You know what people say about cheongsams: It has to be tailor-made. Well, not the modern, made-in-Singapore cheongsam.
Fun, flirty and flared – that’s how founders of homegrown blogshop Our Bitsy Prints interpret the cheongsam. Our Bitsy Prints specialises in modern yet casual cheongsams, suitable for any occasion, from an office meeting to the weekend high tea buffet.
When I was approached to review these cheongsams, I immediately zero-ed in on a number made with white crochet lace and blue batik. I love the way it looks with a belt cinched at the waist. Even my mother-in-law, who used to teach dressmaking, is impressed by the creativity of the design. It is not too dressy for work and it’s not too stuffy-looking for smart-casual attire events.
And it’s very comfortable to wear! The armholes were just right, the mandarin collar does not chafe and I don’t feel so self-conscious about my (lack of) ass because the skirt is flared. The dresses are fully lined with quality material (so the dress is cool to the touch) and specially-made fabric buttons add interest to the outfit.
They even have the “cheongsa-ree” – a cheongsam dress made of gossamer-like Indian saree material.
I recently wore a shimmery gold one to a dinner at Park Hotel:
It has POCKETS! Perfect for my handphone or lip balm.
Despite the mandarin collar, I was able to stuff quite a lot of food down my throat and into my tummy!
The cheongsams come in a variety of whimsical prints and fabric, including Japanese linen, traditional woven Malay songket (a type of brocade) and Indonesian batik.
Prices range from $68 to $158 and there are very limited pieces per design, with five to 10 new designs available every month. This means that you won’t likely be bumping into another person on the street wearing the same dress as you!
The business was founded by a couple of highly resourceful mummies who love fabric, patterns and their itsy bitsy “princes” (hint: hence the name Our Bitsy Prints, get it?). They designed the dresses and hire a local home seamstress to churn them out. The fabric – previous collections have featured Amy Butler’s and Etsuko Furuya’s designs – is specially ordered from all over the world.
With the festive seasons coming, Our Bitsy Prints is pushing out even more glamorous designs featuring see-through lace and slippery satin. Do check them out before they are all sold out!
Alvinology.com readers get a 10% discount! Just mention you read about their cheongsams from this blog and the discount will be extended to you. 🙂
