Monday 16 May 2016

What a difference a few days makes

I'm just back from a two week sejour in Việt Nam. The country, culture, people, the way of life - top draw. The weather was proper off the scale, quite literally blistering and unconducive to sightseeing. Great beaches that hadn't yet suffered hyperdevelopment. Intriguing mix of communist ideology and market economy. But it was really all about the food and the bia. Cheap, plentiful, tasty, varied, and omnipresent. Tick all the boxes then will you?!

At the time of departure the weather was distinctly un-springy, The Artist Formerly Known As was alive and (un)well, Spurs thought they could win the premiership, Boris reigned at City Hall and I was still my normal hue and buying jumpers in the sale to assemble outfits such as this. Totally day into night (any excuse for a bit of Project Runway inspired lingo).

Light blue jumper from Burton
Yellow and black pocket square from Topman
(Shirt and blazer well old)

What a difference a couple of weeks makes though. Summer arrived and departed, Prince just departed, Spurs choked and Sadiq Khan triumphed. A mayoral victory for the people. Hopefully he'll make his mark by pulling the plug on the ludicrous Thames garden bridge straight away. As for me, I returned a few shades darker along with a couple of cheapo tailored shirts:

White long sleeved shirt by An tailor, Hoi An
Brown satchel in faux leather from Asos
(Black trousers well old)

Hoi An should be an essential destination for anyone visiting Vietnam. It's hands down the prettiest, most picturesque town in the whole of Asia. A UNESCO heritage site, the old town is simply stunning. The well preserved architecture is amplified at night with a plethora of lanterns and lights to create an ambience completely at odds with the traffic maelstrom you get elsewhere. And the food and bia is still superbly cheap.

As ubiquitous as the lanterns are tailor shops offering 'bespoke' suits, dresses, coats, shoes, you name it. Problem is the offerings all look the same so choosing the best one becomes a massive headfuck. I went with the advice from our hotel receptionist and ended up at An tailors. They tried their hardest to flog a 3 piece suit in royal blue but I settled on two shirts, a navy dogtooth and white diamond textured.

The finished products are competently put together and more importantly fit my measurements like normal high street gear don't. Being a short arse my arms aren't the length of standard sweatshop sewing patterns so wearing a shirt with sleeves the right length is a proper treat.

It's a short lived treat though for sure. Unlike Madonna's object of desire, I can't afford to get my suits custom made in London. A few weeks made a difference but not quite on that level *trundles back to the high street*.