Fabric shopping

Vietnam is famous for its tailors, so before I leave this place I think I should take advantage of some custom-made clothing!  This past week we had a random holiday on a Wednesday (Hung King Day) so my friend Angela and I went to Tan Dinh Market to buy some fabric.  This was the first time I visited Tan Dinh.  It is similar to Ben Thanh Market (the famous one in District 1), but is not crowded with tourists.  This means the prices are lower - you don't even have to bargain!  You can get 1 metre of fabric for 60,000 VND ($3), which is enough material to make a shirt or a regular length skirt.

At the market, there are tons of fabrics to choose from.  It can be overwhelming!  Like Ben Thanh, Tan Dinh is crowded with people, and is a bit hot and stuffy.  You can feel claustrophobic walking in some of the narrow aisles, and it can be annoying having to push your way through.  If you have time to sort through the densely packed piles of folded fabric, you can find some cool stuff.

After buying a bunch of fabric, we went to the tailor and placed our orders.  I brought some of my own clothing along to have copied, and they also took my measurements for some new items.  I ordered 3 shirts 2 skirts, and brought in a dress to be altered.  The cost was around $60.  I can pick them up this week.  If I'm happy with the way they turned out, I'll order more from this tailor.  Will do an update after the clothes are ready to be picked up!