Cheongsam of Cantonese Opera Career Artist Mrs Ma Lam Yee Mui and Her Eldest Daughter

These cheongsams were the everyday clothing of Mrs Ma Lam Yee Mui and her eldest daughter. Mrs Ma, whose stage name was Soo Chow Mui, was a renowned Cantonese opera singer in the 1920s. Mrs Ma’s cheongsams were mostly made in the 1940s, while her daughter’s were made during the 1950s and 1960s. Each month, the Ma family would have the same Shanghainese tailor visit their home to take measurements for the ladies’ cheongsams. Mrs Ma and her five daughters would each have three to five cheongsams made in every order for which they chose the fabric and styles. During those days, it cost HK$6 to make a summer cheongsam and those for formal occasions cost HK$9.