Mrs Vera Waters is a local expert on beauty and etiquette. Whether for everyday use, working life, social engagements or other important occasions, Mrs Waters has always preferred the cheongsam. She adores the garment not only because a tailor-made cheongsam is one of a kind, but it is also durable and its style is perennial. Furthermore, the cheongsam is a Chinese traditional dress, and her British husband is enchanted by it.

Mrs Waters loves wearing a jacket over her cheongsam and matching the dress with shoes and a purse in the same colours. She usually buys her jackets in stores. When matching fabric is found, she passes it on to her Shanghainese tailor, who makes the cheongsam to go with them. She does not have cheongsams made at fixed time intervals, nor does she make a fixed number of cheongsams every year. Whenever she comes across fabric she likes, she buys it and then passes it on to her tailor. On one occasion, she handed him 120 pieces of fabric.