Hot Deal: Tailor-Made

-#include virtual="/time/asia/magazine/2003/0721/thisweek.txt"-->Most brides spend months agonizing over The Dress. Not so Bangkok-based expatriate Jayne Dalmer, who turned up for her first fitting five weeks before her wedding—and two weeks after giving birth to a baby girl. Her designer-dressmaker, Rachata Supasanapiwat, didn't bat an eye.

Rachata is a man who knows the subtle art of cutting, draping, pinning and pleating, and what it can do for a postpartum figure. When Jayne walked down the aisle of a New Zealand church three fittings and a 12-hour flight later, there was no trace of the frazzled new mother in the gorgeously gowned bride. Even better, her custom-made dress set her back just $480, about half the cost of having a similar dress made in New Zealand.

Bangkok abounds in salons where custom-made clothing can be speedily produced at nearly off-the-rack prices. And when it comes to traditionally high-ticket items like wedding dresses, the savings are even more substantial. Thai tailors and dressmakers are particularly good at copying the designer dress of your dreams from magazine clippings or even articulate verbal descriptions. Thus, the Christian Dior concoction gracing the latest bridal glossy can be yours for perhaps a tenth of its designer price.

Workmanship varies, however, and it pays to pay more to patronize established businesses. That is why generations of Thai brides have flocked to Rapee, off New Phetburi Road, for their fittings. Rapee has been a fixture in the city's bridal business for 59 years. Pornthip Nakhirunkanok wore a Rapee creation when she was crowned Miss Universe in 1988 and came back 14 years later when it was time to say "I do." Hand-stitched Thai-silk wedding gowns start from about $720. But you can treble that for dresses involving acres of imported lace and intricate embroidery. "If the bride has a clear idea of what she wants, I can make her dream come true," says Rapee designer and director, Benja Suthivanit. "But I also have to see if her dream matches her body." In other words, bring your dream—but don't expect a miracle.