HANDBAG HITS AND MISSES

COUPLE SHARE TIGHT BOND

Bernard Cheong, 51, partner of Lifeline Medical Group

Dolly Ong, 47, financial controller of Lifeline Medical Group

This doctor has found the prescription to a long marriage: shopping for your missus.

Dr Bernard Cheong has been married to wife Dolly for 22 years, and buys 20 per cent of her wardrobe.

The secret to his marriage lies in buying 'tight and body-con' (fashionspeak for body-conscious) dresses bearing designer labels such as Jiki, Herve Leger and Roberto Cavalli, he tells Urban.

These sexy frocks by some of Europe's glam brigade cost $800 to $8,000.

'Many people denigrate fashion as a frivolity. I think it can save many marriages,' the father of two teenage daughters says when Urban visited the couple at their home in the Hillview area.

'Forget about going to the karaoke lounge and getting a mistress. Fashion can really transform a woman.

'I have never seen the woman I love look so beautiful as when she slipped on her first Herve Leger.'

Over the years, Doctor Fashionista has bought more than 30 Legers for his wife, including vintage ones on eBay.

The striped monochrome number his wife put on for Urban's photo shoot (Photo 2) was a recent second-hand buy for $500 on eBay.

What he says:

How do you like your woman to dress up?

I'm a limbs person so I like to see my wife show off her legs and shoulders.

What was your best buy for her?

The two vintage Herve Leger dresses which I got from a New York-based website, Always In Style. One is a black and white 1999 number with a houndstooth brocade that cost $6,000. The other is a lime green one, also from 1999, with a sheer bustier that cost $8,000.

What was your worst buy for her?

I recently bought a pair of latex leggings with tattoo prints by German label Savage-Wear. But it was difficult for her to wear as it has zippers running from front to back.

What she says:

What was his best buy for you?

I was one of the best-dressed guests at the 2004 Prestige Ball hosted by the society magazine wearing a blue Jiki dress with Swarovski crystals. Bernard bought it for $7,000.

What was his worst buy for you?

Sometimes the clothes he buys can be a little eccentric for my taste. At my age, I would not wear dresses above mid-thigh.

The outfit I'm wearing (in the photo) is an example of his quirky taste - I look like a jailbird and my daughters say I look like a referee.

Have you ever felt he was imposing his will on you?

Sometimes I don't necessarily like what he chooses but feel pressured to wear them.

I think I would be naive to say that he doesn't look at other women in body-con and sexy outfits.

He is the type of man who has no qualms about praising an acquaintance of ours in front of me. As a wife, I do feel a twinge of jealousy.

Sazali Sulaiman, 25, electrical technician with a forklift distribution and rental company

Nadia Mis'ari, 24, assistant manager at a statutory board

When Sazali was doing his national service (NS) stint in Taiwan five years ago, he did an unusual thing for an army boy - he bought four handbags.

They were gifts for his handbag-loving girlfriend.

Nadia has a weakness for bags, along with shoes, he says.

The then-officer cadet spent $700 of his $1,000 NS allowance on the bags at street markets and malls.

The pair recently got engaged after dating for six years.

These days, they go shopping together twice a month and he pays for most of her purchases.

In fact, he sets aside at least $250 of his $2,000 monthly salary to spend on her, but hastens to add that she is not brand-conscious and that there is usually money left over.

Their favourite retail hotspots: heartland malls like Jurong Point and Tampines 1 and pocket-friendly labels such as Charles & Keith.

What he says:

How do you like your woman to dress up?

I love seeing her in officewear such as pencil skirts, tailored pants, satin blouses and high heels.

That is why I always ask to meet her after she knocks off work.

What was your best buy for her?

Handbags from Sembonia and Braun Buffel that cost $300 each. I bought them as a solemnisation gift to her.

What was your worst buy for her?

Nadia has a tendency to not tell me what she really thinks of what I buy for her. She will smile even though she hates it.

For instance, I bought her a $70 purse for her 19th birthday, which she gave to her mum.

I knew of this only a year later when she confessed the style was too old-fashioned for her.

What she says:

What was his best buy for you?

The $1,000 Lee Hwa Jewellery engagement ring he recently bought while we were out together.

What was his worst buy for you?

A brandless pink tote during his NSstint in Taiwan five years ago. I have carried it only once because I find the colour difficult to match with my outfits and the look is too tacky for me.

Have you ever felt he was imposing his will on you?

Never. When we shop, it's more about asking each other for advice rather than him dictating what he likes.

What I find irritating is that he goes through each item thoroughly, nit-picking everything from the zips to the seams to even how strong the handles are. I do get embarrassed sometimes when he does that.