Cheongsam worn by Kwa Geok Choo during the swearing-in ceremony of Lee Hsien Loong as Prime Minister

Cheongsams were worn by sophisticated Singaporean women, including many nyonyas in the 1920s and 1930s, but by the 1950s it had become daily wear for most working women. Kwa continued to wear the cheongsam for formal and public appearances.