Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review a new suit commission from the Bangkok tailor Galaxy Tailor.
I first visited Galaxy Tailor last year and reviewed my suit commission with them here. Since then, Galaxy Tailor has enjoyed a surge in popularity, and has been featured in numerous YouTube videos, such as this, and this. As such, I decided to revisit Galaxy Tailor during my recent year-end trip to Bangkok. Let’s see how my sophomore experience went.
Galaxy Tailor – Video Review
For some hands-on footage of my experience at Galaxy Tailor, check out the YouTube video below:
Galaxy Tailor – the Experience
Galaxy Tailor is situated in the popular area of Sukhumvit and can be accessed via a five-minute walk from the BTS station Asoke.
I covered my impressions of Galaxy Tailor’s showroom in my first article, so I won’t be repeating myself here. My feelings remain the same – the showroom hasn’t changed much since my last visit.
On my first visit to Galaxy Tailor, I commissioned a relatively affordable 10,000 THB (~S$375) suit. I was quite satisfied with how that suit turned out, and I have also received positive feedback from readers who subsequently patronised Galaxy Tailor after reading my review. This gave me the confidence to go for a premium, “branded” suit for my second visit. I relayed my intentions to Jay, who promptly broke out fabric books from European mills such as VBC, Reda and Guabello.
Out of all the books, I was most drawn to the VBC Perennial and fell in love with a navy fabric that has a subtle twill pattern. For those uninitiated with fabrics, VBC is an esteemed Italian fabric mill, with its workhorse Perennial series being one of the most popular suiting fabric collections anywhere in the world (including Thailand and Singapore). Unlike the cheapish S$375 suit that I commissioned previously, the VBC Perennial fabrics are made from 100% wool and are thus lightweight and breathable on the skin.
Jay also took the opportunity to introduce Guabello, another Italian mill that specialises in 100% wool fabrics. I’ve seen Guabello fabric books before in local tailors, but have yet to actually commission a piece.
After browsing through the Guabello fabrics, I took a liking to a grey fabric that has subtle checks. While I was deliberating between the VBC and Guabello fabrics, Jay brought up the idea of commissioning a three-piece suit, with the grey checkered Guabello fabric serving as a contrasting vest to the blue twill VBC suit.
Unlike most Singaporean tailors, Galaxy Tailor has fabric rolls on hand – even those from European mills. As such, Jay was able to drape both the Guabello grey fabric and VBC navy fabric on me, allowing me to visualise how the suit would look on my body. As it turned out, I really liked the juxtaposition of colours and textures, and therefore, I readily agreed with Jay’s recommendation.
After settling on the suiting fabrics, Jay suggested a red lining for a bolder look, which I took up. As for the shirt, we decided to play it safe with a simple white fabric.
With the fabric selection done, it was time to choose the buttons. Interestingly, Jay shared that their buttons are now personalised with the “Galaxy Tailor” brand name. I think this is a double-edged sword, as there are some who might find this kitsch. Personally, I didn’t mind it and went along with Jay’s suggestion of a dark brown button for both the suit and vest.
Thereafter, Jay proceeded to take my measurements. Again, I’ve chronicled the measurement process in my previous review of Galaxy Tailor, so do check that out if you’re curious about what it’s like to get measured.
After the measurements were completed, David and Jay brought me to their in-house workshop, located on the second floor of the showroom. Here, the Galaxy Tailor team does quality control on the finished garments (double-checking the measurements), as well as stores fabric rolls from a wide variety of mills. It’s clear that the team takes their job seriously – I could sense a commitment to detail and quality, despite the short turnaround time of most orders.
I returned for my basted fitting the next day. For those uninitiated with tailoring, a basted fitting process is where the tailor will let you try on a skeleton jacket, held together by temporary white basting stitches. For more information on the basted fitting stage, 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 aforementioned article: “It’s the difference between flying first class and flying on a private jet.”
Like most Bangkok tailors, Jay attaches the sleeve separately in order to achieve the best possible sleeve pitch. We also noted down a few areas for alteration, such as making the jacket a tad looser and cleaning up the drape on the back. To achieve this, Jay uses pins and chalk – quintessential tools of the trade – to denote the necessary areas for adjustment.
I also feedbacked that I found the trousers to be too short, especially since I would be wearing them with dress shoes. Jay took note of this and promised to have them lengthened by the following day.
I had my first look at the vest the next day. I was struck by how dapper the double-breasted vest looked, especially in grey. It also fits well, being form-fitting but not overly tight.
Paired with the navy suit, I felt incredibly debonair, like David Beckham attending a royal wedding. The fit of the suit was good, and I indicated to Jay that I was ready to take the garments home.
In my initial review of Galaxy Tailor, I mentioned that the hospitality of David and Jay was one of the highlights of my experience – and that remains true this time around. It’s clear that the shop has gotten more popular (they have hired new staff), but the service remains attentive and top-notch.
Galaxy Tailor – Suit Review
Let’s now take a closer look at this three-piece suit from Galaxy Tailor.
I reviewed Galaxy Tailor’s fit in detail during my first review, so I won’t go in-depth here. However, I do want to highlight that the suit is slightly roomier this time around, though still with noticeable tapering. I feedbacked to Jay that I found the previous jacket a tad too slim fitting, and it’s clear that he took my feedback to heart for this second commission.
My favourite aspect of the jacket is the fabric – I absolutely love the subtle twill stripes. We all know that a navy suit is the best option in terms of versatility, but a solid navy suit can get repetitive after a few commissions. Case in point: I have over ten navy suits. The way to remain fresh is to explore different patterns and textures, and I simply adore this fabric from the VBC Perennial series. It oozes sophistication, making it perfect in the context of a three-piece suit.
And as this is a three-piece suit, the design is classic British. For example, we went with 3-inch notch lapels and straight flap pockets – much more understated options as compared to the wide peak lapels and slanted pockets of my Patrick & Co sports jacket. It’s important to understand the look that you’re tailoring for.
Other timeless touches include side adjusters (instead of belt loops), as well as stitched ends on pockets. Notice how the side-adjusters now come with tabs to prevent unsightly flapping – another recent upgrade that Galaxy Tailor has implemented to its offerings.
Still, that doesn’t mean one can’t have fun – the vibrant red tiger print lining serves as a playful contrast to the restrained exterior of the suit. The lining now features full pipe stitching running along the edges (another upgrade), as well as a monogram of my name for added personalisation.
The buttons are also hand-shanked, which provides the fabric space to drape in when buttoned. Shanking increases the lifespan of the buttons and is a sign of quality that is typically seen at higher-end tailors.
As for the vest, its double-breasted design adds to the classic charm of the three-piece suit and holds its own when worn individually. With the standard single-breasted vest, one runs the risk of looking like a valet/waiter (especially in black/navy/grey), so I almost always opt for a double-breasted vest when making a three-piece suit.
A double-breasted vest also contributes towards a more seamless look. Even when the jacket is unbuttoned, the double-breasted configuration ensures that the buttons aren’t visible, resulting in a sharp and clean aesthetic.
Furthermore, the Guabello fabric is stunning. The checks patterning is striking, with subtle blue stripes that complement the blue VBC suit perfectly. I can certainly see the mill’s Italian flair here.
This extends to the pure cotton dress shirt as well. Even though it’s a simple white fabric, the shirt is far from basic, with horizontal twill stripes that complement the vertical twill stripes of the suit fabric well. As always, I opted for my initials to be monogrammed on the cuff.
Overall, I’m very pleased with how the three-piece suit turned out. The double-breasted grey vest serves as the perfect canvas for the navy jacket to shine, forming a look that’s effortlessly elegant. I also love the subtle fabric detailing of the shirt, vest and suit, which provides visual interest even though the colours chosen are “safe”. The fit is great too, with Galaxy Tailor employing the classic British cut here to great aplomb.
Conclusion – so Galaxy Tailor “shiok” or not?
My first experience with Galaxy Tailor was good, but my second visit was great. Not only was it a pleasant surprise for Galaxy Tailor (a relatively affordable Bangkok tailor) to carry fabric rolls from premium European mills, but I was also hugely impressed by how the team handled the fabric, especially given the short turnaround time of three days. I absolutely adore the look, which exudes poise and finesse. The fit and workmanship have also been improved – a testament to Galaxy Tailor’s innovation and commitment.
Those interested in commissioning a suit from Galaxy Tailor can quote the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” or flash this article in-store to enjoy a free shirt (worth 1100 baht, or ~S$42) with every suit purchase. Suits and vests from premium European mills such as Guabello/VBC/Reda start from 23,800 THB/~S$950 and 6800 THB/~S$270 respectively, making prices slightly cheaper than local options such as Edit Suits. More importantly, the turnaround time is much quicker – as short as three days – as compared to local tailors, most of whom would need a minimum of three weeks. And if that’s out of your budget, Galaxy Tailor’s standard in-house fabrics start at just 8,000 THB/~S$320 for a two-piece suit. As the icing on the cake, Galaxy Tailor also offers free delivery (either to your Bangkok hotel room or your home address) and free alterations for 5 years.
Book an appointment with Galaxy Tailor here.
Galaxy Tailor’s Location: 52 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Khwaeng Khlong Toei, Khet Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
P.S: Check out The Shiok Store here – it serves as a curation of my favourite products from my favourite brands.
P.P.S: Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wah so Shiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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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.
