Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review a new suit commission from the Bangkok tailor Paul’s Fashion.
I first visited Paul’s Fashion late last year, and was impressed by the service and fit, as well as its spacious showroom in the luxe Intercontinental Hotel. They recently opened a second showroom in Sukhumvit, and I decided to return and try out the new showroom. Let’s see how my experience went.
Paul’s Fashion – the Video
For hands-on footage of my experience with Paul’s Fashion in the Sukhumvit outlet, do watch the YouTube video below:
Paul’s Fashion – the Experience
Paul’s Fashion’s Sukhumvit showroom is located along Sukhumvit 20, and is accessible via both Asok and Phrom Phong BTS. It’s also very close to the popular Emsphere and Emquartier malls – perfect if you’re doing shopping in the area. I should emphasise that Paul’s Fashion is a separate entity from another tailor named Paul’s Bespoke, which is also located in the Sukhumvit district, but near the Nana BTS area instead. If you’re looking for Paul’s Fashion, please ensure you arrive at the correct location.
The showroom is located in an alley, making it easy to miss. I recommend taking a Grab, but if you’re walking from the BTS, turn right into the alley when you see the 7-Eleven. Once in the alley, look for the huge “PF” logo on the facade – you can’t miss it.
Upon entering the store, I was warmly greeted by Mike Gulati, who is the founder and beating heart of Paul’s Fashion. Sharp-eyed readers of my previous Paul’s Fashion review would have noticed that the suit label actually reads “Paul’s Fashion by Mike Gulati”. I missed him during my last visit as he was out of town for a wedding, so I was glad to finally meet him.
In contrast to the white walls and lighting of the Intercontinental showroom, the Sukhumvit outlet feels warm and cosy, with its wooden tones and warm lighting making it feel decidedly homely. The downside is that there’s less space, so the team will only be able to accommodate one or perhaps two groups at once.
Despite being smaller, the Sukhumvit showroom still offers a wide range of fabric books. It also has room for Mike’s personality to shine – it’s clear that he’s a fan of bikes.
Alternatively, clients can also pick from the rows of fabric that line the wall, which is actually what I did. An emerald pinstripe fabric caught my eye, and I pointed it out to Mike, who relayed that it was a mixed wool fabric from Cavani.
Mike promptly took out the fabric and draped it over me. I instantly fell in love with it – it’s not apparent in the photo above, but the emerald fabric has orange pinstripes that I thought were eminently unique. I also felt that it would look great as a double-breasted suit, a view Mike also shared. Furthermore, the fabric felt substantially softer and more premium than my previous house fabric suit from Paul’s Fashion.
Mike recommended that I have dark brown horn buttons for the suit, which I readily agreed to. As I’ve already covered the customisation process of Paul’s Fashion in my previous review, I’ll be skimming through the details here.
We then moved on to shirting fabrics. Mike suggested either a light blue or a light pink fabric for the shirt, and draped both on me so that I could better visualise the look. After some consternation, I eventually chose the light pink as I felt it provided a sharper contrast to the emerald fabric, and also complemented the orange pinstripes better.
For the trousers, Mike suggested opting for the Gurkha pants style, as he shared that his family actually came from Nepal, so Gurkha trousers hold a special place in his heart. He also jested that he had read my previous review where I criticised the side-adjusters design as “basic”, and wanted to show that Paul’s Fashion can do rakish styles as well as fine workmanship. As such, this time around, we opted for premium features such as pick stitching, functional sleeve buttons, pleated trousers, and, of course, the Gurkha waistband. Like a seasoned pro, he sketched out the designs quickly, allowing me to easily visualise the final garment designs.
With the customisation options settled, we moved on to the measurements. Having been in the industry for over three decades, Mike wielded the measuring tape with experienced ease. However, I should also caveat that Mike (being the boss) is not always in the Sukhumvit store, and that his staff are usually the ones taking the measurements.
After two days, I returned to the Sukhumvit outlet for my basted fitting. This time, we were joined by Dave; it turns out that Mike had called Dave over, as he was the one who oversaw my fitting during my previous visit. For those uninitiated in tailoring, a basted fitting process involves trying on a skeleton jacket, held together by 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 genuine tailoring experience, as it enables the tailor to accommodate the individual’s posture and body shape. For example, you can see Dave here pinning up the back to create a better drape. I’ve covered the basted fitting process with Dave in great detail in my previous review, so I won’t repeat the details here.
All I can say is that Dave’s attention to detail has not wavered, and he continues to deliver meticulous fitting sessions. Here, you can see him pinning up the back of the dress shirt to create a better drape. I’ve visited numerous tailors in Bangkok by now, and some neglect the fit of the back of the dress shirt, assuming the suit jacket will cover it. Dave makes no such assumptions here and strives to improve the fit wherever possible.
After another two days, I returned to Paul’s Fashion for my second fitting. This time, the suit is fully completed – no longer skeletal. Once again, Dave was present (travelling over from the Intercontinental outlet) to oversee the fitting.
While the suit fit mostly great, Dave noticed that one of the sleeves appeared slightly longer than the other. He double checked the measurements, and after confirming that both sleeves were of the same length, deduced that this was because of my sloping shoulders, which cause one side to sag more than the other.
He then proceeded to mark the necessary alterations with chalk and informed me that the suit would be ready by the next day. Again, I have to commend Dave for his attention to detail – not many tailors (especially at this price point) would bother making such a minute adjustment.
Paul’s Fashion – Suit Review
Now that I’m back in Singapore, let’s take a closer look at the suit. As I’ve reviewed the fit of Paul’s Fashion suit (where Dave also oversaw the fitting) recently, I’ll skip the usual fit review and instead focus on the style and workmanship of this sophomore suit.
Given the striking nature of the emerald fabric, we decided to opt for a traditional 6×2 double-breasted configuration (as opposed to, say, the 6×1 of my HST suit). The result is a more modern aesthetic that appears sharp yet remains professional. I also like the wider peak lapels, which give the suit more charisma, while the brown horn buttons subtly elevate the look.
This time around, the suit comes with bells and whistles, such as a contrasting buttonhole (made in rust orange to complement the stripes), pick stitching along the lapels, and an in-built pocket square for convenience. I’ve lost countless pocket squares when removing the jacket, so I’m a big fan of the convenience that an in-built pocket square provides. I also want to highlight the pattern matching that’s done on the breast pocket to preserve the seamless aesthetic of the pinstripes – another testament to Paul’s Fashion’s attention to detail.
When worn, this emerald pinstripe Cavani fabric feels markedly more premium and comfortable than the basic house fabric I previously got. It also looks beautiful, with a subtle texture and an intriguing orange pinstripe pattern.
Another upgrade is the functional cuffs (also known as surgeon cuffs), which are also typically seen as a sign of quality workmanship. Once again, the last buttonhole features contrasting stitching for added visual interest.
On the inside, I opted for a monogram of my name, stitched in red to complement the red piping stitching (another workmanship detail). I also like the “galaxy” paisley lining, where the bluish purple tones complement the green suiting fabric nicely.
Similarly, I went with a tone-on-tone monogram of my initials on the shirt cuff.
As for the trousers, I found the pleats to add a nice retro touch that complements the Gurkha design well.
Generally, Gurkha trousers can be done with either a tang buckle (as seen above) or a loop buckle (where the fabric is looped into the buckle, like a side-adjuster). Between the two, I prefer the tang buckle design – it’s just more convenient and easier to secure.
Overall, I’m pleased with how my sophomore suit from Paul’s Fashion turned out. In my previous review, I noted that while the suit fits well, the design and workmanship were somewhat basic. It seems Mike Gulati took my feedback to heart, because this emerald pinstripe double-breasted suit is anything but basic. Not only is the fabric premium and striking, but the suit is also full of features, including pick stitching, contrasting buttonholes, functional cuffs, and Gurkha trousers. It’s the elevated version, and I’m all for it.
Conclusion – so Paul’s Fashion “shiok” or not?
I had a great second experience with Paul’s Fashion. Firstly, I preferred the cosier feel of the Sukhumvit showroom, though it is admittedly less conveniently located than the Intercontinental outlet. Secondly, I had a great time meeting Mike Gulati, whose passion and love for bold fashion shone through during our interactions. I was also reminded of Dave’s attention to detail, as well as his service-oriented nature. The result is an eminently striking suit that’s charming, sophisticated, and also full of sartorial details – all at a very affordable price point.
Those interested in commissioning a suit from Paul’s Fashion can quote the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” when making their appointment or flash this article in-store to receive a complimentary 100% cotton shirt (worth 1,000 THB/S$40) with every suit purchase. Suits from Paul’s Fashion start at 7500 THB/S$300, with my particular ensemble (suit and shirt) costing 15,000 THB/S$600. And as the icing on the cake, Singaporean customers receive an additional 5% discount if they pay in SGD cash.
Book an appointment with Paul’s Fashion via Whatsapp here.
Paul’s Fashion Sukhumvit Location: 64/17, 64 Sukhumvit 20 Alley, Khwaeng Khlong Toei, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Paul’s Fashion Intercontinental Location: 973 President Tower Arcade Lobby, Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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P.P.P.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.
