Living with Elizabeth Little: Sherri Koh shares precious moments with us
The story of how we met Sherri Koh, a long-time Elizabeth Little customer, begins even before the genesis of Elizabeth Little. Before designing and making our vintage-inspired heirlooms, Eileen ran ET Artisan Sweets, a bespoke cake boutique specialising in Parisian macarons and celebration cakes. It was here that Sherri had placed an order for a custom “Up” themed cake for her then 2-year-old daughter.
Years later, Sherri discovered Elizabeth Little while shopping at Boutique Fairs, but we both still had no idea that our paths had once crossed. It was only when Eileen recognised Sherri’s address while packing orders that she realised the history they shared. Today, that 2-year-old daughter is now 13, and we have since had the privilege of dressing both Sherri and her family through the years.
This is why we are so excited to present our newest story series: Living with Elizabeth Little. It is a true privilege to be able to design items that our customers want to take home with them, but even more of a gift to learn how our customers have honed their style and continue to reach for these designs over the years. It brings us such joy to be able to share in life’s many moments with you.
Without further ado, we are excited to introduce Sherri, a busy mum of 3 children who not only graciously shared her time with us, but also let us in on the meaning behind some of her most treasured closet staples.
Sherri wears her own Camille Dress, which she added to her collection in 2022 as part of a Lunar New Year family matching set.
“I’m a mother of 3 fairly young kids (spanning the ages of 7 to 13). I am currently on sabbatical leave and I see this season as a time to prioritize the many things that screams for our attention but really aren’t as important. I think I’m a girly girl at heart, which means I like most things pretty, sweet and pastels. In general, I avoid loud prints or colours.”
Sherri pairs her Camille Dress with low Ferragamo pumps. “Before kids, I used to regularly wear very high heels, but ever since having kids, I wear mostly ballet flats and block heels.”
“If you open my wardrobe, you’ll find most of my clothes are without prints. There are a lot of blues, pastels, whites, and neutral colours. The only clothes I have in prints are those from Elizabeth Little because I always have a heart for Liberty prints. They’re what my children call ‘mama’s pretty clothes’.”
Sherri wears her own made-to-order Savannah Dress, chosen by her children as one of their favourite “ mama’s pretty clothes”.
“I’m very loyal to my style so I haven’t deviated very much over the years. I like simple, classic styles but I appreciate small details that make the outfit pop, like a little cute button here, or a little ribbon on the sleeve. Sometimes I look at certain style in magazines or in a retail store, and I think, ‘oh that’s nice’, then I try on the exact outfit and I’m like, ‘who is this person in the mirror?!’”
Sherri pairs her Savannah Dress with gold flats from Repetto.
“I first discovered Elizabeth Little at a Boutiques Fair many years ago. I saw a long line of Japanese ladies crowding around her small booth, and I was told her clothes take time to make. So like any Singaporean, I knew: long queue + must wait = must be good things! I fell in love with her prints and they were the perfect prints for my little girl then! My children still love Elizabeth Little till today! Going to Auntie Eileen’s studio is like a family outing. ☺️”
Images of the family’s LNY outfits over the years, c/o Sherri.
“I’m so glad Eileen branched into growing her adult collection. These dresses are my go-to whenever there’s an occasion. For one, I can be quite sure there won’t be someone else at the event wearing the same run-in-the-mill outfit as me, and more importantly, I feel comfortable, confident and myself in it!”
Sherri wears her own Camille Dress, a favourite design of hers for the flutter sleeves, skirt length, and generous half-circle twirling skirt. She added the Camille Dress to her collection in 2023.
My earlier outfits were mainly Elizabeth Little’s cheongsam dresses. They were importantly made with the most comfortable and softest fabric. With 3 kids, it’s important to be able to move around and not feel weighed down by what you are wearing. I love that the material is light and I can wear it all day. I also like that they have pockets — it’s very rare that cheongsams have pockets!”
“I’m a very decisive person. I usually know exactly what I want already when I go to Eileen’s studio. It’s the same when I shop at retail outlets. I know exactly what I want, try them on, and chances are, I’ll walk out with most, if not all of what I’ve tried. I won’t buy an outfit if I’m really unsure after trying it on. If I’m still constantly thinking about it two weeks later, I’ll go back and get it.”
Sherri and her eldest daughter, Julianne, at home. Sherri wears her own Emmeline Blouse and Julianne wears her own Olivia Cheongsam Dress.
“I usually match my Elizabeth Little tops with solid bottoms, like white pants or navy shorts. I like that it’s something I can just throw on and go out, and not think about. This is a very typical weekend outfit for me.”
Julianne tells us her favourite part of this dress is the ribbon sash.
Sherri wears her own Adele Cheongsam, a design which we have since updated to the Simone Taylor Cheongsam.
“This was one of my earlier pieces from Elizabeth Little. It doesn’t fit me so well anymore because I think I lost some weight but I still keep it and wear it from time to time.”
“The sapphire ring is very special to me because it was the last gift from my Dad. My Dad passed away from cancer. That was when I took sabbatical leave to journey with him through his illness. The beautiful part of the ring is that I collected it on the day of his funeral. The jewellery shop had called me to let me know it was ready. Nobody in the right frame of mind would go pick up jewellery after laying their dad to rest, but it was so important to me that I had it that day. I told the lady who designed it I wanted something simple. I had sapphire in mind because to me, blue is the colour of honour. This ring is something I wear on occasions and on weekends to church. I also wear it on my holidays or whenever I travel because it’s like having a little bit of my Dad with me. I wear it to keep him close.”
Many thanks to Sherri and Julianne for sharing these precious moments with us. Here we are looking at their family album together, where Sherri and Julianne showed us the photo of the “Up” themed cake Eileen had made for Julianne’s second birthday. We are so grateful for these memories.
