Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review a new suit commission from the Bangkok tailor VJs Bespoke Clothier.
Situated along the bustling Sukhumvit Road, VJs Bespoke Tailors has been serving Bangkok’s expat community and visiting tourists since 1981. The tailor has built a strong reputation over the years, reflected in its impressive 4.9/5 Google rating from more than 100 reviews. Having heard plenty of positive feedback about VJs, I decided to pay the establishment a visit during my latest trip to Bangkok. Here’s how my experience turned out.
VJs Bespoke Clothier – the Video
For hands-on footage of my experience with VJs Bespoke Clothier, do watch the YouTube video below:
VJs Bespoke Clothier – the Experience
Located along Sukhumvit 20, VJs Bespoke Clothier is a 5-10 minute walk away from both Asok and Phrom Phong BTS stations.
Step into VJs Bespoke Clothier, and you’ll immediately be greeted by rows upon rows of fabric lining the walls. There’s a distinctly old-school charm to the place — no unnecessary displays or flashy decorations that you sometimes see at newer tailors, such as alcohol collections or Bearbricks. Instead, the focus is squarely on what matters: plenty of fabrics for customers to browse and choose from.
I’ve always considered it a positive sign when a tailor stocks fabrics in bulk. It suggests that they have confidence in their ability to move inventory, while customers may also benefit from better pricing as a result of the tailor’s purchasing volume.
If you somehow can’t find what you’re looking for among the fabric rolls, VJs Bespoke Clothier also carries a curated selection of premium fabrics from renowned Italian mills such as Cavani, Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC), and Zegna. As I’ve mentioned previously, not every tailor in Bangkok carries premium Italian fabrics. I generally view the presence of these fabric books as a positive sign, as it suggests that the tailor caters to a broader range of customers rather than simply focusing on inexpensive suits. More importantly, it indicates that they have the capability to produce higher-end garments when the customer is willing to pay for them.
Beyond the sheer variety of fabrics, it was the distinctive styling of VJs Bespoke Clothier’s jackets that really caught my attention. Take the denim-and-linen jacket pictured above, for instance — it has plenty of character without feeling overly flamboyant. As a seasoned sartorialist, I was immediately drawn to several details, including the barchetta breast pocket, wide peak lapels with pick stitching, and the rather distinctive buttoned patch flap pockets. These are thoughtful design touches that give the jacket considerably more personality than your typical off-the-rack (or even Sukhumvit tailor) offering.
Upon stepping into the store, I was warmly greeted by VJ, the eponymous founder of VJs Bespoke Clothier. We spent some time discussing his tailoring philosophy, his personal journey in building and managing the business, as well as his thoughts on the evolving trends in tailoring. For snippets of our conversation, be sure to check out the YouTube video above. Unfortunately, VJ had some errands to attend to outside the store shortly afterwards, but he passed me on to his sons, Rohit (pictured above) and Harsh. The brothers now oversee the day-to-day operations of the business, representing the next generation of the family-run tailoring house.
Rohit tells me that he is looking to pioneer what he calls “custom casual”, a concept inspired by the growing preference among younger customers for more relaxed, versatile pieces such as casual jackets and polo shirts. He believes there is a place for tailored casualwear that offers the best of both worlds: the comfort and ease of casual clothing, combined with the polish of traditional tailoring. He points to his own jacket, which he refers to as a “painter’s jacket”, as an example, explaining that even inherently casual pieces can still look refined and well-dressed when properly tailored. Intrigued by the concept, I suggested that we put together a “custom casual” outfit of our own. Rohit immediately proposed seersucker as the jacketing fabric, which seemed like a fitting choice for Bangkok’s (and Singapore’s) tropical climate.
I initially gravitated towards the classic white-and-blue striped seersucker, but Rohit gently steered me in a different direction. Given that I intended to wear the jacket casually, he felt that a more versatile pattern would offer greater mileage. He suggested a dark green seersucker with black checks, pointing out that green is particularly in vogue at the moment, while the distinctive checked pattern would also pair effortlessly with chinos in a variety of colours. I’ve had a few green suits made over the years, but never one in seersucker, so I was more than happy to take Rohit up on his suggestion.
With the jacketing fabric settled, Rohit next suggested pairing it with cotton chinos rather than traditional wool trousers to reinforce the jacket’s casual character. He brought out two rolls of cotton fabric for me to browse through—one in navy and the other in khaki—explaining that either would complement the dark green and black seersucker we had selected.
While I agreed with Rohit that chinos would be the more versatile choice, I already have several pairs tailored in both khaki and navy. Instead, I opted for a light brown shade, which I felt would offer a little more variety while remaining versatile enough to pair with everything from the seersucker jacket to a simple polo tee. For the jacket, Rohit suggested a quarter-lined construction—a particularly impressive detail that isn’t commonly offered by tailors in Bangkok. He then showed me a lovely navy lining featuring a light green leopard print. It strikes just the right balance between understated and playful, giving the otherwise versatile jacket a touch of personality without being overly flamboyant.
Next, we moved on to selecting the buttons for the jacket. Much like its extensive fabric selection, VJs Bespoke Clothier offers an impressive array of buttons in a wide variety of colours and materials, providing plenty of options for customisation.
To keep the jacket as versatile as possible, Rohit suggested brown horn buttons, which complements the earth tones of the green seersucker jacket well without standing out.
With all the customisations settled, it was time to move on to the measurements. Here, Rohit passed the reins to San, who has been with VJs Bespoke Clothier for decades.
From the outset, it was clear that San was immensely experienced when it came to measuring, wielding the tape with confidence and precision. He also quickly picked up on the idiosyncrasies of my physique, including my uneven shoulders and arched back, both of which would need to be accounted for during construction. What impressed me was that Rohit wasn’t simply observing from the sidelines. He carefully recorded San’s measurements himself, ensuring that he developed a thorough understanding not only of my order, but also of my individual proportions and the adjustments required for the finished garments.
After two days, I returned to VJs Bespoke Clothier for a fitting. 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.”
Once again, San oversaw the basted fitting, and his experience was immediately apparent. He quickly identified areas that required adjustment, using pins to mark out the necessary alterations with precision. Meanwhile, Rohit observed in the background, underscoring his hands-on approach to the tailoring process. He shared that he makes it a point to remain involved in each customer’s tailoring journey from start to finish, rather than simply handing the order over to his tailors.
Thereafter, San attached the sleeves to the basted jacket, a common practice among Thai tailors that allows the sleeve pitch to be fine-tuned for optimal fit, drape and balance. As you can see in the photo above, the sleeves hang beautifully and cleanly from the shoulders, resulting in an exceptionally neat silhouette.
VJs Bespoke Clothier – Suit Review
Now that I’m back in Singapore, let’s take a closer look at the fit and finish of the suit.
From the front, the jacket already demonstrates a very clean fit, with the shoulders sitting neatly and no visible wrinkling. The waist is gently tapered, creating a refined, subtly cinched silhouette, while the jacket length is spot on, falling just below the thumb bone.
The sleeves also drape beautifully, allowing for a comfortable range of movement without any noticeable restriction, even when bending the arms.
The back also drapes well overall, with the team having successfully accounted for my arched back. If I were to nitpick, however, there are still some slight visible wrinkles on the left side, suggesting that my sloping shoulder may not have been fully accounted for.
Moving on to the fabric, I have to say that I’m absolutely enamoured with the seersucker texture. Its distinctive puckered surface gives the fabric a natural sense of dimension, creating a subtle yet undeniably striking visual texture that exudes sophistication. I’m also glad that I took Rohit’s advice and opted for this green-and-black seersucker over the baby blue-and-white combination I had originally envisioned. Not only is it far more versatile, but I can already envision numerous trouser and shirt combinations that would work beautifully with the jacket.
Another interesting aesthetic choice was to use patch pockets throughout the jacket, including for the breast pocket. It gives the jacket a distinctly casual character—think classic school blazer—while still retaining a sense of refinement and polish. Given Rohit and the VJs Bespoke Clothier team’s emphasis on “custom casual”, I’d say this design choice fits the brief perfectly.
The genuine horn buttons also complement the sophistication of the green seersucker beautifully, adding another touch of understated elegance. Unfortunately, the sleeve buttons are non-functional, but given that this is a casual blazer rather than a full suit, I wouldn’t consider it a significant drawback.
The jacket also features a quarter-lined, or “butterfly-lined”, construction, which enhances breathability—particularly welcome when paired with a lightweight seersucker fabric. Interestingly, quarter-lined jackets can actually be more labour-intensive to construct than their fully or half-lined counterparts, as the exposed interior places greater demands on the tailor for precision and a clean, well-executed finish.
What truly sets VJs Bespoke Clothier apart from other Bangkok tailors is their meticulous attention to detail. Take the jacket lining, for instance: the VJ team strategically positioned the leopard motif at various points throughout the jacket, even creating a dedicated “tab” to showcase the motif. The result is a thoughtful detail that allows the leopard pattern to take centre stage without feeling excessive. What impressed me most was that this wasn’t something I had specifically requested or even highlighted to the team—they simply took the initiative to do it themselves.
For the trousers, I opted for side-adjusters instead of belt loops, giving them a cleaner and more relaxed appearance. The side-adjusters work particularly well here, adding a refined touch that subtly distinguishes these from off-the-rack chinos. To the seasoned eye, the tailored construction is immediately apparent.
I also have to give a shoutout to the white linen shirt, which serves as the perfect canvas for the rest of the outfit to shine. The linen is of excellent quality, with a pleasing texture and drape, while the use of mother-of-pearl buttons adds another understated touch of refinement.
Overall, the fit strikes a classic balance—not overly conservative or baggy, but neither excessively tailored nor restrictive. I would describe VJs Bespoke Clothier’s house cut as distinctly British in character: structured yet versatile, and equally at home with more casual outfits such as this one. The result is an outfit that looks sharp and put-together, while remaining remarkably comfortable to wear, even when styled as separates.
Furthermore, I appreciated the various sartorial details that elevate the outfit beyond the conventional Sukhumvit suit. For instance, the linen shirt features a one-piece collar that adds a touch of aplomb without veering into ostentation. The jacket’s wide notch lapels similarly inject a little more personality, while retaining the casual character of the outfit—unlike, say, peak lapels, which would lend a more formal appearance. I also particularly enjoy the interplay of textures, especially the juxtaposition of the seersucker jacket against the linen shirt. The result is a look that is undeniably smart and well considered, yet still manages to feel effortless.
Conclusion – so VJs Bespoke Clothier “shiok” or not?
All in all, I came away very happy with both my experience at VJs Bespoke Clothier and the resulting outfit. It was a genuine pleasure chatting with VJ, and I highly recommend watching our YouTube video, where we documented portions of our conversation. Despite having spent more than five decades in the tailoring industry, VJ remains remarkably humble and, importantly, receptive to new ideas and change. It is also heartening to see VJs Bespoke Clothier remain a family business, with VJ having handed much of the shop’s day-to-day operations to his sons, Rohit and Harsh. Both speak excellent English, so communication is unlikely to be an issue—a consideration worth noting given that language barriers can sometimes be a challenge when dealing with Bangkok’s Sukhumvit tailors. Furthermore, I particularly appreciate the “custom casual” philosophy that Rohit and Harsh are championing, and I’m very pleased with how the resulting outfit came together. The seersucker jacket, cotton chinos and linen shirt combine to create a look that is sharp yet relaxed, while each piece is versatile enough to be worn independently. More importantly, the outfit is a testament to the team’s attention to detail, which consistently shone through throughout the tailoring process.
Suits at VJs Bespoke Clothier start from 8,000 THB (approximately S$300), while shirts start from 2,500 THB (approximately S$100). My particular outfit came to 11,800 THB (approximately S$450) in total, comprising 6,500 THB for the seersucker jacket, 2,800 THB for the cotton chinos, and 2,500 THB for the linen shirt. For readers interested in commissioning an outfit from VJs Bespoke Clothier, quoting the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” or presenting this post in-store will entitle you to a 10% discount on your total purchase. While VJs Bespoke Clothier may not be the cheapest option along Sukhumvit Road, I believe it offers exceptional value for money, particularly when you consider the quality of the workmanship, attention to detail, and distinctive styling.
Book an appointment with VJs Bespoke Clothier here.
VJs Bespoke Clothier’s Location: 392/9 Sukhumvit Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Toei, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
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.
P.S.S. If you haven’t already, do follow my social media channels on Facebook here, on Instagram here, and on Youtube here.
