We live in a standardized, cookie-cutter world. The problem is that many of us don’t fit those standards, and we’ve outgrown the taste of those cookies. Sure, that ready-to-wear suit looked great on those models in GQ, but not on you. Or maybe you like this year’s fit but not this year’s fabrics. The solution for you may be to go custom. And custom tailoring isn’t just limited to clothes: Everything from beauty products to home furnishings can be made to your specifications. Imagine a life in which everything around you is made just the way you like it, a perfect fit for your body, style and mood from dusk ’til dawn. Can’t imagine it? Read on.
7am: Ready For Work
Shirt
The top-quality shirts at Meticulous (444 Siam Square Soi 7, 02-251-5701. Open daily noon-8pm. www.meticulousshirt.com) come in a variety of colors and prints. All are made from carefully selected Japanese fabrics. The boutique carries many styles and sizes, but if you can’t find one that fits you in the style you like, you can place an order—be prepared to wait a month, though. If you have more money to burn, check out the “Personally Pink” custom tailoring service at Thomas Pink (1/F, Gaysorn, 02-656-2112, www.thomaspink.co.uk), the British store’s first branch in Thailand. You’ll pay a premium on the standard issue shirts, which start at B6,900.
Jeans
The renowned Selfridges in London and Le Bon Marché in Paris provide a special service called Bodymetrics (www.bodymetrics), a futuristic technology that creates your perfect pair of jeans. You step into a “pod” where your body is scanned and measured in 200 places to create a computer image of your every curve. Just choose your style, and in about a week your custom-tailored jeans will be delivered to your doorstep. And Bodymetrics will keep the image of your body on file, so, as long as you stay the same size, you can just call up to reorder. Too bad they don’t have a pod in Bangkok, eh?
Shoes
Most people head to the ground floor of MBK Center for tailor-made shoes, but should you need something more elegant (and if you prefer a more sane shopping environment), visit the Regal counter at Siam Paragon (2/F, Siam Paragon, 02-610-9000) and try their “Easy Shoe” tailoring service. Choose from more than 10 styles, from traditional dress shoes to casual loafers, and pick your color and type of leather. Rates are based on the style you choose, plus 20% for the tailoring service.
Furniture
We won’t get into the hiso furniture thing because, for sure, if you have a lot of baht to spend, they’ll all bend over backward to serve you. But if you’re not Panthongtae, your options might be more along the lines of Index Living Mall (customer service: 02-898-6748, 02-898-6751), where you’ll find a design service available to all customers free of charge. Just hand in your room plan and a designer will quickly turn a blank room into a nice living space—using Index furniture, of course. If you need something cheaper, head to the Klong Toey area in front of the Port Authority of Thailand, where furniture “shops” will make anything you want out of pinewood. Give them a picture of what you want, and measurements if you need to be precise, and that’s it. Even large items like beds won’t run you more than B10,000. Try Chang Nong (06-008-2931) or Wichai Furniture (01-847-2689, 09-159-7056).
Fragrance
Creating a personalized scent that you’ll be happy with ever after is a challenge. If you can’t commit to a single scent, try the personal fragrances at Jo Malone (M/F, Siam Paragon, 02-610-9000). They offer a variety of unique scents that can be mixed and matched to create different fragrances for any mood.
Shampoo
Chances are you didn’t know that the Unilever Network has been offering custom-made haircare products for years, with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of satisfied customers. At Aviance Beauty Solutions (11/F, SCB Park Plaza East, Ratchadapisek Rd., 02-554-2655, www.unilevernetwork-th.com), experts will analyze your hair free of charge and create products that are right for you. Each 20-milliliter bottle of personalized shampoo or conditioner costs B415. The store manager tells us that once you’ve used personalized hair care products you’ll never be able to return to mass-produced shampoo. Is that a good thing?
8am: Rush Hour
Car
If you’re bored with the styles you see in the showroom and wish you could choose your own color scheme, materials and extras, you’re in luck: MINI (www.mini.co.th) offers its own custom-tailoring service. “My MINI” allows customers with a strong sense of individuality to choose not just their favorite color but their favorite wheels, lights, and a zillion other features. And since your car is unique, your price will be unique too; an off-the-shelf MINI starts at B1,900,000, so a customized one will be just “a bit” more. Check with a dealer—and your banker—before making your decision.
Don’t think you can fit in a MINI? Try BMW Individual (Millennium Auto, 2/F, Siam Paragon, 02-610-9900), a similar service. Your new BMW will be dressed with top-notch materials such as Merino leather, exclusive canvas roof or special Xirallic color. Choose your favorite model, whether it’s the Z4, 550i or 750Li—and expect to pay between B6,990,000 and B17,200,000, roughly twice the normal price.
1pm: Lunch Break
Food
Recharge with a sandwich from Au Bon Pain (B80; nationwide, Try 1/F, Siam Discover Center. 02-658-0160/-1)—custom made, of course. Create your sandwich from the lists of breads, fillings, veggies, cheeses and dressings.
Stamps
Photo postcards had their day in the sun, but now Thailand Post (marketing department: 111 Moo 3, Chaeng Wattana Rd., 02-831-3213, www.thailandpost.com) allows you to actually stamp your letters with your own face—or any other image you like. Ten official stamps go for B100.
5pm: Hit the Gym
T-Shirt
Threadless.com is a huge online community for those passionate about the T. But wait! It’s not just a chance to share your ideas, but to sell them as well. The website welcomes T-shirt designs from anywhere in the world, and selects six designs each week to manufacture. Creators of successful designs are paid US$2,000. Sound good? Try it—you may end up getting paid for your custom creation instead of the other way around!
Vitamin & Fitness Center
The vitamins available on supermarket shelves may not be the right ones for you, but luckily this too can be custom-made. Vitallife Wellness Center at Bumrungrad Hospital (210 Sukhumvit Soi 1, 02-667-2340, www.e-vitallife.com) designs food supplements made specifically for you based on the results of a blood test. Curious about rates? So are we. We couldn’t manage to get any specific numbers, but depending on the service they can range from the thousands to . . . well, much more.
8pm: Romantic Dinner
Suit
Every man should have a good suit, and July Tailor (30/6 Sala Daeng Rd., 02-235-9210, 02-233-0171. Open Mon-Sat 9am-7pm. www.julytailor.com) is one of the best places to get one. Tailors with decades of experience make great suits—for customers including HM the King—from Ermenegildo Zegna fabric imported from Italy. Praphab, a third-generation tailor, explains that a good suit starts with a careful 14-step measurement of the customer’s body. Then you have to come back twice (or thrice) so the suit can be fine-tuned. Prices start from B20,000 for a suit and B2,000 for a shirt.
Jewelry
Want to stand out? Get a one-of-a-kind necklace from Kit-Ti’s Jewelry (Kit-Ti’s Gallery, Baan Silom, Silom Soi 19, 01-821-1275. Open Mon-Sat noon-8pm. www.kittijewelry.com) handmade by the designer. If you like he’ll even turn one of your trinkets or collectables into a work of wearable art.
Gifts
Finding the perfect present for your loved one (or yourself) is a challenge, and finding something unique is even harder. Try a cute handmade teddy bear from Bear and Buddy (01-919-9350, www.bearandbuddy.com). Prices start at B500 for a 13-inch bear. Another option is pottery, which you can have made to your specifications at Pattra Pottery Shop (Chatuchak Weekend Market, Section 3 Soi 1, www.pattrapottery.com) for B30-850.
10pm: The Proposal
Wedding Items
We know that planning a wedding breeds madness, but if you entrust your special day to a stranger you may end up with something less than unique. At Viriya (330-332 Phaurat Rd., 02-221-1506, www.idealoungegroup.com), you can create your own invitations, favors and just about anything else for a wedding, and if you find yourself lacking inspiration, the in-house design team can create something for you. And they’re not deadly pricey, which is a good thing after the extravagant day you’ve just had.
Advertisement