This white plastic bag features the eye-catching fatman logo of Fatman Singapore Gents' Wear Company and Fatman's address. Plastic carrier bags like this one were common from the 1980s onwards, as they were lightweight and waterproof. The bag was also a source of free advertising for the business when it was carried around. By the 2000s, the Fatman branding appeared to have undergone minor changes, as could be seen from the typeface of its name and the predominant use of green colour. Fatman Singapore Gents’ Wear Company was one of the local tailor shops that specialised in the making of men’s Western suits as early as the 1950s. Its branding of a fat gentleman in a Western suit which is unique and familiar to many, implied that the tailors at Fatman understood the male body, and could tailor clothes to fit all body types. Its founder, Mr Choo Foo Wah worked as an apprentice to a local tailor (specialising in making Western suits) before setting up his own business, Singapore Tailor, at Desker Road (1955–1957). Later the business was renamed Fatman Singapore Gents’ Wear Company, with its main shop in Jalan Besar (1957–2009), followed by the Whampoa area (2009–2018), as well as branches along Victoria Street (1975–1981) and in the Orchard Road area (1981–1994). In the 1960s, with Western culture making greater inroads into the local fashion consciousness, there was an increasing popularity for made-to-measure clothing which led to a demand for tailors who could replicate coveted Western designs. Between the 1970s and the 1980s, Fatman was one of the most renowned tailor shops in Singapore, ordering fabrics from London to satiate the growing demands of consumers, who also appreciated Fatman's fine workmanship.
