Overalls for My Son

I’ve always loved seeing kids in overalls, and I love wearing them myself, too.

They’re surprisingly hard to find in Bangkok, though. Every now and then, I come across a denim pair, but there’s not much beyond that.

So this time, I decided to have a pair made for my son.

There’s a Zara pair in the photo that I really love.

I used that shape as the inspiration for this little tailoring project in Bangkok.

A Frog-Green Fabric Find

This time, I chose a frog-green fabric from a clearance pile.
Like last time, I found it at China World.

I had been hoping to find a shade of green close to my own dress so we could do a matching look, but nothing felt quite right.

Then I spotted a fabric that caught my eye.

When I asked about it, the seller said, “There’s only 1.5 meters left, so 50 baht is fine.”

Such a bargain.

I did hesitate for a moment, wondering if it might be a little too bright, maybe even a bit too frog-like. But in the end, I went with it anyway.

Getting Lost in Rama 4

I couldn’t make the timing work with Mui, the person I had asked last time.
So she said, “Why not try the tailor on Rama 4? It’s closer to your house,” and handed me a rough map she had drawn herself.

That was how it all began.

The map was very simple, and I’m terrible at reading maps to begin with, so of course I got lost in the little streets around Rama 4.
I walked and walked, but still couldn’t find the place.

At one point, I even showed the map to someone at a nearby restaurant, but they didn’t recognize it either.

Since I don’t speak Thai, I used Google Translate and asked, “Do you know a shop that can make clothes?”

The person paused for a moment, then suddenly said, “Ah! I know!”

And just like that, he told me to hop on the back of his motorbike so he could take me there.

The ride lasted maybe 30 seconds.

We arrived at a little shop — or perhaps more like a house — where an elderly couple were sitting at sewing machines, quietly working away.

By then, I had been wandering around in the heat for so long that my brain had almost stopped functioning.

So even though it didn’t quite match the map, I got excited and thought, This must be it! Haha.

Ordering Through Google Translate

The man who gave me a ride had probably explained in Thai that I wanted to have some clothes made.
I quickly took out the fabric and the sample overalls I had brought with me.

After that, I handled everything through Google Translate.

“Please make the same thing as this.”
“How much will it cost?”
“When will it be ready?”

That was all I needed.

Thank goodness for modern technology.

The price was 200 baht, and payment was upfront, and the turnaround time was two weeks.

Once everything was settled, somehow all of us were smiling — the man who had brought me there, the tailor grandma and grandpa, and me.

I never imagined I would end up placing an order with a tailor this local in Bangkok.

Thailand is just too much fun.

Realizing I Had Gone to the Wrong Tailor

Then, a few days later, I happened to come across someone’s tailoring post on Instagram.
That was when I found out that “the tailor on Rama 4” was actually a completely different shop.

I was like, Waitttt… I went to the wrong place.
I had completely misunderstood.

But by then, I had already placed the order.

So now, the only question is: How will it turn out?

See you on Next Journey : What happened when I ordered from a super-local tailor in Bangkok…