Cheongsams from Qoo10, anyone? (Updated)

(I like to apologize first for getting this published prematurely yesterday. I had a bit of a problem getting used to the new WordPress format and accidentally pressed “Publish” before completing my post. This is the finalized version..)

Recently, out of curiosity, I decided to look at the type of cheongsams available for sale in Qoo10, a marketplace where sellers to set up online stores. (I mentioned in my previous post “Cheongsams from Etsy and others” that the stuff sold in qoo10 tend to be relatively cheaper than Etsy. It turns out there are a lot of cheongsams available, but they tend to be generic looking: the straight-cut fitting form with back zip. Still I was surprised by the price range of the dresses; they can be as cheap as less than S$20 to as much as more than S$400! Yet there don’t seem much differences between them, at least based on the pictures and absence of close look at the quality.

Let’s check out the cheap cheongsams available. If you are looking fur a one-off Chinese New Year dress, here is something for less than S $20. If the quality sucks, you can dump it when CNY is over. Though you have to keep your fingers crossed that it doesn’t look obviously cheap.

I had showcased the below dress in my previous post, which is selling in Etsy for more than S $160. The same dress (or maybe an imitation) is selling for less than a quarter of that in Qoo10!

For those looking for wedding cheongsams on a budget, look no further than Qoo10. You have options of either short or long dresses for less than S $100. The fabrics are claimed to make up of tulle, organza, and chiffon. Whether or not the workmanship is up to mark is for you to find out after delivery. I’m sure alteration is required as well. I guess if you do have a small budget, and again for one-time wear, you can consider it.

Now comes the more expensive cheongsams, like the one below which costs more than S$160. The fabric is supposedly natural silk.

This floral-print cheongsam is more than S$300! The pattern is marketed as spray painted on instead of printed. I assume that may be one of the reasons for the higher price, for labor-intensive fabric? (Does this mean if the dress gets wet, the color may run?) In the item description, there is much touting of the mulberry silk fabric. From the closed up images of the cheongsam, the workmanship seems ok. Still, would anyone pays a few hundred bucks for a mass-produced piece?

Then there is a dress, also more than S$300, which I think has questionable workmanship. Look at the seam of the right sleeve compared to the left one, and the lumpy fabric on the chest.

This image is intentionally tinted to avoid any accusation from the seller.

And I don’t know how an expensive cheongsam can have seam like this?

This image is intentionally tinted.

My husband suggested there is no harm getting a cheap cheongsam from Qoo10, just to check out the quality. I may do that to see how it compares to what I have. But I am not sure if I will get any dress that costs more than S$100. It’s actually easier to make a cheongsam with back zip than to have one made with the traditional front opening. So these dresses are basically factory-made.