We checked out one the hotel recommended - seemed great, but they weren't very convincing when we asked if they do clothes for kids. We checked out one that the Sullivan family (fellow NYCers traveling the world for a year) used successfully earlier this year. We ultimately went with the Sullivan's reco called Yaly Couture. Their main space happened to be only a few blocks from our hotel, so it was super convenient.
We rolled in and were immediately approached by a saleswoman & whisked upstairs. They asked if we knew what we wanted made, or if we had any pictures with us. We had some vague ideas of what we wanted, but no visuals, so they gave us some design books to thumb through for inspiration. It was really sweet to watch the girls flip through the books; it was a blend of excitement and keen focus (they took the task at hand very seriously!).
We each ultimately decided on one item. Packing space is limited to none (and we haven't yet decided to accumulate & ship stuff back home), so we kept our shopping slim:
Paige: A collared, button-down, sleeveless cotton dress. She went in confidently knowing she wanted a dress, but wasn't sure what style. Decisions are often hard for Paige; she often struggles/has decision paralysis when there are too many choices :) She surprised all of us when she decided what she wanted - and what fabric she wanted - literally within single digit minutes. Go Paigey!
Sadie: A silk-ish material, sleeveless long dress. Originally she wanted a skirt. But after she picked out her fabric (silky smooth & shiny), we realized she might have a tough time figuring out what to wear with the skirt. So last-minute she pivoted to a dress, and is sooo happy she did.
Doug: "Mandarin" collar long sleeve linen shirt. He has one linen shirt on the trip but wants to replace it. Lookin' sharp!
Sarah: A cap sleeve pants jumpsuit. A game-time decision. I walked in thinking I would make a dress, but passed a cute jumpsuit a block prior, and opted for that instead. So glad I did! I love me a good romper or jumpsuit :)
It's All in the Detail
Next came the hard part . . . picking the fabric and all the other details! It's a fun part of the creative process, but it also proved to be the most overwhelming at times. So. Many. Darn. Decisions! Everything from the fabric, to buttons yes/no/color, to pockets yes/no, to liner yes/no/fabric, to piping yes/no/color, to length, to overall fit slim/narrow/wide, etc. Phew!
It's no small feat to look at walls and walls of fabrics and find the "right" one! Paige saw one she liked straight away & stuck with it, no turning back. Sadie wavered a bit between solid color & pattern, but ultimately went with her first gut choice (solid color). Doug wanted input from me & the girls to find the color that was just right - not too dark, not too light. I knew I wanted a fun, "statement" fabric, but it was harder than I thought to choose one! I ultimately had to stop myself from looking further and just go with one that I liked well enough! Here's a recap of some of the details we each landed on for our pieces:
Paige: Blue/aqua/pink paisley print fabric; blue piping around collar, sleeves & hem; blue buttons; calf/below knee length
Sadie: Hot pink solid color shiny/silk-like fabric; aqua piping around collar, sleeves & hem (same fabric as dress); shin length
Doug: Light teal linen fabric (goes amazing with his eyes!); cool blue pattern inside the collar & on sleeve cuffs; slim fit
Sarah: Light pink with green & blank gingko leaves print; cap sleeves; elastic waist; no belt; ankle length; narrow leg
Measurements
Of course no custom clothing piece would be complete without extensive measurements! The girls were so cute and continued to take it all very seriously ;)
Now We Wait . . . But Not For Very Long
Designs, fabrics & details picked. Measurements done. Now we wait. But only until tomorrow! We left Yaly around 4pm after a good two hours there. We were told to come back the following day at 12:00 nooon for our fittings. It's amazing how quickly these professional seamstresses can turn around bespoke pieces!
Success!
We came back the next day to try on our pieces. Us three Bohagirls were anxious! We all wondered/worried if the piece would turn out, and if we'd like it as much as we hoped to. As we walked up to the storefront, Doug & I were chatting and basically resigned ourselves to the fact that this whole custom clothing thing would likely be a waste of money (beyond the experience); that the odds of everyone being happy with their creations would be slim.
Happily (and surprisingly) everyone loved their final pieces! Both of the girls were absolutely *smitten* with their dresses. They were beaming when they tried them on and saw themselves in the mirror :) Sadie's had to be taken in on top, but Paige's fit perfectly. Only a few final adjustments (final length adjustments & piping hems on P&S dresses, final length adjustment + addition of leg liner on my jumpsuit) and they would be sent to our hotel as final.
Out & About
Our final products were waiting for us at our hotel reception when we got home from dinner later that night. Everyone immediately tried them on. Only small glitch was that my pockets had been sewed shut (went back the next day, the stitch was removed within seconds). Everyone's else were *just right*! Happy campers :)
The morning the girls insisted on wearing their dresses to breakfast. Who are we to say no! They kept them on all morning, straight through breakfast, hammock swinging and Lego building. Seems like appropriate attire :)
We officially debuted our bespoke threads at dinner that night with Minh, a buddy of Doug's from junior CA tennis days, who lives in Vietnam with his family. Success!
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