This pair of pants is part of a ‘samfoo’ set. It is worn with a matching jacket-blouse.The ‘samfoo’ consists of a jacket-blouse (‘sam’) with side fastenings and a mandarin collar, worn over loose-fitting pants (‘foo’). Originally the garment of choice for domestic servants known as ‘amahs’, the samfoo became a fashionable garment for Chinese women of all classes at the beginning of the 20th century before being overtaken by other aesthetic styles. It made a comeback amongst Malayan Chinese women in the 1950s, updated with a slimmer-cut blouse and shorter sleeves.
