finding a dressmaker in qianmen

Today I went to Qianmen to go find a dressmaker. I’ve been inspired by the beautiful dresses worn by Maggie Cheung in “In the Mood for Love”. . very contemporary style qipaos in gorgeous silk prints with higher collars, above the knee.

But it was a bit of a toss up as far as finding a dressmaker. The last time I was in Beijing I had gotten four dresses made in very traditional material (the thicker, embroidered silk) and cuts. I can’t remember how I had chosen the place, but they had done quite good work. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the store or the exact address.

So I found myself wandering the very touristy, busy streets of Qianmen- slipping in and out of random alleys- some starkingly run-down compared to the outer sections- until I discovered one that appeared vaguely familiar. Finally, I entered a store that did have a dressmaker. Painstakingly, in broken Chinese and aided with the DVD cover for “In the Mood for Love” I attempted to describe the type of dresses I wanted made. I was measured and the description was written down. For less than USD $100 I was able to order three qipaos to be made. . . pretty good deal compared to the U.S. . . but I won’t know until August 1st if they are up to snuff (wait for pics).