The one-piece long gown is a female equivalent of the man’s long robe (known as ‘changshan’长衫in Southern China and Hong Kong and ‘changpao’ 长袍 in Northern China) during the early Republican period in China and Hong Kong. The garment could be worn with trousers or full-length stockings. This exquisite silk gown with floral motifs and flower buttons suggests that this garment would have been worn by Mr Kaan Tat Choi’s female relatives. Mr Kaan was a successful businessman in the bullion business. He expanded his business from Hong Kong to Malaya in the 1920s, acquiring several rubber plantations along the east coast of Malaya. Mr Kaan also opened a bullion trading company called “Yee Shing” at 20 Canal Road in Singapore in the 1930s.
