In China, you can have clothing custom-made—you choose the fabric, the color, the print, the silhouette and the tailor fits the item to your body—for the same amount as a mass-produced, low-quality, trendy dress from Topshop. Tough choice.
My dad’s friend Tina took me to a tailor in Yaxiu, the shopping market I hate, right next to Sunlitun Village, a shopping area that I grew to hate. But my tailor, Sunny, was very nice and did a great job with my items; for him did I and will again trudge through that westernized, overpriced, tourist-filled headache.
I'm not harsh, I'm just honest.
My dad’s friend Tina took me to a tailor in Yaxiu, the shopping market I hate, right next to Sunlitun Village, a shopping area that I grew to hate. But my tailor, Sunny, was very nice and did a great job with my items; for him did I and will again trudge through that westernized, overpriced, tourist-filled headache.
I'm not harsh, I'm just honest.
Yashow clothing market at night. You suck
Haven- Wendy Ya Shi Tailor. Let's zoom in, shall we?
ahhhhh yes. Ladies and gentlemen, this is THE place to go if you want a pantsuit.
I wanted a dress made from traditional Chinese qipao (or cheongsam) material, but with a modern silhouette; the qipao, while beautiful, might seem like a costume when worn in America.
gorgeous qipao fabrics
From the fabrics I chose this butterfly print
The silhouette could not be too complicated, but that was fine; I wanted to focus on the fabric and the fit. I’ve long admired Jackie Kennedy’s clothing, especially her collaborations with Oleg Cassini. The shape of this dress, I thought, was classic and still unusual—unusual in terms of details (for example, the bow is not tied in a girly fashion but deconstructed and sewn flat onto the skirt) and in terms of modern expectations of dresses (the V neckline is not low-cut or revealing).
The first visit to Wendy Ya Shi I chose the fabric, gave Sunny that picture of Jackie O, and had my measurements taken. The second time I went for a fitting, and the third to pick up the dress.
I wore it out to the Beijing Opera. The opera was awful—three hours of men screeching in the midst of discordant sounds. Periodically, gongs would ring and wake half the audience, including me, up. The best part of the experience was 1. the building itself and 2. being able to wear my dress.
I wore it out to the Beijing Opera. The opera was awful—three hours of men screeching in the midst of discordant sounds. Periodically, gongs would ring and wake half the audience, including me, up. The best part of the experience was 1. the building itself and 2. being able to wear my dress.
Thanks, Kevin, for the pictures
Ashley and me on qianmen street before the opera
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