Shopping Spree in Hoi An...

Hoi An, Vietnam

June 16, 2007
N 15°53.883
E 108°21.965

The bus pulled into Hoi An on Friday around 1:00 PM. The whole gang fell into the steamy air outside and headed towards our preferred hotel. Hoi An is a dusty, but quickly growing little village with broken sidewalks, streets scattered with pot-holes and a bustling clothing industry that quickly sucks you in. It was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia from the period of the 15th to 19th centuries and was name into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.

However, today it’s famous for literally hundreds of dress shops lining the streets, sewing machines running 24x7 (except for when the power is out), and it’s very easy to find a petite local woman willing to customize an outfit (or two, or three) for you, and most likely reminding you of your physical insecurities at the same time.

Elise and I immediately set out to scout out a few shops where we just might want to get something made. Our first stop was only half a block down the street from our hotel. I tried on two dresses, they took measurements, and I was told to come back the next day for the final product. Wow, that was easy. Now I need shoes… not a problem. The lady from the dress shop escorted us across the street to a shoe shop. I picked out a shoe, got my feet stenciled, chose fabric, and was told to come back the next day. I was on a roll and couldn’t stop there, we wanted to see what else Hoi An had to offer.

A little further down the street we found another cute dress, they took my measurements, and told me to come back the next day. It was like Vegas for clothing… just one jackpot after another. Now the trick was memorizing all the places I had to come back to and make sure I had enough money to settle my outstanding debts.

The next day, Saturday, was pick up day. Elise, Marc and I headed to the first shop, King Cloth Shop, where I tried on the dresses, they were all a perfect fit. The two sisters pushed hard to sell more clothes to me, Marc and Elise. We politely declined and headed out to pick up the rest of my items.

The next dress, made of silk, turned out perfect, but trying it on was a challenge in the sweltering heat. I was already a sweaty mess and it didn’t help that the power was out throughout the town the entire day (a regular occurrence) meaning NO FANS or AC! I took the dress off as fast as I put it on to prevent the whole thing from being destroyed.

It didn’t stop there… I was hooked.

In the middle of the night I woke up dreaming about the perfect shoes to match the silk dress. The dress highlights my eyes perfectly, emerald green silk with a gold hue, a cream border and embroidery on the bottom. I dreamt of simple cream sandals, a small heel, and embroidery across the toe. You know you’re in deep when you’re dreaming about clothes you can have made.

Why stop there… a little purse made to match the whole ensemble would be perfect, only $7.00. Hit me, hit me again! Just like gambling… now, I had another day of running around and still owing people around town money, but the finished product was well worth it. The best part… the whole outfit cost under $33.

If you visit Hoi An come prepared to get measured and bring a picture of something from your favorite designer, they’ll make it for you… it’s same, same, but different.

Other notes: In between everyone’s dress fittings we rented some bikes and rode the 3.1 miles to the beach. There were a group of young local kids sitting near us taking pictures. After the third time I heard the shutter I had to ask them to stop. I am sure they posted big, big somewhere on the internet.