Old Craft, New Measures

The old guard of elite tailoring know their numbers are dwindling, but are still on a quest to make themselves relevant in a world with changing fashion tastes

- Carmen Sin

The new outpost of 48-year-old business Meiko Tailor gives the lie to fusty notions of old-school tailoring.

Entering the space at Boat Quay that opened in June, one sees the big window looking out on the river, wood flooring, trendy furniture with round edges and a bean-shaped settee "for conversation", says heir apparent Adele Chung.

The 49-year-old former marketing communications professional is behind the modish feel of the place. It is unusual on two counts: as an expansion and as a play for the women's market.

For peers of Meiko Tailor's founder Chung Chi Kwong, 76, who still keep their own tailoring shops, downsizing and moving to cheaper addresses are more familiar arcs.

The menswear specialists tend to be wary of the saturated women's market too. But three in 10 Meiko clients are women, says Ms Chung, who joined her father's business in 2018.

About half the shop floor is devoted to made-to-measure samples of women's clothes, under a new sub-label designed by Ms Chung, who dares to mix prints and fabrics, and brighten classic garments with non-standard colours. A case in point: a periwinkle blue double-breasted blazer.

Named Uncommon Hem, the line is fashioned from surplus luxury fabrics and also comes in a men's range.

Yet the quirky, casual offerings do not displace its cornerstone - the bespoke suits. They are still cut by Mr Chung, then canvassed and stitched by hand, right down to the internal padding. "We are very traditional here," says Ms Chung.

This tension between the old ways and new tastes is at the heart of Singapore's legacy tailoring scene. As its veteran players mark grand anniversaries this SG60 - most with 40 years to their names - they reach a critical point in succession, but are at odds on how much to change.

TAILORING'S GLORY DAYS On the occasion of their 145th anniversary, the old guard of elite local tailoring find their numbers much reduced.