Neramit, A Cut Above

Streets of Chiangmai

 

French Husband hates to shop. Fortunately for him I do not share his passion. That is not to say I love shopping. But shopping for others, or for business is something I enjoy.

My mother has said many times that nobody should go shopping with me, "…if you shop with Corey, you will buy a ton of stuff that you never thought you needed, and she will walk out with nothing for herself."

 

Lanterns chiang mai

 

I shop for Chelsea too. Usually, I put her in a dress room and run around the shop bringing her things to try on, and then run around finding her size, and things to complete the outfit. Chelsea wrote from China, "Mom, I am not a girly-girl, I don't like shopping. I need you to come shop for me, you have shopped with me for so long you have rendered me hopeless to shop by myself."

French Husband simply says, "I hate shopping." Therefore, I buy his clothes: His belts, shoes … underwear and food, even so far as selecting what he will have from a menu. The only thing he buys are bulidings.

 

Tailor Thailand

 

In Chiang Mai, French Husband nearly died when I told him we were going to a tailor to have clothes made for him. He thought that was a crazy idea, "I do not need anything."

Whatever.

I told him that if he did not give me the pleasure of having something made for him then I would no longer shop for him and-and-and he would go naked and starve. Yes I am a brat. And yes we went to the tailor.

 Neramit is the best Chiang Mai has to offer when it comes to tailoring men's clothing. He is chic, well spoken, knows his business down to the stitch and more than anything a true pleasure to talk to about style, tailoring and clothing. I had no idea he was famous, but just seeing him through the window made my heart jump, his clothing spoke volumes.

 



Comments

28 responses to “Neramit, A Cut Above”

  1. Peter Mayle wrote about the pleasures of custom made clothing, made by a professional and reputable tailor, in “Acquired Taste”.
    Love the first four photos in your post today: the rickshaw and the green photo especially.

  2. I will come and visit you in Provence and you can shop for me, I will have to win the lottery first though!! Tailor made clothes are the best, cannot wait to see the finished article. I hope that you are also going to have something made, it would be a pity not to. Thanks for brightening my morning.

  3. Oh, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky you! I hope you have lots of wonderful things made for yourself as well.
    (And, by the way, I don’t think FH would starve if he went around naked. It would cause pandemonium, but no starvation.)

  4. I hate to shop too, except for food, I like that. He is a lucky man, if it wasn’t for you would be walking around wearing the same three shirts he left home with, like every man.

  5. I love this post! My favorite sentence – “Whatever.” LOL I have a husband that will not shop either. Since he is partially colorblind (cannot see pastels), this is for the best. Trust me when I say I did not marry him for his sense of fashion 🙂 He can choose his own meals tho… although… if I am torn between two dishes I can convince him to select one of my choices so I can try them both 😉

  6. Linda P.

    Thank you so much for inviting us along to the Thai Orchid Cooking School, the Elephant Nature Park, and now to visit this tailor. I’ve been enchanted by the things I’ve seen.

  7. Brenda L from TN

    Ohhhhhhhh! I can’t wait to see FH in his NEW digs.!!
    I know he will look smashing!
    I had a friend that went to Hong Kong with her missionary parents and had a couple of dresses made and they were BEAUTIFUL!!
    You MUST have something made for yourself,Corey…Please, we want to see you in something spectactular!!!

  8. Neramit has the most beautiful face and demeanor. I can’t wait to see what you have made too. How fun that would be to have clothes made for you.

  9. The cooking school, the nature park, the tailor . . . oh, how I am enjoying your adventure and how you bring it so beautifully home to me here in the states. Please, don’t stop!

  10. I do not like clothes shopping so you will have to help me too.
    Tailor made clothes? What a luxury! Maybe FH can add them as a business deduction because he would wear the suit for work. That is what we call a win/win situation.

  11. Corey – you’re so funny!
    My son Doug hates to shop and after 12 frustrating years of back-to-school shopping, I told my husband Marc he had to take Doug when it was time for his graduation suit.
    He has always thought I have exaggerated Doug’s bad shopping ways so I wasn’t surprised when 8 hours later they come home with a suit but no shirt. Marc said Doug could go without one or I could take him, but he was done! No more shopping with him – far too frustrating!
    The next day I came home from work with 3 men’s dress shirts in hand, gave them to my son and told him to pick one. My husband said buying three was cheating and not nice for the store when I take two back. I just laughed and explained to him that I when I had gone in to the local men’s wear store to check out their shirt selection before dragging Doug down there (kicking and screaming all the way I’m sure!) they suggested it would be far easier on all of us if I just picked out 3, took them to him, and brought the rejects back.
    Easy as pie, and I sat with a glass of wine while my son “shopped” in our bathroom.

  12. When one of Farmboy Husband’s college roommates served in the Peace Corps in Chiang Mai, he contracted hepatitis, causing him to lose about 50 pounds. Needless to say once he recovered he needed a whole new wardrobe, which he had made by a local tailor (no idea whether it was Neramit or not). As a veteran home sewer I was fascinated to examine his shirts, which were beautifully made — except for the button, which seemed to me to have been sewn on amateurishly, tight against the fabric (instead of with a little looseness to accomodate the fabric layers of the left front when buttoned) and with too much thread. When I asked Pete, he said that it was the tailor’s little boy’s job to sew on the buttons! (Hmmm, I wonder if he grew up to become a tailor there, and ever learned how to sew on buttons correctly).

  13. Ack! Should read, “…except for the buttons”!

  14. I love the expression on FH’s face, “Corey, Corey, Corey…what have you gotten me into now!”

  15. pam in oregon

    I love that you shop for Chelsea and that she still wants/needs you to help her select her clothing. My daughter is 24 and a graduate school to be a Dr of pharmaclogy, and she still asks for my opinion and advice before she will purchase a single clothing item. I am happy to oblige because she is a joy to shop with/for; everything, yes everything, looks so good on her, it makes me want to buy it all for her. I, on the other hand hate to shop for clothing for me. Could be that I can’t fit into the size I want to be, so I refuse to buy a large size.
    I hope you will show us what you chose for FH, I think custom made clothing is the ultimate luxury. Maybe this will be the incentive for me to get to my ideal size!
    I’m enjoying your Thai adventure so much, thanks for taking us along, and I’m so glad that the internet has been there for you/us. Happy travels!

  16. jend’isère

    Your tailor can entice my husband for a voyage,a cut above! Shirts and trousers which are too long are cherished by my tall husband, whose mother had clothes made in Thailand by her measures. Hmm, perhaps I will shrink them in hot water for a great excuse for a Thai trip. PS.”My tailor is rich”.

  17. I’m just eating up all the photos you’re serving up with these posts. You must have done a lot of research before your trip to have so many fascinating things on your itinerary. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
    And…I hate clothes (and especially shoe) shopping also. Are FH’s new clothes going to fit in the one extra bag you brought along or will you have it shipped home?

  18. I would no longer shop for him and-and-and he would go naked and starve.
    You zingers just kill me. I choked on my coffee when I read this and laughed until I cried. I just love you to pieces.
    There is nothing quite like a fabulous tailor, is there?! Oh, and by the way– I will go shopping with you anytime, dear Corey. =)
    xo isa

  19. Marie-Noëlle

    I love this post… and I like Yann’s face when being taken his measures !!!
    In one of the very first French methods to learn English, in the 1920s, (ASSIMIL),the basic sentence was not “what’s your name” nor “where’s the bus station” nor anything of the kind…
    It was “My taylor is rich, but my English is poor” !!!
    And nowadays, as a joke, we still refer to English learning by saying “MY TAYLOR IS RICH”!

  20. Marie-Noëlle

    I’ve just read your comment, Susan … AFTER writing mine… I felt the same when watching FH’s face !!!

  21. Your pictures are splendid and your stories fascinating. Did you know ahead of your trip how you were going to spend your time, or were your daily activities serendipitous?

  22. Corey, if you become a personal shopper, can I be first in line? I will supply the champagne and chocolates and any thing else you want… and you can pick the clothes for me. I feel just like Chelsea! I’m hopeless and end up bare! I have shoppers block!
    ;-} So sweet of you to dress FH. The smile on his face says it all!
    Love the tailor, he looks like a charming man! What a great trip, thanks for taking us along.

  23. Elaine L.

    You shop for everyone, but do you enjoy clothing shopping for yourself?
    I am thoroughly enjoying your trip.
    ~elaine~

  24. Julie Ann

    Hope we get to see the suit. Yann will wear it well. You do a great job of dressing him by the way, Jx

  25. Hi Corey, I know your having a wonderful trip, all the shopping and sight seeing….Lucky French Husband, he dosen’t know it know now but he’ll thank you for that suit many times over. Don’t forget to do some shopping for yourself. Enjoy the rest of your travels and I can’t wait for you to get home and start posting. God Speed
    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

  26. I have been to Singapore 2 times and each time I had blouses (shirts) custom made for myself. There is NOTHING like it…to select the fabric and have the shirt or suit custom tailored. Still have the items; they are still fabulous!!

  27. Corey! Your comical comments have me smiling! You, also, must have Neramit fashion you a blouse so you and FH can look chic together! Have fun!

  28. OMGosh…. I thought I was hearing you talking about ME and my HERO HUSBAND…. SAME STORY HERE! Down to the last stitch and sigh… 🙂
    We experienced the same – exactly the same story – when living in South Devon UK…. An extraordinary tailor with a shop the size of a hanky and the knowledge of a cathedral! And doing incredibly beautiful clothing for the fortunate and distinctive customer. At that time, Hero Husband needed to look the part; after all the English man is (often!) very well dressed and smart and boy, my man looked the bit!!! Beautiful story, smiled a lot….

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