Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review a new suit commission from the Bangkok tailor King Fashion Uni.
I was browsing Bangkok’s iconic MBK Center when I stumbled upon King Fashion Uni. At first glance, the shopfront is fairly nondescript and looks much like the dozens of other tailoring establishments scattered throughout the mall. What immediately caught my attention, however, was a prominently displayed photograph of Pritam Singh, Singapore’s former Leader of the Opposition, at the front of the store.
I did a quick Google search and came across a Facebook post by ex-Malaysian MP Wong Chen, which described his visit to King Fashion Uni with Mr. Pritam Singh, at the recommendation of YB Syed Ibrahim’s (current Malaysian MP and Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability) wife. The visit appears to have taken place during Singh’s 2019 trip to Bangkok, where he was part of Singapore’s parliamentary delegation to the 40th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). A further Google search revealed another intriguing detail: King Fashion Uni boasts a perfect rating on Google. That was enough to pique my curiosity and convince me to give the tailor a try myself. Here’s how my experience went.
King Fashion Uni – the Video
For hands-on footage of my experience with King Fashion Uni, do watch the YouTube video below:
King Fashion Uni – the Experience
As mentioned earlier, King Fashion Uni is situated in the bustling MBK Center, specifically on the third floor in Zone D.
King Fashion Uni is tucked away in the “budget” section of MBK Center, specifically Zone D, surrounded by rows of vendors selling everything from belts and clothing to underwear, souvenirs, and Muay Thai gloves. There’s nothing inherently wrong with these shops—in fact, it was while browsing this very section that I stumbled upon King Fashion Uni—but the surroundings do make the tailor somewhat difficult to locate, particularly given its understated signage and lack of obvious landmarks.
Stepping into the shop, I was greeted by Mr. Kumar, who was also pictured alongside Pritam Singh, Wong Chen and YB Syed Ibrahim in the photograph displayed at the storefront. The store is compact and lined wall-to-wall with fabrics. Compared to other tailors in MBK Center, like Victoria Tailors (which I just reviewed), King Fashion Uni is substantially more modest in its decor.
The humble nature of King Fashion Uni translates to a low starting price. Mr. Kumar told me that suits start from just 4,000 THB (approximately S$150)—by far the lowest starting price among the Bangkok tailors I’ve visited to date, and I’ve visited quite a few. Naturally curious, I asked to see what a 4,000 THB fabric looked like. Unsurprisingly, it was a pure polyester cloth—one that, to put it mildly, I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
Sensing my hesitation, Mr. Kumar suggested that I take a look at his 7,000 THB (approximately S$270) fabric selection instead. These were predominantly poly-wool “house” fabrics, and while certainly not the most luxurious cloths I’ve encountered, they were a significant step up from the 4,000 THB polyester options. As this was my first visit to King Fashion Uni—and, admittedly, something of an impulse commission—I wasn’t looking to spend a great deal either. After browsing the available options, I felt the 7,000 THB range struck a reasonable balance between quality and value, so I decided to go with it.
Given that King Fashion Uni appeared to specialise in workwear and business suits—Mr. Kumar told me that a number of regional politicians were among his clientele, including the Malaysian MPs pictured above—I decided to take a more formal approach. I shortlisted two fabrics in navy and grey, which Mr. Kumar draped over me to give me a better sense of how each would look against my complexion and on my frame. I ultimately settled on the navy, as the grey struck me as a little too mature and somber for my tastes. After all, I wasn’t actually a politician—and unlike Pritam Singh, I didn’t have to worry about fending off attacks in Parliament.
Since the navy suiting fabric I had chosen had a subtle sheen, Mr. Kumar suggested pairing it with a similarly glossy inner lining. He picked out a purple paisley lining that he felt would complement the navy cloth nicely. I agreed—the combination struck me as a good balance of understated elegance on the outside with a touch of personality on the inside.
For the shirt, Mr. Kumar recommended a light blue shirting fabric. The lighter shade would provide a pleasing contrast against the darker navy suit while offering a little more visual interest than a conventional white shirt. Since I already have several white shirts in my wardrobe, I was happy to take his suggestion and went with the light blue option.
With the fabric selection settled, we moved on to the measurements. Like the shop, the measurement process is simple and done with a traditional tape measure, so I won’t go into details here.
That said, I could tell almost immediately that Mr. Kumar was an experienced tailor who had been doing this for a very long time. There was a quiet confidence in the way he handled the tape measure, and he later shared that he had been in the industry for more than three decades. Given the relatively low price point, it was reassuring to know that I was being measured by someone with decades of experience, rather than a part-timer or a salesperson simply taking measurements and passing them along.
The next day, I returned to King Fashion Uni for my basted fitting session. For those unfamiliar with the process, a basted fitting involves trying on a skeletal version of the jacket, held together with temporary white basting stitches. To learn more about the basted fitting, read this educational article here. Personally, I believe that a basted fitting is essential to a true tailoring experience. To quote a line from the article mentioned above: “It’s the difference between flying first class and flying on a private jet.”
I promptly tried on both the shirt and the basted fitting jacket. Unfortunately, it was immediately apparent to me that the shirt sleeve was too long (more on that later), though the jacket itself felt alright.
The first thing that Mr. Kumar noticed was that the shoulders were a tad too big. He promptly broke out his chalk and pins (quintessential tools of the trade), and used the chalk to denote the necessary alterations.
Thereafter, Mr. Kumar temporarily attached the sleeves to the basted jacket using pins, a common practice among Thai tailors that allows the sleeve pitch to be fine-tuned for optimal fit and balance. You may also notice him holding a few pins between his lips as he works—a small but amusing detail that perhaps reflects just how second-nature these tools have become to him after decades in the trade.
The result is a sleeve pitch that looks surprisingly good, especially given the suit’s modest price point. To me, this is one of the enduring appeals of Bangkok tailoring: even at the more affordable end of the market, you can still get a proper basted fitting and a genuinely customised garment. By comparison, S$270 in Singapore would typically put you in off-the-rack territory—think a G2000 suit rather than something made specifically for you.
That said, I found the overall cut a little too boxy for my liking, so I asked Mr. Kumar for a more tapered silhouette. He promptly pinned both the jacket and trousers, marking out the areas that needed to be taken in to achieve a cleaner, slimmer cut.
King Fashion Uni – Suit Review
Unfortunately, my Bangkok trip was short, and I didn’t have enough time to return to King Fashion Uni for the final collection. Instead, I asked if they could deliver the finished garments to my hotel before I checked out, which they kindly did at no additional charge. Now that I’m back home in Singapore, let’s take a closer look at the finished product.
From the front, the jacket presents a clean overall fit, with the shoulders sitting neatly and minimal visible wrinkling. That said, there is still some wrinkling beneath my right shoulder, suggesting that my naturally sloped shoulders were not fully accommodated. I would also have personally preferred a more pronounced taper at the waist for a sharper silhouette.
The sleeves also drape beautifully, allowing a comfortable range of motion without noticeable restriction, even when bending my arms. The shirt cuff, however, remains about an inch too long, which I suspect was simply overlooked by the King Fashion Uni team before delivery. Fortunately, this is an easy enough fix: I could either have it shortened by a local tailor for around S$10, or bring it back to Mr. Kumar the next time I’m in Bangkok.
Considering the suit’s relatively low price point, I would say that the jacket drapes reasonably well from the back. That said, there is still visible wrinkling beneath my right shoulder, again suggesting that my naturally sloped shoulders were not fully accounted for during the fitting.
The standout feature of the suit is undoubtedly the fabric. Despite its exceptionally affordable price point, it has plenty of visual texture, giving the suit a surprisingly striking appearance. There is a subtle sheen to the cloth, complemented by an interesting interplay of multiple colours in the weave. Rather than the plain navy fabric typically associated with suits at this price point, this one has considerably more character. There are also a few thoughtful details, including a built-in pocket square for added convenience and pick stitching along the lapels. The latter, however, is noticeably less refined than what I have seen from some of the more expensive Bangkok tailors.
At King Fashion Uni, there was no choice of buttons, which is hardly unusual at this price point, even among tailors in Singapore. Mr. Kumar ultimately selected black resin buttons, a suitably understated choice that complements the suit’s formal character. Functional sleeve buttonholes, or surgeon cuffs, are also available for an additional 500 THB (around S$20), an option I opted to include for a more traditional finishing touch.
I also thought the silver-blue paisley lining turned out particularly well, complementing the suit’s glossy blue fabric nicely. The lining is finished with contrasting pipe stitching along its edges, a thoughtful detail that is especially welcome at this price point. That said, I felt the red piping and stitching were slightly incongruous with the otherwise cool-toned blue-and-silver palette, making the contrast feel a little more pronounced than I would have preferred.
As with most of my trousers, I opted for side adjusters instead of belt loops, which I find gives the overall silhouette a cleaner, more refined appearance. However, the adjusters here lack the retaining tab commonly found on higher-end trousers, leaving the loose end to flap slightly and detracting from the otherwise neat finish.
As for the cut, King Fashion Uni leans towards a distinctly American style, characterised by a roomier, boxier silhouette. This is perhaps unsurprising given the tailor’s focus on workwear, where comfort and ease of movement often take precedence over a sharply tapered silhouette. The American cut is also traditionally associated with politicians and other authority figures, as its broader, more structured proportions can project a sense of authority and stability. Pritam Singh, for instance, is also often seen in suits with a relatively generous, boxier cut.
Conclusion – so King Fashion Uni “shiok” or not?
King Fashion Uni’s greatest strength is its affordability and value for money. Starting from just 7,000 THB (around S$270), you can commission a made-to-measure suit that offers a clear step up from typical off-the-rack options such as those from G2000. Despite its humble shopfront in one of the more budget-oriented areas of MBK Center, the tailoring experience is surprisingly comprehensive, including a basted fitting. The team also offers complimentary hotel fittings for customers unable to return to MBK, as well as free hotel delivery. It may not match the workmanship or precision of Bangkok’s more established and expensive tailors, but King Fashion Uni makes a compelling case for those seeking straightforward, affordable workwear. This is particularly true if you are looking to commission several suits—perhaps three, or even five for the working week—without making a significant dent in your wallet. And if it is good enough for Pritam Singh to wear in Parliament, it would probably suffice for the average office.
Suits from King Fashion Uni technically start at 4,000 THB, but I would recommend going for at least the 7,000 THB (~S$270) range. Shirts start at 1,500 THB (~S$55). For those interested in commissioning a suit from King Fashion Uni, quoting the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” or presenting this post in-store will grant you a 10% discount on your purchase. After the discount, a suit like mine from King Fashion Uni will cost just 6,300 THB (~S$240), or 7,650 THB (~S$295) including the shirt.
Book an appointment with King Fashion Uni here.
King Fashion Uni’s Location: MBK Center, 3rd Floor, Zone D, Soi C, Room 3D-72, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
P.S. Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
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