The stitches of time

Stacks of plain colored fabrics are neatly arranged, and the male shopkeeper carefully smooths each stitch... This is a familiar scene at Tan A Tailor Shop, a renowned brand specializing in suits and vests for 72 years, passed down through three generations.

Wooden rulers and old scissors – tools that were once common at Tan A tailor shop.

Tailor shop during the subsidy period

When talking about craftspeople in old Thai Nguyen, people often mention names associated with the products they made, such as: Mr. Tan Ky's squid, Mr. Tu's rubber sandals, Mr. Dien's pork sausage, Mr. Khoi's rice cakes... As for tailoring, one must mention famous names like Ngoc Tam, Thai Lan , and Tan A tailor shops...

Then times changed, and today many traditional crafts no longer exist; some still remain, but their descendants do not continue them. Fortunately, among the famous tailor shops of that era, one name has endured through the years: Tan A Tailor Shop.

Going back 72 years, on Hung Vuong Street (near what is now Thai Market), a simple sign hung in front of a thatched-roof house: Tan A Tailor Shop. Day after day, a thin man diligently worked at his sewing machine placed near the window. Late at night, the rhythmic clicking of the sewing machine continued in the flickering oil lamp light. That hardworking man's name was Nguyen Viet Ho.

Setting down the wooden ruler on the chalk-lined cloth, Mr. Nguyen Viet Cuong, the second son of Mr. Nguyen Viet Ho, came to the table to make tea for us. Mr. Cuong owns Tan A Tailor Shop, located at 729 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, Phan Dinh Phung Ward. Next door, at 727, is another Tan A Tailor Shop owned by his third son, Nguyen Viet Dung.

Mr. Cuong recounted: “My father was born in 1919 in the poor, low-lying area of ​​Phu Xuyen (formerly Ha Tay province), the ancestral land of Hanoi 's tailors at that time. At the age of 13, he went to Hanoi to work for tailor shops. The Tan A tailor shop officially opened in 1954. Around 1960, Thai Nguyen town established a state-owned garment factory named Tan A - Thailand, located in what is now Vo Nguyen Giap Square.”

Those who lived through the subsidy period will surely remember that each person was only allocated 4-5 meters of fabric per year, enough to make one or two sets of clothes. Every piece of fabric was incredibly precious, so tailors had to carefully sew every stitch, even piecing together leftover scraps of fabric.

Mr. Tan A, the tailor, was skilled at cutting traditional Vietnamese blouses, silk trousers, shirts, and protective clothing; he was also willing to alter old trousers for customers, shorten hems, and widen sleeves for fast-growing children from poor families. Occasionally, a customer would be a provincial official sent abroad or attending a meeting at the central government; a family with a Western education getting married; or an intellectual groom… and he would come to have a suit or vest made. That's when Mr. Tan A, the tailor, transformed into a professional tailor.

You may also like

Workers' and Employees' Family Day 2026On June 27th, the Thai Nguyen Provincial Federation of Labor organized the 2026 Workers' and Employees' Family Day. Attending the event was Ms. Mai Thi Thuy Nga, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council.

The delegation from Thai Nguyen province held a working meeting with the ASEAN Macao International Chamber of Commerce (China).Continuing activities within the framework of the investment and trade promotion program in China, on the morning of June 26th, Mr. Vuong Quoc Tuan, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen Province, and the delegation visited and worked with the ASEAN Macao International Chamber of Commerce (MAICC). Receiving and working with the delegation were Mr. Kelvin Tan Hai Ching, President of the ASEAN Macao International Chamber of Commerce, and member businesses.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen Province, Vuong Quoc Tuan, held a working meeting with HUAQIN Technology Co., Ltd. (China).During the investment promotion program in China, Comrade Vuong Quoc Tuan, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen Province, and the delegation visited and worked with HUAQIN Technology Joint Stock Company.

Born in 1953, Mr. Nguyen Viet Cuong learned tailoring from his father when he was 13 years old. Mr. Cuong said: “To be able to sew a straight seam for a customer's order, my father made me practice sewing hundreds of straight seams on scraps of fabric. He taught me how to ‘read’ the body shape, measure the body, understand the structure of each part such as the front, back, sleeves, lapels, how to adjust for each body type, how to align the fabric threads, and cut in the right direction so the garment would hold its shape and not twist. The most difficult part was the construction of the suit, including the seams, lining the bust, creating the bust fullness, the waistline, making the shoulders, and creating naturally curved lapels. High-end suits require many delicate hand stitches, so he taught me how to hold the needle, baste, sew lapels, attach sleeves… My father must have been at peace knowing that when he passed away (in 1994), his children had followed in his footsteps.”

Sharing similar sentiments with Mr. Cuong, Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, the third son of Mr. Nguyen Viet Ho, said that his father passed on the trade to him when he was 17 years old. After trying many different jobs, he is now settled in the tailoring profession.

Steeped in the soul of the craft

I noticed the wooden ruler Mr. Dung was holding; it was worn and patched up in many places. He said it was a keepsake his father left him from the 1960s. He also showed me a pair of Sinh Tu brand fabric scissors, still sharp and a loyal companion. I understood that some seemingly inanimate objects carry the warmth of family affection. The children continue the tradition, stitch by stitch, as if sewing together the years that have passed.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Ho has four sons, three of whom are now working as tailors specializing in suits and vests. Besides the tailor shops of Mr. Nguyen Viet Cuong and Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, there is also the tailor shop of Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung, located at 422 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street (Phan Dinh Phung Ward). Even more encouraging is that Mr. Dung's son, Nguyen Viet Quang, is being mentored by his father in the trade.

Mr. Dung said that Quang studied electrification in Russia and now wants to continue his father's legacy in Vietnam. He wants his son to take over the shop in Thai Nguyen, continuing and enhancing the reputation of the Tan A garment brand.

Customers chat with Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, the successor to the tailoring brand of the late Mr. Nguyen Viet Ho.

Like many other tailoring shops, Tan A Tailoring Shop is facing the challenge of the "wave" of mass-produced clothing. However, the reason Tan A Tailoring Shops remain strong and thrive is because their products are not only the result of skillful design and talented hands, but also imbued with the soul of the craft. These qualities cannot be replaced by any machine assembly line.

United States - Vietnam: Don't miss

Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment in high technology.On the morning of June 26th, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung received Mr. Jeff Place, Supply Chain Director of Coherent Group (USA). During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam encourages US businesses to expand investment, especially in high-tech, innovation, and semiconductor industries.

Encourage U.S. businesses to expand investment in high-tech sectors.Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung said that Vietnam welcomes US businesses to continue expanding their operations in Vietnam, especially in high-tech industries and sectors with high added value.

Vietnam and the United States strengthen cooperation in addressing the consequences of war.VTV.vn - On June 22, General Secretary and President To Lam received Acting Secretary of the US Navy Hung Cao.

The more modern life becomes, the more people gravitate towards luxury and a unique personal style. Middle-aged clients, those with financial means, businesspeople, and those who appreciate sophistication still need the expertise of Tan A Tailors.

I admired the tailor shop's logo, which has been copyrighted since 2000. The circle covered in blue symbolizes wholeness and stability. The prominent yellow brand name signifies prosperity and trustworthiness.

In a fast-paced world where things come and go quickly, there are still those who choose to slow down to preserve what is precious. They not only sew suits, but also maintain a way of life: careful, meticulous, and responsible for each product they create. A worn wooden ruler, old scissors, a notebook filled with numbers… all are testaments to a lifetime, a family, a profession. And in each stitch, I realize a simple truth: there are values ​​that are not noisy but enduring, not ostentatious but profound. Like how the tailors at Tan A quietly weave together the past and the present, ensuring that beauty remains uninterrupted in the flow of time.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202606/duong-kim-khau-nep-thoi-gian-90c6666/