Clothes hanger designed by Mr Choo Foo Wah of Fatman Singapore Gents’ Wear Company

Title
Clothes hanger designed by Mr Choo Foo Wah of Fatman Singapore Gents’ Wear Company
Year/Period
c1960s
Region
Singapore
Dimension
Object size: 13.5 x 38.4 x 2.5 cm
Accession No.
2019-00437
Credit Line
Gift from Founder of Fatman Singapore Gents' Wear Company, Mr Choo Foo Wah.

This sturdy hanger made of wood and metal, was designed by Mr Choo Foo Wah, founder of renowned tailor business, Fatman Singapore Gents' Wear Company, as early as the 1960s. The hanger could hold several pairs of pants each time. Fatman 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. Mr Choo 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.