Smartly dressed man having chest measurements taken in a tailor's shop.

Best Places to get a Suit Made in Singapore

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak

You’re a fashionable guy, right? You like to make an impression when you walk into a room, dontcha? Heck, you want the place to be stunned into silence the second you step through the door, with only the odd admiring coo, sigh or (go on, admit it) phwoar to break the awed hush. In which case, you’ve come to the right place! So step inside sir, let us take that all-important inside leg measurement and get you kitted out in the very finest tailor-made togs in town. Here, then, is our expert guide to 10 of the best places to get a suit made in Singapore...

***Note: prices quoted are in Singapore Dollars (SGD)***

CYC The Custom Shop

Established in 1935, CYC The Custom Shop is a CBD stalwart and one of the oldest and best-loved tailors in town. Good enough to clothe ministers, diplomats and even Singaporean presidents over the last near-century, their bespoke suits and shirts are probably good enough for you, too. This is the place to come if you like to dress to impress or are looking to add a bit of extra pizazz to that up-and-coming wedding function or all-important job interview. Shirts start from a little over $100 for single-ply cotton and from $750 to north of $3,000 for that dream suit.

Edit Suits Co.

You’ll find getting a tailored suit made anywhere in Singapore will generally take from three weeks to 15 weeks, depending on your specifications and whether you’ve insisted it be spun from the finest unicorn silk or not. But Edit Suits Co. claim to be the fastest in town, with a lead time of just 3–4 weeks on their modern garments, perfect for that shotgun wedding or client meeting you’d completely forgotten about. They’re cost-effective, too, with prices for a two-piece suit ranging from around $750 to $1800. Complete the look with accessories including pocket squares, ties and cufflinks. Oooh, suits you sir.

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Perfect Attire

The clue’s in the name at this downtown tailor, where everything – from pattern-making to garment construction – is done in house. So you’ll know who to blame if your trousers fail to account for your one leg that’s an inch longer than the other. Seriously though, the suit you’ll get from a fitting at Perfect Attire is going to look super-stylish, whether you're a racing-green houndstooth or sober gray gingham kind of guy. We recommend combining your appointment with lunch in nearby Chinatown, though perhaps have your waist measurement taken before tucking into that vast mountain of salty, soy sauce-infused chicken rice.

Kevin Seah Bespoke

Olde-world tailoring meets contemporary chic at Kevin Seah’s boutique riverside emporium in the CBD. This bright and airy space is a joy to visit; a place where you’re as likely to have your head turned by the colorful rows of shoes, belts and other accessories as the masses of fabric choices, including some exclusive limited editions created by Seah in collaboration with traditional woollen mills in the United Kingdom. Country squire? City gent? Victorian dandy? It’s likely this smart boutique has the look you’ve been searching for. Prepare to dig deep though: prices here start somewhere in the region of $6,800 for a two-piece suit. But what price quality?

Ehkay Corner Tailors

If your budget is a little more restrictive, you’d do well to drop by Ehkay Corner Tailors on Orchard Road. Suit makers of some pedigree, these dapper chaps have been around since the 1980s and will have you suited and booted in rather more affordable tailored suits in no time. Prices here start from a more palatable $400, leaving you plenty of wonga to accessorize to your heart’s content and walk out looking snappier than an alligator.

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Q Menswear

Another tailor that’s dangerously close to Chinatown so, you know, take it easy on the dumplings if you’re heading for your fitting straight after lunch. Established in 2011, Q Menswear is a relatively young label on the Singapore suits scene, bringing contemporary style to the masses from their home inside a charming heritage shophouse on bustling Telok Ayer Street. Drop by for a fitting and to browse the hundreds of fabrics available from Europe and Asia, including well-known brands like Liberty London and Italy’s Tessitura Monti. Prices for a two-piece suit start from just under $1,000.

The Bespoke Club

Styled after a classic Savile Row boutique, the Bespoke Club is all leather sofas, elegant fireplaces and umbrella stands casually stuffed with smart gents’ brollies. Step inside to have your vital statistics taken down and to start designing your own suit from somewhere in the region of 5,000 – yes, that’s FIVE THOUSAND – imported European fabrics. Trust us when we say you’ll be grateful for those great big comfy armchairs by the time you’ve gone through the lot to find your perfect pattern. Suit prices start from around $1,350.

Raffles Tailor

Raffles Tailor promises royal blue carpets, a glittering chandelier and a name that nods to Singapore’s always smartly turned-out founder, Sir Stamford Raffles. Suffice to say then that you’re in for a fairly luxurious experience here, where the tailoring is treated like precision architecture. No wonder then that the great and good, including Singapore TV personalities galore, have visited Raffles to enhance their screen presence with a smart bespoke suit or two. And now you too can become a sartorial success story. Prices start from $1,350.

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Dylan & Son

Previously known as Oriental Tailor, a stalwart of late 20th-century tailoring in Singapore’s CBD, this family-run boutique shop on Telok Ayer Street was rebranded as Dylan & Son when Dylan took over in 2010. Who knows, perhaps the ‘Son’ of the current name will do the same in years to come. Anyhoo... expect a modern take on English elegance with a dash of Italian style when you have your suit designed here.

Joe’s Tailoring

Another old school tailor near Chinatown (anyone sensing a pattern here?), Joe’s blends four decades of experience with a verve for contemporary tailoring. Artisans produce and cut fabrics in the dedicated factory and there is no request too big or small to accommodate (well, probably). Certainly, if what your heart desires is a matching suit for you and your dog, Joe’s is the place to go. You’d be barking not to!

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Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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The bandstand in Singapore Botanic Gardens.
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Singapore in May

As Singapore lurches towards the busy summer season, May presents one of the last opportunities to see the city in (relative) peace and quiet before the vacationing hordes descend. It’s also one of the hottest and most humid months of the year here but, again, it’s all relative on an island where the climate doesn’t really vary all that much from one end of the year to the other. Read on for our expert guide to visiting Singapore in May. Visiting Singapore in May Temperature: 77–88°F • Average Rainfall: 19 days/month • Average Sunshine: 9 hours/day Don’t let that scary-looking rainfall stat put you off: May is so hot and humid in Singapore that, believe us, you’ll be glad of the respite provided by those occasional brief downpours. These short thunderstorms are mere amuse bouches for the monsoon season proper, which arrives in June and doesn’t begin to peter out until September. There’s also sunshine in May, and lots of it, so prepare accordingly by donning massive Jackie O sunglasses, light cotton and linen clothing and the floppiest, widest-brimmed sun hat you can lay your hands on. Or make like the locals and pack a parasol for the midday sun and an umbrella for the afternoon downpour. Like the climate, hotel prices don’t vary much across the year in Singapore. But May, loosely speaking, is low season, so you’re more likely to find good deals now than, say, in June or July. Our advice? Book well ahead to take advantage of any early bird discounts that may be available. Things to do in Singapore in May May’s hot, humid weather means you won’t want to be outdoors all the time. Indeed you’ll likely find yourself sweatily seeking out air-conditioned malls, restaurants, hawker centers and, heck, even public transport, every hour or so, just to get a bit of respite. A great way to spend a sizzling May day is to get out and about early, discovering the kinds of fine outdoors attractions that have earned Singapore its ‘Garden City’ nickname before the heat really begins to bite around noon. Dodge the soaring temperatures with a few indoor attractions in the afternoon before seeking out a beach or rooftop bar for cocktails at sunset. Perfect. Singapore’s many gardens and forests are great fun for exploring, and have the added benefit of providing a bit of natural shade and temperature control on warm days. Hotfoot it to the spectacular Gardens by the Bay where the OCBC Skyway provides some fine aerial views from 22 meters up in the canopy of the park’s iconic Supertrees. Or stick to the trunks, where your morning stroll is absolutely gratis. Step inside the vast durian-shaped hothouses for ancient olive groves, a sky-high waterfall and carpets of colorful blooms that emit an intoxicating riot of perfumes. Across town, Singapore’s Botanic Gardens provide further opportunities to smell the roses. And orchids. And Rafflesia. This sprawling 200-acre oasis also has a picture-perfect bandstand and peaceful Swan Lake, ticking off your Instagram and picnic requirements in one fell swoop. Equally alluring are the Southern Ridges, where six miles of elevated walkways and jungle trails, weave along the island’s south coast, connecting Mount Faber Park and the Labrador Nature Reserve. Expect to see (and hear) a rainbow of native birdlife as you tiptoe through the treetops, including orange-bellied flowerpeckers, red-whiskered bulbuls and many more tropical critters. Don’t miss the decidedly more manmade structure that is Henderson Waves, an architectural masterpiece of steel that snakes across the trees and, at 36 meters above ground, is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. A little further north, MacRitchie Reservoir (pictured above) is a huge natural playground with, yes, another epic treetop walkway that links the park’s highest points, plus plenty of running and walking trails and, this being a reservoir, an abundance of water for kayak enthusiasts to explore, perhaps spotting the occasional monitor lizard or macaque along the way. Hazy May afternoons in Singapore are best spent over long lunches in air-conditioned hawker centers. Order a sweet and refreshing bandung (condensed milk and rose syrup over ice) and gorge on local specialities including chicken rice, chili crab and pork satay before hitting the (also air-conditioned) mega-malls for a spot of light retail therapy. As evening approaches, catch the cable car across the bay to the tiny resort island of Sentosa, where a cocktail at the beach bars or dip in the 85°F waters that lap palm-lined sands are the ideal way to top off your day as the sun disappears over the horizon. What’s on in Singapore in May? Vesak Day is celebrated on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Which, for those paying attention at the back, generally means sometime in May. It’s a public holiday and precipitates an island-wide festival in celebration of the life of Buddha, usually manifested in various religious and cultural activities in and around Singapore’s many temples. Join the festivities at landmark beauties including the Insta-perfect Burmese Buddhist Temple and Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery, where you can also witness awesome candlelit processions at the end of the day. Culture vultures rejoice! For May is also the month of the Singapore International Festival of Arts, which showcases some of the finest in theater, music, dance and visual arts from Singapore and around the world. A wide and varied program includes ticketed performances as well as a number of free events around the city. But, if your idea of a great day out tends to involve giving your credit card a workout in chic boutiques, swanky stores and big-brand emporia stuffed with clothes, accessories, gadgets and toys, we also have something just for you. The Great Singapore Sale kicks off towards the end of May, bringing extended shopping hours and whopping great discounts (often as high as 70%!) to some of the city’s biggest retail outlets. Just don’t blame us when you get a fevered call from your bank manager the next morning! Save on attractions and activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Girl with giraffe at Singapore Zoo
Blog

The Best Zoos in Singapore

The mighty Mandai Wildlife Reserve holds the monopoly on zoos in Singapore, comprising several of the island’s most popular animal attractions. Read on for the lowdown on Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise, River Wonders and the Night Safari.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Traditional bowl of laksa.
Blog

Best Places for Laksa in Singapore

Ah, laksa, that most versatile of Southeast Asian dishes. So versatile in fact that you’ll find more variants across the region than there are characters in the Pokémon universe. You’ll also discover disagreement from Indonesia to Malaysia over where and by whom this beloved noodle soup was invented. Almost certainly Peranakan in origin, it appears to have evolved along the spice route over several centuries, with the first known use of the term ‘laksa’ to mean ‘noodles’ dating to 1391. But what does it taste like? Well, again, that depends where you eat it. But in its most recognized form laksa is an aromatic noodle soup flavored with a fish or shrimp broth, creamy coconut milk, tamarind and herbs including coriander and mint. Usually topped with beansprouts and fish, shrimps or chicken, it’s rich, spicy and just begs to be slurped noisily, though its vibrant yellow color makes wearing a white shirt while dining an absolute no-no. Best of all it’s deliciously moreish and available in every Singapore restaurant, food court and hawker center worth its salt. It’s also eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner so no need to limit yourself to just one bowl a day! We took a deep dive to discover some of the best places for laksa in Singapore and you’ll find a small election of our faves below. Sungei Road Laksa This near legendary laksa kitchen is run by a tiny team of crack chefs from its unassuming location along the Sungei Road. But believe us when we say there’s nothing pedestrian about the laksa, with great steaming bowls of noodle broth being served up to long queues of hungry punters most days from morning until late afternoon. The laksa here is both delicate and rich at the same time. Cooked over charcoal, packed with thick bee hoon noodles and topped generously with cockles, crunchy beansprouts and fragrant herbs it’s a satisfying lunch and all for just a few dollars. Afterwards, head south over the Rochor Canal and into Kampong Glam, where alongside the landmark Sultan Mosque, you’ll find trendy boutiques and antique emporia galore, for all your souvenir-shopping needs. Find it: 27 Jalan Berseh, #01-100, Singapore 200027 Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa The clue’s in the (rather long) name of this Alexandra Village Food Center stalwart, which has been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2016 for its impossible-to-resist laksa. The gravy is cooked and served in a claypot, lending it an aromatic, smoky flavor and ensuring your meal retains its heat regardless of how long you spend chatting to friends between each delicious mouthful. This rich, creamy almost curry-like take on laksa is ideal fuel if you’re off for an afternoon’s hiking in the nearby Southern Ridges, where an elevated walkway weaves through the treetops south of the city, colorful native birdlife is in abundance and the Henderson Waves Bridge – a striking landmark with undulating steel ribs that snake over and under the walkway – has to be seen (and walked across) to be believed. Find it: 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Alexandra Hawker Centre, #01-75, Singapore 151120 Janggut Laksa Janggut Laksa is one of at least two laksa joints at the Queenstown Shopping Center (and countless more around the city) to claim ownership of the ‘original and best’ Katong laksa in Singapore, Katong being an orange-hued take on the more commonly found yellow lemak variety, cooked with a little less coconut and a little more spice. Whether original or best is probably moot in a place with this much choice, but Janggut’s take on the dish is certainly up there. A refreshing and aromatic broth with notes of coriander, ginger and lemongrass, it comes packed with thick, chewy noodles, shrimp and a great big dollop of sambal sauce to add further heat and depth to your soup, should you be feeling bold enough to stir it through. Like most laksa eateries, the menu is short and to the point, but we’d also recommend trying the curried chicken here if you can find an appetite big enough. Find it: 1 Queensway, #01-59, Singapore 149053 328 Katong Laksa Another claimant to the title of ‘original and best’ is 328 Katong Laksa over the other side of town on the East Coast Road (why one of these joints didn’t just go for ‘Original and Best Katong Laksa’ as their shop name beats us). However, 328’s rivalry with fellow Singapore eateries is as nothing compared to their epic 2013 cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, a battle which saw the East Coast crew triumph, catapulting their already legendary laksa into the the stratosphere (no, not literally). Join the snaking queues to find out what all the fuss is about, but expect to pay a premium for the ‘number one laksa in Singapore’. The white sands and swaying coconut palms at nearby East Coast Park provide the perfect setting for sleeping it off in the afternoon sun. Find it: 51 East Coast Road, Singapore 428770 928 Yishun Laksa There are plenty of reasons to make a day trip out to the northeast region of Singapore. Singapore Zoo, for example, one of the biggest and best on the planet. Then there’s the natural hot spring at Sembawang, a pungent high-sulfide pool said to have healing properties. Woodlands Waterfront Park boasts the longest jetty on the island and a lovely promenade with views across the Straits of Johor to Malaysia. But perhaps the best reason to head north is to pay a visit to 928 Yishun Laksa, a stalwart of Singapore’s noodle soup scene with the long queues to prove it. Expect thick, creamy broth with a kick of spicy sambal at this family-run stall, where the laksa is prepared from scratch using fresh ingredients daily. Be sure to get there early: this ever-popular joint often closes mid-to-late afternoon when their addictive soups sell out. Find it: 928 Yishun Central 1, #01-155, Singapore 760928 Save on attractions and activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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