Some might say that the mark of a true gentleman is polished shoes or the perfect watch. Well, we say that the oft-overlooked detail is the perfectly-fitted shirt. There isn’t a ready-to-wear store in the world that can match the elegance of a custom-tailored shirt. But bespoke shirts, where you select everything from the fabric, the prints and the buttons to the cut and design, come with steep price tags. And with thousands of tailors in Bangkok offering this service, it’s hard to know which are good and which ones are cutting corners.

So here is your third option: three made to measure boutiques whose choice of cuts and materials are guaranteed to spare you the uncle look.

Duly

Sukhumvit Soi 49, 02-332-3347/8. Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd., 02-610-9298/9. www.laladuly.co.th
Duly is regarded as one of the best shirt boutiques in town. They offer nine styles of collars, three styles of bottom cuts and three styles of front plackets (the vertical panel where the buttons go). What’s more, they import their fabrics directly from textile manufacturers in Italy, unlike most tailor shops in the streets. Made to measure shirts are from B4,450 and can cost up to B12,000, depending on fabrics. But if you want something really special, order Egyptian cotton from Thomas Mason—the Giza Egyptian cotton is very smooth, thin and fine. Duly is launching a new tailoring service soon for more casual looks.

Button Up

113/6 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Soi Thong Lor, opposite Market Place), 02-712-6111/-2. www.thebuttonup.com
Two years into the business and Button Up now has seven branches in shopping malls and the flagship store on Thong Lor. Its recently launched made-to-measure service offers the widest range of personalization we know of in Bangkok: there are 18 choices for collars, three for collar stitches, three for pockets, 13 for cuffs, five for front placket, three front styles, two body styles, six back styles and four bottom styles. There are 33 choices of fabric to choose from if you visit their stores at the malls, but if you go to the flagship outlet, choices go up to more than a hundred. They’ve also just sealed a deal with Italian textile manufacturer Loro Piana, also used by top-notch Savile Row tailors in London. Prices start from B3,500.

July Tailor

30/6 Sala Daeng Rd., 02-235-9210, 02-233-0171. Open Mon-Sat 9am-7pm. www.julytailor.com
July Tailor is known for the tailor-made suits and shirts it makes for HM the King as well as politicians and government officials. Around for three generations, the place may be old school but it offers a wide range of collars, cuffs and body styles—dependent on customer preferences. “You don’t want to look like your dad, do you?” the owner asked us. Prices for made to measure shirts are from B2,500, but if you’re looking for a finer fabric, B6,500 or more gets you a Zegna-like textile.

GET THIS: Shirt Essentials

Fine fabric
Any half-decent shirt out there is 100% cotton. What really matters is the weaving, especially the number of lines per square inch. Try to get at least 120 lines/sq inch. Super high quality shirts can go up to 300 lines/sq inch—more lines means smoother fabric.

Perfect collar
The collar is actually the first thing people notice on your shirt. A good collar should be stiff, so that it effortlessly snaps down over your tie.

Fine details
Normal shirts have between 14 to 16 stitches per inch. You want 18 or higher. Smaller stitches help your shirt age more gracefully. Your buttons should be mother of pearl, of course.

Flawless assembly
All patterns should match, not just in the obvious places but everywhere. For more comfort, you may prefer a split back York cut on your shoulders. The extra stitching running down the middle of your back makes for a better fit.

The Right fit
You want to be able to put two fingers between collar and neck. Measure the sleeve length standing straight. The cuff should stop where your thumb meets your hand. The rest is mostly a question of taste and your body type.

Stream: This is similar to the Facebook feed. It’s where you share your status, pictures, videos, links and location (when using a smart phone) with your friends. Posts can be set as public or limited to specific circles.

Circles: It’s more or less like Groups in Facebook. The best bit is how you add friends: just click on their icon and drag them to the relevant circle.

Add friends: Not exactly easy. You have to go to Circles, click “Add a new person,” then type in your friend’s name or email address. You friend will be notified via email, and you need to wait until they add you into their circles too.

Link with social media channels: You can see your Facebook and Twitter feeds on Google+ by downloading the plugins from http://tiny.cc/wsprp and http://tiny.cc/6i8x7, respectively. You can also install another plugin (download from http://tiny.cc/x3f1a) to simultaneously publish your Google+ posts on Facebook and Twitter.

Hangout: This is something Facebook doesn’t have. Hangout is a video conference feature where you can start live conversations with friends in your preferred Circle. Just like group chatting in Skype.

Mobile app: Currently only Android phones can use an official Google+ mobile app. The iPhone app is still in beta version on the US iTunes. Other phones, like BlackBerry, must log in via its web app (m.google.com/plus).

Verdict: Of course it’s a beta and it’s only early days. The layout is pretty similar to Facebook but we think it’s just too complicated to understand at the moment. Especially the Circles aspect which really isn’t very intuitive. Even Hangout which is potentially cool, needs another plug-in installed first. The bottom line is, it’s not a lot of fun and we are a little bit concerned about the privacy aspect, since you have to give away a lot of info.

Accommodation choices for backpackers and budget travellers have long been limited to dorm-style hostels and low-quality rooms down dodgy alleys. No longer. It’s 2011, and we have to thank all the young entrepreneurs who have pioneered much nicer options for flashpackers (aka upscale backpackers). Here are our favorites around the region.

HONG KONG

Hop Inn

The tiny entrance is slightly hidden among the traditional Chinese medicine stores, but nine cute rooms await on the second floor, each designed by a different artist.
Rooms & rates: HK$380-490 (B1,480-1,910) for a single room, HK$480-640 (1,870-2,495) for a double room and HK$580-790 (B2,260-3,080) for a triple room.
Neighborhood: You’ll be in the middle of the shopping district, a five-minute walk from Harbour City shopping mall, the pier to Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour viewpoint and the Avenue of Stars.
Flat A, 2/F, Hanyee Building, 19-21 Hankow Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Hong Kong, +852-2881-7331. www.hopinn.hk

KUALA LUMPUR

BackHome

Rated KL’s best hostel by travel website HostelWorld, BackHome consists of four Sino-Portuguese shophouses that have been converted into a contemporary lodge with touches of raw cement, black metal, natural wood and red bricks. On the ground floor, its in-house eatery, Land Cafe, serves local dishes, snacks and basic drinks.
Rooms & rates: RM50 (B500) for a double room, RM44-46 (B440-460) per bed for a dorm room (4-6 beds per room).
Neighborhood: Its location in the old town means it’s only a few minutes walk to Central Market, and the Petronas Towers are two subway stops away.
30 Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Kuala Lumpur, +603-2078-7188, www.backhome.com.my

KYOTO

Khaosan Kyoto Guesthouse

Our Khao San Road is so big in Japan, they even named a series of guesthouses after it. The newest one in Kyoto feels like you’re going to sleep in the small house of a ramen shop owner—wooden sliding doors and tatami mats included.
Rooms & rates: ¥3,000-3,800 (B1,144-1,450) per person for a private room, ¥2,000-2,500 (B763-954) per bed for a dorm room (3-10 beds per room).
Neighborhood: You’ll be surrounded by shrines, shopping malls (Fuji-Daimaru and Takashimaya are within walking distance) and government offices.
568 Nakanocho, Bukkoji-agaru, Teramachi-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan, +81-75-201-4063, http://tinyurl.com/yjhmp6c

MELACCA

Hangout@Jonger

After the success of its sister in Singapore, Hangout crossed the border and opened a cool hostel in Malacca last July. White walled rooms are filled with wooden details and colorful furniture. Staying here also means good karma as Hangout@Jonger donates RM1 from every room charge to charity organizations in the province.
Rooms & rates: Internet rates are RM140 (B1,140) for a double room and RM180 (B1,800) for a triple room.
Neighborhood: Not far from the hostel are
historic attractions like Saint Francis Xavier
Church, Porta de Santiago and the Museum of
Democracy.
19 & 21 Lorong Hang Jebat, Melacca, Malaysia, +606-292-2318, http://tinyurl.com/699apom

PENANG

Ryokan Chic Hostel Penag

Owner Darren Ng has transformed an old shophouse into Penang’s first stylish hostel. Inside the original charming Sino-Portuguese façade, the interior was entirely revamped with natural wood floors, raw cement, vivid-hued walls and metal. On its first floor, Titbits serves snacks, soft drinks and beers.
Rooms & rates: RM136 (B1,365) for a two-bed suite and RM35-40 (B350-400) per bed for a dorm room (4-6 beds per room).
Neighborhood: Its location on Muntri Road is within walking distance of historic landmarks like St. George’s Church, and the Cathedral of the Assumption.
62 Muntri Rd., Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia, +604-250-0287, www.myryokan.com

SEOUL

Bang Rang Hostel

Bang Rang (“wandering around the world” in Korean) feels like crashing at your friend’s mom’s house. All red brick and old wood outside and white walls, bleached wood and pastel colors inside.
Rooms & rates: KRW28,000 (B800) for a single room with shared bathroom, KRW55,000 for a double room with ensuite bathroom, KRW18,000-23,000 (B512-655) per bed for a dorm room (2-6 beds). Rates are for low-season; high-season rates (Jul 1-Aug 31, Dec 15-Jan 15) are 8-15% higher.
Neighborhood: Chungjeongno subway station is within walking distance, and teen hangout Myeongdong and wholesale heaven Dongdaemun are only a few stations away.
397-14 Jungnim-Dong, Jung-G, Seoul, South Korea, www.bangranghostel.com

Hangul House

Traditional rooms spread out across three houses in a compound. Despite focusing on white, bleached wood and pastel colors, Hangul House looks more like a modern-day Korean house than Bang Rang. It’s also a bit classier as there are only double rooms with ensuite bathrooms. There’s a cute outdoor terrace in the middle of the compound.
Rooms & rates: There are 18 double rooms
and one triple room. Rates are KRW55,000
-110,000 (B1,565-3,132).
Neighborhood: You can walk to historic landmarks such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, National Traditional Museum and Young-Chu Gate.
8 Tongui-dong, Jongno-ju, Seoul, South Korea, www.hangulhouse.com

Hi Seoul Youth Hostel

Hi Seoul Youth Hostel is a flashy building with
a lot of glass. Not only a home to 95 guest
rooms equipped with standard hotel facilities,
this seven-floor building also houses convention rooms and two cafes.
Rooms & rates: KRW55,000 (B1,566) for a single room, KRW66,000 (B1,880) for a double and triple room, KRW88,000 (B2,505) for a quad-bed room, KRW88,000-132,000 (B2,505-3,760) for a family room (4 people) and KRW15,000-20,900 (B427-595) per bed for a dorm room (6-10 beds).
Neighborhood: A 15-minute walk to Yeongdeungpo, a local market, and Time Square, the largest shopping mall in Seoul. The teen hangout and shopping spot near Hong Ik University is just few subway stations away.
57 Yeongdeungpo-dong, 7-ga, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, www.hiseoulyh.com

SINGAPORE

Beary Nice!

A sister hostel of A Beary Good Hostel, famed for its abundance of teddy bears, Beary Nice! maintains the legacy in this renovated shophouse in the center of Chinatown. Alas, you will only have each other (and no bears) in the actual dorms.
Rooms & rates: S$26 (B643) per bed for a 10-bed dorm room.
Neighborhood: It’s in Chinatown so expect food 24/7. It’s also just a three-min walk to Chinatown MRT station.
46B Smith Street, Singapore, http://tinyurl.com/5vp7oqj

Drop Inn

This Sino-Portuguese shophouse has been turned into a simple space with raw cement, walls you can draw on and colorful cushions. Close to lots of cheap food as well.
Rooms & rates: S$55 (B1,360) for a twin room, S$65 (B1,610) for a double room and S$22 (B545) per bed for a dorm.
Neighborhood: From Lavender Rd., it’s a short walk to the cheesy-yet-cheap Mustafa Mall as well as Chinatown. The Marina Bay Sands is only five minutes away by taxi.
253 Lavender Rd., Singapore, +65-6299-3817, www.dropinnhostel.com

TOKYO

Toco Tokyo Heritage Hostel

Head back to pre-war Japan with Toco Tokyo. Hidden in a residential area in northeast Tokyo, this 1920s Japanese home contains contemporary lights, colorful stairs and of course, modern plumbing.
Rooms & rates: ¥6,000 (B2,285) for a double room, ¥6,500 (B2,475) for a twin room, ¥8,400 (B3,200) for a triple room, ¥2,600-3,000 (B990-1,145) per bed for a dorm room (6-8 beds).
Neighborhood: From the hostel, it’s a mere five minutes to Ueno Park and Zoo and Uneo Station. If you get the train, you can be at the shrine of Asakusa and geek-central Akihabara in five minutes, and teen town Shinjugu in 20.
2-13-22 Shitaya Taitouku Tokyo, +81-03-6458-1686,
www.backpackersjapan.co.jp