Hoi An shopping: tailors, silk and lanterns
Five hundred tailoring shops for a hundred thousand residents. A two-piece suit for $90 in forty-eight hours. A silk lantern lit once a lunar month when the whole Old Town switches its electricity off. Bespoke leather sneakers in thirty-six hours. You leave Hoi An not with carrier bags but with a jacket, boots and a lantern you made yourself.
This guide covers the five tailors worth your money, where to buy silk that is actually silk, what lanterns cost and how to fly one home, what customs will not let you take, and which purchases are simply a waste. The wider picture is in the Hoi An guide.
- Yaly Couture (Yaly Couture): 358 Nguyen Duy Hieu — Premium: suits $200–500, dresses $80–250
- BeBe Tailor (BeBe Tailor): 11 Tran Phu — Womenswear $40–120, worldwide shipping
- Kimmy Tailor (Kimmy Tailor): 70 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai — Suits $90–250, own factory
- A Dong Silk (A Dong Silk): 40 Le Loi — Raw silk, 30 years in business
- Hoi An Silk Village (Làng Lụa Hội An): Working silk museum — Entry 100,000 VND (~$4)
- Cloth Market (Chợ Vải Hội An): Fabric by the metre — $5–40, haggling expected
- Night Market (Chợ đêm Hội An): Souvenirs and lanterns — 17:00–22:00, prices 2–3× real
- Central Market (Chợ Hội An): Coffee, tea, spices — 06:00–18:00, honest prices
- Friendly Shoes (Friendly Shoes): 67 Tran Hung Dao — Bespoke shoes: sneakers $35, boots $50–80
- Thanh Ha pottery village (Làng gốm Thanh Hà): 500 years of the craft — Entry 35,000 VND (~$1.40)
- Lantern Street (Phố Phan Châu Trinh): Dozens of lantern shops — 30–50% cheaper than the night market
- Old Town (Phố cổ Hội An): The shopping and tailoring core — UNESCO World Heritage
- 👔 Two-piece suit from $90, two to three days, two to three fittings
- 🧵 Real silk only comes with a Vietnam Silk Association certificate
- 🏮 Lantern Street is 30–50% cheaper than the night market
- 👟 Bespoke leather sneakers: $35–50 in thirty-six hours
- 🚫 Counterfeits risk seizure at your home border
Tailors — the top five and 2026 prices
A men's two-piece starts at $90; a dress from $25. Turnaround is one to three days with two or three fittings. Tatler Asia named Hoi An the best bespoke-tailoring destination in Southeast Asia in 2024, and the claim holds up: prices run five to ten times below Singapore or Hong Kong at comparable quality.
| Tailor | Specialism | Prices | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yaly Couture | Suits, dresses, premium | $200–500 | 200 tailors, own factory |
| BeBe Tailor | Womenswear, silk | $40–120 | TripAdvisor top ten, ships worldwide |
| Kimmy Tailor | Suits, outerwear, leather | $90–250 | Own factory, every seam checked |
| A Dong Silk | Natural silk, suits | $120–300 | 30 years, works with raw silk |
| Ba Ri Tailor | Menswear, cashmere | $90–180 | 15–20% cheaper, wool and cashmere |
Yaly Couture is the best-known house in town: four branches, its own 200-tailor factory, over thirty years trading. They work from Pinterest photographs, sketches or their own catalogue, sizes XS to 5XL. The catch is December to February, when you need to book a fitting a day ahead.
💬 "Ordered a two-piece, two days, four fittings, and it sits like Savile Row. $250 is nothing for that. I'm ordering a second next trip" — TripAdvisor, 2025
BeBe Tailor leads on womenswear with a 500-model catalogue you can customise on length, sleeve and neckline. Its real advantage is free worldwide shipping on orders over $100 — useful if you cannot wait out the make. Short dress from $40, evening from $80, áo dài from $60.
Kimmy Tailor is the choice when quality control matters: a senior tailor inspects every seam before handover, and they are particularly good on non-standard builds — broad shoulders, long arms, larger frames. A Dong Silk works with raw silk woven behind the shop rather than bought from a middleman — expensive but right for an occasion suit. Ba Ri Tailor is the dark horse: off the tourist strip, 15–20% cheaper, quality on par with Kimmy. The catch is limited English — bring printed photographs.
| Garment | Budget | Mid | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-piece suit | $90 | $150 | $350 |
| Three-piece suit | $130 | $200 | $500 |
| Short dress | $25 | $50 | $120 |
| Long dress | $40 | $80 | $250 |
| Wedding dress | $80 | $200 | $600 |
| Áo dài | $40 | $80 | $150 |
| Shirt | $15 | $30 | $60 |
| Coat or trench | $40 | $80 | $200 |
| Leather jacket | $100 | $180 | $300 |
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How it works. Day one you arrive with an idea, they take 15–25 measurements, you pick cloth, pay 30–50% and get a fitting time. Twelve to twenty-four hours later comes the first fitting with the garment basted together. Another twelve to twenty-four hours and you have the second, sometimes third. Two to three days end to end — so order on your first day in town.
- 1"100% cashmere" that is 30% synthetic — ask to see the bolt with its mill label
- 2 Cheap shops that subcontract: no visible workshop and no visible staff means walk away
- 3 At the final fitting check everything — seams, shoulder line, whether the sleeve rides up when you raise your arm, trouser break
Silk — how to spot the real thing
Silk has been Vietnam's signature export for two thousand years, and Hoi An was the port it left through on its way to Japan, China and Europe. The tradition survives: silk farms in the surrounding countryside, factories and shops in town. The task is to buy real silk rather than synthetic at silk prices.
Hoi An Silk Village, 2 km from the centre on Nguyễn Tất Thành, is a working museum. Entry is 100,000 VND (~$4) including an English-language tour and tea. You see the whole cycle: mulberry trees, silkworms, unwinding a cocoon into a single 1,500-metre thread, hand weaving and natural dyeing. Forty-five to sixty minutes. The shop sells scarves at $15–40, áo dài at $80–200 and suits at $250–500.
Cloth Market (Chợ Vải Hội An) on Phan Bội Châu houses over a hundred sellers under one roof: from $5 a metre for cotton to $40 for premium silk, cashmere $25–50, linen $8–15. Haggling is expected — opening prices run 30–50% high. Take the cloth to a tailor: most take customer material for a $5–15 surcharge, which beats buying their silk.
- 1 Burn test: real silk burns like hair and leaves crumbly ash; synthetics melt into a hard bead and smell of plastic
- 2 Touch: hold it clenched for ten seconds — silk warms and holds your heat, synthetics stay cool
- 3 Price:real silk is never under $15 a metre. "100% silk" at $5 is viscose or polyester
- 4 Certificate: Vietnam Silk Association papers exist at Silk Village, A Dong Silk and Yaly. Not at the market
Lanterns — workshops, shops and the festival
The lantern is the town's emblem. On the 14th day of each lunar month the Old Town's electricity is switched off entirely and only candles and lanterns are lit — the Lễ hội đèn lồng festival, covered in its own guide.
With an hour to spare, go to a workshop: walk in without booking, pick a shape and a fabric, and build your own lantern under a maker's eye in 45–60 minutes for 120,000–250,000 VND ($5–10). Short on time, buy ready-made on Lantern Street (Phố Phan Châu Trinh) — dozens of shops at 30–50% below night market prices.
| Type | Size | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Small decorative | 15–20 cm | $1–1.60 |
| Medium silk | 25–35 cm | $3.20–6 |
| Large silk | 40–60 cm | $6–12 |
| Premium hand-painted | 60–80 cm | $14–24 |
| Foldable (travel) | 20–30 cm | $3.20–8 |
Leather and shoes
After clothing, leather is the second reason people shop here. Dozens of workshops make shoes, bags, belts and jackets to order in one to three days, at a third to a half of European prices.
Friendly Shoes (67 Trần Hưng Đạo) is the best-known menswear cobbler: sneakers, boots, loafers, moccasins and dress shoes to your measurements, Italian leather stocked on site, hand-assembled. Sneakers $35–50, loafers $40–70, boots $50–80, tall boots $80–150, up to EU size 47. If something is off once you are home, ship it back and they remake it free.
💬 "Bespoke sneakers in thirty-six hours. Italian leather, $45. A year of wear and they look new. Ordered two more pairs through the site" — TripAdvisor, 2025
Friendly Bag (18 Trần Phú) is the sister brand: wallets $20–40, belts $15–30, women's bags $30–80, messengers $50–100, backpacks $50–120. One to two days, and they will copy a photographed model down to the stitch line.
- 1 Smell: real leather is animal and slightly sharp; fake smells of plastic, rubber or glue
- 2 Cut edge: fibrous and irregular on real hide, layered and even on synthetic
- 3 Reverse side: suede-y and loose on real leather, smooth or on a thin textile backing when fake
- 4 Price: a full-hide bag is never under $30; a $5 belt is PU or vinyl
Thanh Hà pottery village
Thanh Hà sits 3 km west of the Old Town on the Thu Bồn river, and has supplied Hoi An with tiles and bricks since the 15th century. Get there by bicycle in 30 minutes, scooter in 10, Grab for about $2.80, or river boat for around $6 for a party of four. Entry is 35,000 VND (~$1.40) and includes several family workshops.
Prices: a clay whistle (the village emblem, shaped as a fish, dragon or bird) $0.80–2, a tea set with six cups $8–20, a decorative vase $6–32, a terracotta figurine $3–12, serving plates $2–8. The village is compact — an hour and a half covers it — and before 11:00 the makers are actually at their wheels. Most workshops will sit you down at one for 30–60 minutes at $2–4, firing your piece the same day. Other crafts are in the Hoi An workshops guide.
The three markets
Night Market on Nguyễn Hoàng, An Hộiisland, 17:00–22:00, is the most photographed strip in town — a narrow lane between two canals hung with thousands of lanterns. It is also a tourist market with prices two to three times reality. Haggle hard: open at 30–40% of the asking figure. Worth buying: magnets ($1–2), silk scarves ($5–10 after haggling), small lanterns ($1–3). Not worth buying: "real silk", "genuine leather", designer replicas.
Central Market on Bạch Đằng, 6:00–18:00, is the local one, with honest prices. Coffee $5–10 for 250 g, spices $2–8, dried mango $3–5, premium fish sauce $10–30. Street food is cheaper here than at the night market, and between 6 and 8 am the place is at its liveliest — see the Hoi An food guide.
Counterfeits — what to know
Replica Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Nike and North Face are everywhere at the night market — $5 for an obvious fake, $30–80 for a "good copy". Most countries treat importing counterfeits as an offence: seizure at the border is standard, and the EU, UK, Australia and the US all add penalties for quantity. A single souvenir usually passes; a suitcase of them does not.
Quality is the better argument. Replica seams open within a season, the leather cracks, the hardware fails. For the same $50–80, Kimmy or BeBe will make you a one-off bag in real leather to your own design — one you will still be carrying in five years, and one that raises no questions at any border.
The alternative worth knowing: Vietnam has real brands. Maison Marou single-origin chocolate ($5–15), Ipa-Nima designer bags at Lifestyle Hoi An, Couleurs d'Asie textiles at 102 Trần Phú, and Reaching Out at 103 Nguyễn Thái Học — a social enterprise staffed by deaf artisans making silk scarves, ceramics and accessories, with the profit going to the makers.
What to take home
| Category | What | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | Trung Nguyen, weasel coffee | $5–10 per 250 g / $30–80 per 100 g |
| Tea | Lotus, Da Lat artichoke, Tan Cuong green | $5–20 |
| Spices | Phú Quốc pepper, curry blends | $2–8 |
| Sauces | Premium nước mắm, Mekong soy | $3–30 |
| Cosmetics | Cold-pressed coconut oil, aloe gel, rice masks | $1–15 |
| Bamboo and coconut | Bowls, baskets, nón lá hats | $3–25 |
| Chocolate | Maison Marou single-origin | $5–8 a bar, $30–40 a box |
Vietnamese robusta is among the best in the world — the varieties are broken down in our Vietnamese coffee guide, and what is worth carrying home from elsewhere in the country is in Vietnam shopping.
Shopping budget
You will almost certainly spend more than you planned in Hoi An: a suit, then a shirt to go with it, then a lantern, then a second pair of shoes. Three levels to plan against.
| Level | Total | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $200–300 | Ba Ri two-piece, 2–3 lanterns, coffee and spices, a lantern workshop |
| Mid | $500–800 | Kimmy suit, 2 shirts, a BeBe dress, Friendly Shoes sneakers, ceramics |
| Premium | from $1,500 | Yaly three-piece, 2 premium dresses, leather jacket, boots and bag, tea set |
Basic is "an experience plus a couple of useful things" and suits two or three days. Mid is "everything I wanted plus presents" over four to seven days. Premium is the shopping-trip format, and it is mostly expats who live in Southeast Asia and refresh their wardrobe here once a year.
FAQ
How much does a tailored suit cost in Hoi An in 2026?
A two-piece starts at $90 at Ba Ri Tailor or Kimmy Tailor. The average is $150. Premium houses like Yaly Couture and A Dong Silk charge $200–500. A three-piece adds $40–150. Turnaround is two to three days with two or three fittings.
Which tailor in Hoi An is the best?
For premium and occasion wear, Yaly Couture. For womenswear and shipping home, BeBe Tailor. For value, Kimmy Tailor. For silk, A Dong Silk. For a budget menswear suit, Ba Ri Tailor. All five have held steady TripAdvisor ratings for the past five years.
Where do I buy real silk in Hoi An?
The safest option is Hoi An Silk Village on Nguyen Tat Thanh — a working museum with its own production and Vietnam Silk Association certificates. The shops attached to A Dong Silk and Yaly Couture are also certified. Buying silk at the night market is risky: most of the "100% silk" there is synthetic.
Can I take a lantern home on a plane?
A foldable lantern collapses to a flat disc 5–7 cm thick and fits any suitcase. A rigid silk lantern on a bamboo frame only survives in hand luggage inside a firm box — the bamboo is brittle and the silk tears under pressure. Gift boxes with foam padding cost 80,000–150,000 VND (~$3–6) on Lantern Street and at Da Nang airport.
What should I avoid buying in Hoi An?
Counterfeit brands — most countries seize them at the border and some fine you. Antiques over 100 years old without an export licence are confiscated on the Vietnamese side. "Real silk" under $15 a metre is almost certainly synthetic, and "leather" bags under $30 are usually PU.
When is the Hoi An night market open?
Daily from 17:00 to 22:00 on Nguyen Hoang street, An Hoi island, across the bridge from the Old Town. It is at its best after 19:00 once every lantern is lit. On lantern festival nights — the 14th day of each lunar month — it stays open until midnight.
How do I get to Thanh Ha pottery village?
Thanh Ha is 3 km west of the Old Town. Cycle in 30 minutes (hire from 30,000 VND a day), ride a scooter in 10, take a Grab for about 70,000 VND (~$2.80), or take a river boat for around 150,000 VND (~$6) for up to four people. Village entry is 35,000 VND (~$1.40).
Current as of June 2026. Tailoring prices, stock and customs rules change — check before you travel.
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