When the Manchu women in China first wore them, cheongsams were baggy and revealed only their heads, hands and tips of their toes.

More recently, local novelist and political critic Dr Catherine Lim, an ardent fan of the dress, called it "a startling panorama of the entire landscape of the female form".

Going by the number of women who don the garment, Dr Lim is not alone.

So, for Chinese New Year, we decided to check out cheongsam shop Tong Tong Friendship Store for this quintessentially Chinese dress.

Signature style

Home-grown label Tong Tong specialises in knee-length cheongsams and mandarin-style tops.

Cheongsams with the traditional, hour-glass silhouette are stocked along with more modern interpretations featuring A-line skirts and cotton prints.

Tags on Tong Tong's clothes describe the brand as being all about "delightfully decadent" apparel, but the only parts of the shopping experience I found delightfully decadent were the prices and the entrance of the store itself.

But more on that later.

This secret shopper wanted to try on more pieces but of the seven or eight designs that could fit my 1.7m, size 6 frame, only two really caught my eye.

A lightweight, cotton A-line cheongsam I picked fit me beautifully. And Iwas sorely tempted to dole out for its $389 price tag.

However, the other - a more structured, traditional piece (and costing a heftier $599) - was pretty much a disaster on my frame.

The small size was too tight in the hips and the medium size entirely too baggy. When I asked if the shop provided alteration services, the answer was no.

Ack!

With its reputation for being a specialised cheongsam boutique, I certainly expected more from Tong Tong - after all, aren't cheongsams meant to be tailored to fit perfectly?

Price point

Prices begin at $150 for mandarin-style tops and range between mid $200s and high $500s for cheongsams.

The designs at Tong Tong are modern and quirky, even whimsical, some might feel - so that could justify the price. Most stores these days charge that much anyway.

But here's a secret shopper tip: A check with four different local tailors revealed that you could get a made-to-measure knee-length cheongsam from $250, depending on material and design.

Between buying a dress custom-fit to my body shape and paying the same price for an off-the-rack piece, this skinflint knows which she's going for.

Squeeze-saunter

The shopfront gets full marks for giving off a cosy and eclectic vibe.

Customers enter Tong Tong via a dome-shaped, cave-like entrance, decorated with black-and-white mosaic tiles. After that is a small porch lined with astroturf, featuring decorative knick-knacks such as a faux tree branch and a vintage cage.

Inside the store is a whole different story.

It was too small to comfortably accommodate the lunchtime crowd of about 10 to 15 customers, plus four sales assistants.

The small space means I was forced to make eye contact with strangers as I browsed the racks.

The chatter in the small shop was annoyingly loud as I waited in line for one of the five tiny dressing rooms.

Size matters

Innovatively, sizes at Tong Tong correspond to the names of Chinese dynasties. For example, a US size 2 is tagged to the Tang dynasty while a size 4 is tagged to the Song dynasty.

Sizes run up to US size 10 (Qing dynasty).

Service

Staff at Tong Tong were polite and cordial, but not welcoming or helpful enough to make a lasting impression. On the whole, all right, but not fantastic.

Verdict

If you've got extra cash to spare and cheongsams with a casual, modern twist are your thing - check out Tong Tong.

I think it has enough panache as I like the whimsy it packs into its pieces.

However, I'm not too hyped about the no alterations rule - maybe it ruins the cut of the dress? It would have been great if the sales staff had explained more too.

But still, no alterations for a dress that is meant to be absolutely fitting?

Tong Tong Friendship Store

Where: 100 Beach Road #01-04/05 Shaw Towers
When: 12pm-8pm on Mondays to Saturdays, 12pm-5pm on Sundays.
History: Tong Tong Friendship Store is named after the original friendship stores in 1950s China that catered exclusively to tourists and foreigners.

The store was opened in 2006 by local designer Tan Sheau Yun.

This article was first published in The New Paper.