Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review a new suit commission from the Bangkok tailor Rajawongse Clothier.
Rajawongse Clothier traces its roots back to 1961 when Jesse’s father supplied clothing to a US Air Force base. Over 60 years later, the establishment is now run by Jesse and his son Victor, who have carved a name for themselves as one of Bangkok’s leading tailors. With a rich history of dressing American dignitaries like Presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush, Senator John Kerry, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, and First Lady Nancy Reagan, Rajawongse has built an impressive reputation. Given their esteemed clientele, I had to experience it for myself – let’s see how my experience went.
Rajawongse Clothier – the Video
For hands-on footage of my experience with Rajawongse Clothier, do watch the YouTube video below:
Rajawongse Clothier – the Experience
Rajawongse Clothier is located along the famous Sukhumvit Road, next to the Landmark Hotel.
Despite its storied history, Rajawongse Clothier has an unassuming storefront – it’s easy to miss if you’re visiting for the first time.
However, the interior is impressive, with rolls of fabric lining the walls. Most fall into the blue/black/grey colour palette, which hints at Rajawongse’s professional clientele.
Dozens of law enforcement badges (especially American) adorn the space, signalling Rajawongse’s close ties with international law enforcement agencies.
Throughout the store, you’ll see evidence of Rajawongse’s most famous clientele, including a picture of Jesse with former US President George Bush.
This extends to the dressing room, which features name cards of government officials globally. To my surprise, I spotted the card of Dr. Maliki Osman, who’s currently a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. Given that the card reflects his current portfolios (which he assumed after the 2020 General Elections), it’s safe to say that he visited Rajawongse recently. My guess would be the 33rd APEC Ministerial Meeting, which took place in late 2022.
Due to Rajawongse’s profile, it has been the subject of various media coverage over the years, cementing its status as one of the best-known tailors in Bangkok. With such a pedigree, I was excited to try them out for myself.
Upon entering the shop, I was promptly greeted by Victor, who introduced himself as Jesse’s son (i.e. the 3rd generation of Rajawongse Clothier). Given Rajawongse’s clientele of busy professionals, I informed him that I wanted a versatile work suit, and he promptly recommended a navy nailhead fabric.
At Rajawongse Clothier, prices start from 16,000 THB (~S$600), which is double that of the average Bangkok tailor. Victor justifies this by saying that Rajawongse Clothier doesn’t carry the polyester mix materials found in more affordable Thai tailors, which usually cater to visiting tourists. Instead, 16,000 THB would net you a full wool house fabric, with 100% wool “branded” options such as VBC starting from 18,000 THB. I inspected the 16,000 THB full wool option and was satisfied that it was indeed mostly wool – the fabric felt light to the touch, and lacked the sleek sheen that accompanies polyester fabrics.
After deciding on the navy nailhead fabric, we moved on to choosing the lining. Given the professional nature of the fabric, Victor suggested that I opt for a brighter, fun lining, which I readily agreed to.
Thereafter, Victor brought out a bunch of suiting buttons. He recommended that I go for classic dark brown horn buttons, which pair well with the navy suiting fabric.
I also decided to get a shirt done and was intrigued by Rajawongse’s wide variety of shirting fabrics. Victor noticed my interest, handed me a ball of pins, and told me to stick a pin in the fabrics I was keen on.
After some deliberation, I eventually settled on a silky white shirting fabric – one can’t go wrong with white and navy.
With all the fabrics decided, Victor proceeded to take my measurements. Victor grew up in the tailoring industry and has aided his father, Jesse, in the family business for decades, so it’s no surprise that he’s adept at measuring clients.
After measurements were taken, the staff also took photos of me from all angles. This is a fairly common practice that provides the tailors with visual references to the client’s body posture and proportions.
Two days later, I returned to Rajawongse Clothier for my fitting. Victor presided over the fitting, and I first tried on the shirt and trousers.
Victor identified a few areas of concern, specifically shirt creases that were caused by my sloping shoulders. Once again, another member of his staff took photos to provide their tailors with a visual reference of the issue.
Next, I was attended to by the jacket fitter, who’s a jovial gentleman with a penchant for bright and fun waistcoats. He oversaw the basted fitting of the jacket and was all smiles throughout. 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. To me, a basted fitting stage 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.”
Despite his genial attitude, he’s deadly serious about fitting. As always, the main problem area is the back, which draped less than ideal due to my sloped shoulders and concave back. The jacket fitter used pins and chalk—quintessential tools of the trade—to denote the necessary alterations.
At this point, we were joined by Jesse, who then supervised the fitting. Jesse tells me that he’s semi-retired now (after almost five decades in the business) but still finds time to pop by in the afternoons. From the offset, it was clear that Jesse had experience in spades, as he quickly conferred with his jacket fitter about the necessary adjustments.
The following day, I returned to Rajawongse Clothier to collect the garments. I was immediately impressed by the suit’s fit—it was apparent that the necessary alterations had been made, and I was excited to wear it back in Singapore.
Rajawongse Clothier – Suit Review
Let’s look closer at the fit and finish of my suit from Rajawongse Clothier.
The fit of the front is phenomenal, with the shoulders lying flat without any bunching. I love the thinly padded shoulders, which allow the sleeves to drape naturally. There’s also slight tapering around the waist, while the jacket length is spot-on, as it ends right around the base of my thumbs. The sleeve length is good, too, ending at my wristbone and exposing a quarter-inch of shirt cuff.
I was also mightily impressed with the sleeve pitch, which drapes like a charm. The sleeve pitch is not easy to nail, as it depends on the individual’s posture. Furthermore, the jacket rests tidily on the shirt without an unsightly collar gap – a detail that lesser tailors miss.
Although not perfect, the back fit is noticeably better than some of the previous Bangkok tailors I’ve tried. This highlights the benefits of a basted fitting, which allows the fitter to better accommodate my body’s peculiarities, such as my sloped shoulders and concave back. Still, there are slight wrinkles visible on the upper back—one can’t expect perfection from a 4-5 day lead time.
While the fit is good, the fabric quality and workmanship shine the brightest. Firstly, the wool fabric feels light and premium on the skin—noticeably more breathable than the polyester mix suits I’ve commissioned from previous Bangkok tailors. The nailhead texture is subtle but striking up close, providing visual interest to the otherwise conservative navy jacket.
The jacket also features an abundance of sartorial details. Firstly, there’s a barchetta pocket, the curved chest pocket resembling a little boat. Secondly, the lapels feature pick stitching and a Milanese buttonhole, reinforcing the suit jacket’s handmade nature.
Unlike most Bangkok tailors, Rajawongse Clothier’s suits are hand-canvassed, resulting in little dimples on the underside of the lapel. These dimples indicate the areas where the tailor stitched the canvas to the fabric. Given Rajawongse’s 4-5 days short lead time, I find it immensely impressive that they can offer hand-canvassed suits to the consumer.
Elsewhere, the horn buttons provide a nice contrast to the navy fabric.
The buttons are shanked by hand, allowing the fabric space to drape in when buttoned. This increases their durability and is usually seen in high-end tailors.
The jacket also features surgeon cuffs – another hallmark of quality tailoring. Once again, the horn buttons provide a lovely pop of colour against the navy fabric.
On the inside, the striking lining acts as the perfect foil to the outwardly unostentatious jacket. As always, I went for a monogram of my initials – in distinctive pink – for a personalised touch.
The interior of the pockets is also lined, giving them character and preventing the suit from being too conservative and stuffy.
As usual, I opted for side adjusters for my trousers. Instead of the standard metal side adjusters, Victor suggested I opt for button side adjusters, which showcase the beautiful horn buttons and further elevate the suit.
I find Rajawongse Clothier’s cut contemporary—more classic than Narry Bespoke Tailors but not as conservative as Michael Tailors. As a result, Rajawongse’s suit is versatile and appropriate for both work and special occasions (weddings, etc.).
Overall, I enjoy my navy suit from Rajawongse Clothier. The fit is good, and the finishing is splendid—the workmanship is reminiscent of higher-end tailors in Singapore, such as HST, Perfect Attire, and Meiko Tailor. I love the various sartorial details of the suit, such as the Barchetta pocket, Milanese buttonhole, full pick stitching, surgeon cuffs, handshanked horn buttons, and button side adjusters. It’s a suit that looks and feels like a million bucks.
Conclusion – so Rajawongse Clothier “shiok” or not?
After trying out Rajawongse Clothier, I can see why it has attracted clientele from U.S. Presidents to Singaporean Ministers – its tailoring is a cut above the rest. Rajawongse’s workmanship is the best I’ve personally experienced in Bangkok thus far and is comparable to Singaporean tailors twice the price. While its 16,000 THB (~S$600) starting price is significantly higher than other Bangkok tailors, the quality justifies the premium. It’s also one of the few premium tailors that can deliver a full suit in 4-5 days, making it a viable choice for tourists (like me) too. If you are looking to commission a value-for-money work suit, I highly recommend Rajawongse Clothier.
Suits from Rajawongse Clothier start at 16,000 THB/~S$600, while shirts start at 1800 THB/~S$70. My entry-level house wool suit costs 16,000 THB, with premium options (VBC, Holland & Sherry, Drago, etc) starting from 18,000 THB. Those interested in commissioning a suit from Rajawongse Clothier can quote the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” or flash this post in-store to enjoy a free shirt with every suit purchase. To quote Rajawongse’s tagline, it’s important to dress for success – to play the part, you gotta look the part first.
Book an appointment with Rajawongse Clothier here.
Rajawongse Clothier’s Location: 130 Sukhumvit Road (Next to Landmark Hotel), Bangkok 10110, 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.
