Continuing up the cost of Vietnam, I arrived next at Hoi An. Banners lined Hoi An advertising it as one of Asia's most romantic destinations. Although I have not visited many places in Asia, I thought this was an appropriate superlative. Hoi An's old town is filled with lanterns. At night, cars and motorbikes are forbidden from driving through small streets. With the historic houses lit dimly colorful lanterns, it certainly feels romantic.
While I was in Hoi An, I was traveling with 2 girls for whom I felt no romantic attachment. We enjoyed the beautiful sights and enjoyed another famous part of Hoi An: tailored clothes. Asia travel stories are filled with these "to good to be true" tailoring experiences. Several of my friends returned from Thailand with new suits that would have costed 1,000 dollars in the US! But, because of their stellar haggling ability, they were able to get them for only $5! And they got a free shirt thrown in! Because why not!
Hoi An is a hot spot for tailored clothes. The streets both outside and in the old city are filled with women claiming to have the best fabrics, cut, and designs. Overall, my tailoring experience was fun. I had 4 dresses made (which was too much). I'm a fairly cheap person, so I ended up with "deals" instead of quality.
After my tailoring foray, I realized a few things.
3. All the women claiming to hand tailor your dresses are just shop keepers. Whenever you order a dress, your order is brought to another location where someone else will make it for you. After seeing one of these alternative locations, I'm convinced that one group of workers probably produce the dresses for all the small independent shops. Well, maybe there are 2 different groups of workers. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the shops were owned by the same people. I have no evidence and I don't really think it matters (as long as all parties involved get paid fairly), but it removes some of the romantic notion of buying the dress directly from the pregnant woman working in the store.
Hoi An was very beautiful and romantic. It was a super touristy destination, with most prices listed in USD instead of Vietnamese Dong (VND). In these touristy places, I get a bittersweet feeling. It is fun and filled with beautiful sites, but it feels a little manufactured. Even so, I wouldn't mind returning to Hoi An to enjoy the romantic atmosphere again.
While I was in Hoi An, I was traveling with 2 girls for whom I felt no romantic attachment. We enjoyed the beautiful sights and enjoyed another famous part of Hoi An: tailored clothes. Asia travel stories are filled with these "to good to be true" tailoring experiences. Several of my friends returned from Thailand with new suits that would have costed 1,000 dollars in the US! But, because of their stellar haggling ability, they were able to get them for only $5! And they got a free shirt thrown in! Because why not! |
| Biking through the old town in the day |
 | ||
| The two hooligans with whom I was traveling. Whenever you sit outside in Vietnam to drink coffee or eat a meal, they have tiny stools or chairs to sit on. Here, we sat for a quick lunch of fresh spring rolls. |
 |
| Maria casually asks a man to help her saw off a part of her bag. It had been annoying her, so in the middle of our biking trip, she decided to fix it. This kind man was happy to oblige. |
 |
| Bia Hoy, a cheap draft beer |
After my tailoring foray, I realized a few things.
1.Even if you have a tailored cheap sundress, it is still a cheap sundress. If you want something being tailored to matter, go for something like a suit or jacket.
2.Designing the perfect dress is a lot easier in your head. When you see the result, it is usually not as pretty as you imagined. Instead of creating a dress from scratch, it is far easier to alter a dress that is already designed to fit your body type.
3. All the women claiming to hand tailor your dresses are just shop keepers. Whenever you order a dress, your order is brought to another location where someone else will make it for you. After seeing one of these alternative locations, I'm convinced that one group of workers probably produce the dresses for all the small independent shops. Well, maybe there are 2 different groups of workers. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the shops were owned by the same people. I have no evidence and I don't really think it matters (as long as all parties involved get paid fairly), but it removes some of the romantic notion of buying the dress directly from the pregnant woman working in the store.  |
| Hoi An's Japanese Bridge |
No comments:
Post a Comment