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You are here: Home / Archives for clothing

Tips For Buying Tailored Clothes in SE Asia

March 1, 2011 By Danny

While in Vietnam we purchased a lot of custom clothing in Hoi An. We felt that we were getting great value, and still think that we did get great value, but we wish we’d had a bit of a checklist to review each item and make very specific demands of our vendors. If you ever want to purchase custom clothing anywhere in the world, this is a guide you should probably read.Custom Tailor in Hoi An

Dress Shirts – Be sure to tell your seamstress and tailor exactly how tight you want your shirt to be and also decide if you want cuffed or buttoned sleeves. Ensure that all button holes are cut and all seams are tied off. We completely forgot both collar-stays and pockets and although I kind of like the pocket-less style, the lack of collar-stays (or slots to insert my own) will prove to be a problem. Don’t forget to have them sew in a couple of spare buttons and don’t plan to pay any more for these than you would a casual shirt back home. If it ends up being added to your working wardrobe great, if not then you received a fair price for a casual shirt.

Pants – These are straightforward pieces of clothing but styles differ by more than you might expect. The general Asian style is a “tight on everything above the knees” sort of look. Although that may work for some, we found we needed to be very clear with the exact cut. Now that I am wearing some of these pants I find that they often fall down a bit in back when I sit down or go up and down stairs. Don’t forget to decide if you want lining or not.Custom clothes fitting in Vietnam

Suit Jackets – If you have any type of pinstripes make sure these match and are on the same place at each and every seam. Make a serious inspection. Usually suits include a lapel pocket and the Asian style for this pocket is significantly slanted rather than straight so make your specifications early. Also be sure to select not only the material for the outside of the suit, but also the lining as a bright red lining might not go over so well with your black suit at your next meeting at work. Also, check to make sure the shoulder pads are the same and in their proper places.

Women’s Clothes – Simple rule here; don’t buy from a place that doesn’t have a sample of women’s clothes. Every place we walked in to sat us down with a fashion catalogue and told us they could make anything inside…don’t believe that for a second. Instead, only buy items they have a sample for (and there were surprisingly few in Hoi An), or that you have an example of, and be sure to focus on how you’re going to wear it. If buying a coat make sure it is properly lined and has enough space (even in the sleeves) for a sweater.Bolts of Clothing in Vietnam

Shoes – The shoes we had purchased are all quite nice and made of leather but many of the critical components are made of cheaper materials. Be on the look out for this, but the prices being what they are, you’re probably better off accepting this and having these minor parts replaced by a cobbler shop back home. If you’re going to be wearing inserts in your shoes, be sure to give these to the shoemaker.

The best piece of advice we can give is make sure you have enough time in your schedule for several fittings so that your garments are not rushed to meet your travel scheduled. Plan to try each garment on at least twice and inspect each and every seam and button hole to make sure threads are tied off right and the button holes are opened. Don’t expect to have a wardrobe ready in two days, it’s not fair and the quality will suffer. Be reasonable in what you ask, no matter what they say. In the end we were happy with what we bought, but also happy that we hadn’t paid full U.S. prices.

Filed Under: Headline, Travel & Planning Tagged With: clothing, tips, travel

Men’s Travel Shirts

September 19, 2009 By Danny

ExOfficio Polo – This is undeniable my best shirt. It is a polo shirt and can look quite ‘smart’ with the right pair of pants but since it is completely wicking I can even work out in it if I wanted to. Naturally, I don’t work out in it, but as hot as it might sometimes get this shirt still performs well and is thick enough to still be comfortable in the winter time. The shirt really doesn’t show its wrinkles once I put it on but the thing that puts this shirt over the top is that it has a zipper breast pockeet. While this is normal for an ex-offico shirt it’s not quite standard for a polo shirt.

ExOfficio Trip’r – These shirts are my formal shirts. Again, with the right pair of pants I look like a perfectly normal guy going out for the night rather than dirty backpacker. Both of these are button down so their fabric isn’t as wicking or forgiving as the polo shirt but the material is still surprisingly lightweight with a vent in the back as well. Long sleeved or shirt both shirts are impressively wrinkle resistant and both have zippered breast pockets as well.

Mountain Hardware Polo – This would be my favorite shirt of all if it wasn’t for one thing, it’s missing that breast pocket. The shirt is far lighter than the ExOfficio polo and I believe it wicks better as well. With a different material on the shoulder it is a bit more stylish too.

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, Travel Clothing Tagged With: apparel, clothing

Review- Ex Officio Women’s Pointelle Shirt

July 4, 2009 By Jillian

Ex Officio ExO Dri Pointelle Shirt

I’m a big fan of Ex Officio in general but these shirts deserve a so-so rating. Let’s start with the positives. Great color selection and a few neck designs (v-neck, scoop neck and crew neck) make this shirt relatively cute as travel apparel goes. It looks more like regular clothing rather than some strange technical, trekking gear which is certainly appreciated on the road. [ad#reviews-image-only] The negative: the fabric doesn’t seem to hold up well under hand washing conditions. Granted I put these shirts through the ringer, literally, by regularly washing them on washboards, but the fabric has begun to pill and after 4 months is beginning to look old (color is still great though). The most negative thing I can say about these shirts is that they stain easily. The sweat and dirt are wicked away but I find myself soaking and scrubbing for what seems like hours to get them out. In addition the lighter colors, especially the coral really shows dirt and even after a thorough hand wash still looks dirty and often still smell. I recognize this is a problem with all wicking fabrics, but there are better wicking fabrics on the market.

Bottom line: These are good travel shirts, but don’t expect them to easily wash out or remain looking great after repeated hand washings.

Ex Officio ExO Dri Pointelle Shirt

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel Clothing Tagged With: clothing

Review- Women’s Performance Intimate Apparel

July 4, 2009 By Jillian

With the increase of performance apparel on the market its easy to get lost in all of the wicking, anti-macrobial, anti-chaffing and anti-whatever else is on those sales tags. After four months on the road here’s my break down of performance women’s intimate apparel:

REI: Function and soft, the REI panties were in the running for number one from the beginning. Available in several seasonal colors and cuts, they also were the cheapest of the ones I tried at about $16 a pair. Unfortunately the craftsmanship is poor. The material has stood up well to constant hand washings and wringing, but the seam quality is just not there. In both pairs the material has separated from the seam in the same places. [ad#reviews] In addition their design was clearly by a man as they don’t address all the features women want- mainly they have bulky seams which lead to VPL. If I didn’t want it at home I don’ t want it on the road. They also have a tendency to ride up and tend to run small. (Why on earth would someone make a women’s intimate apparel line run small- NO ONE wants to buy a bigger size, come on REI!) Bottom Line: Due to quality and design flaws these are below average. Best thing about these: REI has a good refund and return policy for members.

ExOfficio: I have used Ex Officio’s panties for several years. They function really well, great for exercise or high intensity activities. The quality is excellent, no sign of any rips or seam flaws (I’ve had one pair for almost 3 years!) and they wash and dry easily. The only con I can see is that they don’t have cute designs. Available in a few colors there are no designs, just solids, which is fine, but not exciting. All the designs I’ve had tend to run slightly large so if you are in between sizes I suggest sizing down. (yay!) Regular MSRP is $25, but I was able to pick up a few pairs on sale at REI for about $15. Bottom Line: Excellent quality, very practical, but could make the designs cuter. Highly Recommended. 🙂

Patagonia: Tested both the boy cut briefs and the camisole. I LOVE the patagonia line. Very functional and well designed I find myself wishing I could wear these every day. Remarkably comfortable and cute, the Patagonia boy cut briefs have an excellent fit and are high quality. They have stood up to four months of hand washing without a single tear or snag. Their seams are flat so none of the VPL problems, and did I mention they fit really well? The camisole is adorable and even though its cream the fabric is thick enough not to be see through. Its comfortable enough to sleep in on a 14 hour bus ride and I appreciate the small design details like wrapping the seams in soft fabric. I’ve found both the camisole and the bottoms to run very true to size. MSRP is higher than the other two brands tested, but they occasionally go on sale. Bottom Line: Excellent design, quality and style. Highly Recommended.

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel Clothing Tagged With: clothing

Men’s Performance Underwear (Review)

February 20, 2009 By Danny

We all wear wicking t-shirts and gym shorts yet many of us still use cotton underwear simply because it is more comfortable and that is what we know. With long-term travel, cotton is simply not an option. For the trip, I have been testing three different types of performance boxer briefs: ExOfficio’s Give-N-Go, REI’s Midweight MTS, and the EMS Techwick.

  • ExOfficio’s Give-N-Go is a marvel of modern apparel. Not only does it dry quickly and wick moisture away, but it is also anti-bacterial, making it the best option for all day sweating under a hot sun or multi-day ‘wash in the sink’ use. While this material is technically superior to just about anything I’ve ever worn on my body, it is far from the most comfortable. [ad#ad-3]I have found that the tendency of these to ‘ride up’ coupled with the extremely synthetic feel make these the least comfortable of those profiled on this page. Despite this, these are my go-to briefs when heavy sweating—or even swimming—is on the schedule. The best thing about these is that no matter what you do to them, they simply won’t ever smell. Darker colors can run over time, however.
  • REI Midweight MTS Boxer Briefs dry just as quickly as the ExOfficio but make no claims about an anti-bacterial finish. Additionally, the material is surprisingly thin for something classified as ‘midweight.’ While these are far more comfortable than the ExOfficio, with regard to both the feel and the fit, the durability of the fabric is just not there. These will wear out after heavy use and the smell is omnipresent from the time they go on.
  • EMS Techwick Boxer Briefs claim to be lightweight but really feels more of a midweight, the opposite of the REI brand. As a result these feel the closest to cotton of the three but are still able to wick moisture without a problem. Due to the thickness of the fabric they are much more durable than the REI brand but don’t come close to odor stopping abilities of the ExOfficio. Just like with the REI, these make no anti-bacterial claims.

Let’s get one thing straight; every one of these wick away moisture and dry real quick. The ExOfficio is probably the only one I’d ever use for swimming, but for normal use the other two are just fine. With regard to fit, I do have problems with the ExOfficio that I do not have with the other two varieties, but I believe this is more a function of my body type and not the underwear themselves. As for durability the ExOfficio wins hands down, followed by the EMS and the then the REI.

Bottom Line: If you are only going to purchase one pair of performance underwear for long term use, make sure it’s made by ExOfficio, there really is not a question about that…the performance is superior to everything else, hands down. If you’re going to purchase two pairs, then you should probably make them both ExOfficio. The only reason you’d really ever want to stray is if you’re looking to not wear the ExOfficio daily on account of the synthetic feel of the fabric. For that reason, I’ll be using the EMS as my “feels like cotton” option.

Disclaimer: All of our reviews are unpaid and based on personal experience. You may have different opinions or experiences with these products.

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, Travel Clothing Tagged With: apparel, clothing

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