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Custom made clothes are probably a better bargain here than anywhere else in the world. Labor is inexpensive, yet the couture is well executed. To many, tailored garments are more desirable than off-the-rack clothes. For instance, it is hard to find men's suits in de-partment stores in Manila, and they are nor-mally expensive, even though they are usually not made of the best material. It may sound illogi-cal, but in Manila a tailored suit is less expen-sive than one bought off the rack. Be-sides, there is the advan-tage that one can have it made according to a particular taste and specific measurements.

There are excellent materials available at reasonable prices. Most tailors have a large stock with all kinds of qualities and colors. A first rate Cashmere fabric costs around 700-900 pesos a yard, Merino wool about 600-800, and a blend containing 30% or 40% synthetic can come as low as 300. A two-piece suit re-quires approxi-mately 3-4 yards of material, and a three piece needs maybe one yard more. The material can also be bought at a store or market, where it costs 5%-15% less.

Good custom tailors can be found all over the city. There are a few ex-cellent ones along Escolta St in Quiapo, who charge as little as 1,200 pesos for a two-piece suit. Those in vogue, most of them with shops in Makati, may charge twice that, but the couture is, of course, superb. A large number of foreigners are customers of Carmen Buniel Heiss (5003 Badajos cor Burgos St, Makati, Tel 85-64-62). She tailors quality fashion for men and women and offers tailor-made suits and Barongs with hand-sewn button holes and hems giving gen-erous seams for alterations. In the tourist belt Basa (Suite 12, North Sy-Quia Apartments, 1991 Del Pilar, Malate, Tel 58-67-14) continues in the more than half a century family tradition of fine couture for men and women. Basa is renowned in the ex-pat community for good workmanship and value as well as a classic approach to men's and women's clothing.

Most shirts offered at de-partment stores have only three or four sizes, small, medium, large and maybe extra large. For a real snug fit, a tailor again is the best an-swer. An al-ternative is to buy a real good la-bel such as Wall Street, and have it fitted at a tailor for as little as 25 pesos.

The traditional Filipino garment for men, the Barong, which can be worn to any occa-sion no matter how formal, is almost always tailored, often of some genuinely fine and elaborate barong ma-terials which can seldom be found with ready-made shirts. A tailored barong, in-cluding fabric and labor, can cost as little as 350 pesos.

Very elegant barong's are tailored in the boutique of Edgardo M. Aquino at 1651-59 Mabini St corner Quintos St, Malate, open Mon-Sat 10:00-19:00, Tel 521-97-73, 521-97-74 and 521-98-91; he also has outlets at the Manila Hotel (Men's Boutique, daily 7:30-21:00) and the Philippine Plaza Hotel (Archipelago, daily 8:00-21:00). Edgardo Aquino uses traditional materials such as pineapple and banana fibers for his barongs. For those in a hurry, barongs, and also shirts, suits and pants can be made within 24 hours.

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