My Grandfather's Tailored Western Trousers

When my grandfather arrived in Sibu he was barely 18 years old in 1903. He could have worn cotton Chinese trousers with string to tie them at his waist.

By 1920's he was Rev James Hoover's good friend. Grandfather was a very capable man with a mechanical mind. He was also a skilled carpenter. My great grandfather who by then had acquired a bit of wealth became a contractor, and my grandfather and his brother were able to get good labourers together, and they built houses, besides having people to tap their rubber gardens. Soon the family developed their family business and did quite well.

By the 1940's,when he went to church and attend meetings, according to my aunts, my grandfather wore smart clothes, and for special occasions, white western trousers and or in those days they were called official white suits.

It was said that for all the years in Sibu, Rev James Hoover set the fashion trends. Foochow Methodists wore white when they went to church. And Mrs. Hoover insisted that all her Yuk Ing Girl's students must wear white on Sunday. It was the notion of the American Sunday BEST. 

During the Colonial days white suits continued to be appropriate, following the white suits or uniforms worn by the British colonial officers. Most Foochow men of some social stature would wear such clothes for photo taking and official functions. 

However, some would wear their Sun Yat Sen suits, and white starched cotton too, when they came together for meetings and photo calls. 

In time, the Sun Yat Sen Suits became out of fashion, (politically) when the British Colonial government condemned Communism in the later part of 50's. Perhaps, this also explained why SUPP party members wore white for their meetings since then. 

 I cannot remember any one wearing a Sun Yet Sen suit during my student days namely the 60's and 70's. Later when Malaysia was first formed, many men wore bush jackets. I thought that was a spin off of the Sun Yet Sen suits. Mao Tze Dung also sported a kind of Sun Yet Sen suit. 

Today, fashion trends can be anything. A nice American man marrying a Chinese girl in Australia may sport a Sun Yet Sen suit, while the bride might even wear an Indian Sari!! A New Zealander married an Indian man recently wore a sari to match her husband's Nehru suit!! Many Chinese continue to hold their wedding ceremonies wearing the Qing dynasty fashion.

Many well turned out Foochow men had nice photos taken in the 30's right up to the 50's. The Rev James Hoover and Wong Heng Kwong, and later my father took photos during their life time in Sibu. I hope in the future people would give credit to them whenever photos are used or when they can be identified. Some famous British colonial officers also took good photos for the government. Ian Urquhart and Hedda Morrison were the more famous names in the 50's, while Governor General Malcolm MacDonald was a good photographer himself.

From left : 1951 @ 50th Anniversary of Foochow Settlement in Sibu.
 Rev Wong King Huo in his Chinese white suit, my grandfather
 in his white linen suit, and my father (quite possible his clothes were bought in Singapore).

One would often wonder who tailored the clothes of these Foochow gentlemen? According to some elders the frugal Foochow men would order a special pair of white trousers from Singapore. Those with more money imported their trousers from Shanghai. A special shop in Sibu called Tung Lung was the middle man for such imported clothes for men, according to an aunt who passed away some time ago. That was a gem of information for me!! 

 But in his later life, my grandfather looked every inch a worldly gentleman because of the tailoring skill of Grandmother Siew. Grandmother Siew made all the clothes for Grandfather from the end of the Japanese War until Grandfather passed away in 1963. 

 She was a very good seamstress. Born in China, she hardly had any education but by dint of hardwork, she was well versed in Chinese herbal medicine. To her credit, in her later life in Sungei Merah, she was able to recommend good medicatiom for a lot of ailments. Her background knowledge of medicinal herbs in China always helped her. 

 She learned tailoring by taking apart (deconstruction) old trousers for example and then followed the pattern. she placed the pieces of old trousers on top of white linen material bought in Tung Lung, cut and sewed.

 Each pair of trousers she made for Grandpa was perfect and neat. He wore those tailored trousers to Singapore, Kuching and other places when he visited his children, and when he attended weddings and meetings. 

She was also very good in choosing materials for clothes. She also made clothes for grand daughters. But her two daughters wore the best clothes in Sibu until they left for further studies. My youngest aunt being very pretty was always wearing the top of fashion in Sibu, all made by my grandmother Siew.

(Note : Those were the days in Sibu when no shop sold ready made clothes. A sewing machine was a prized gift to a bride who would then be the tailor for her family, and even her extended family.)