Rumah Kim Choo – Peranakan kebaya rental in Singapore

Consider travelling back in time at Rumah Kim Choo, a kebaya rental place in Singapore

Located along East Coast Road, Rumah Kim Choo is a two-storey Peranakan shophouse with a kebaya and baju melayu rental service and heritage gallery — stacked with authentic traditional Peranakan furniture and daily essentials,.

Peranakan costume rental services in Singapore

Rumah Kim Choo is perhaps one of the most underrated activity in Singapore.

We’ve got hanfu rental services in China and kimonos in Japan, so why not put on a kebaya or baju melayu while you’re in here?

Kebaya rental prices

For $58 per hour, you get to choose from a wide variety of traditional costumes, wear them on, and take as many photos as you’d like at the heritage gallery on the second floor. It looks just like your typical Peranakan household, with intricate wooden carvings, vibrant tiles, porcelain vases and brassware.

Do note that there are more options for the kebaya compared to the baju melayu.

First floor of Rumah Kim Choo where the traditional costumes are displayed

What is a kebaya?

The kebaya is a beautifully embroidered blouse paired with a batik or sarong skirt. It is an iconic garment worn by Peranakan women, reflecting a blend of Chinese and Malay cultural influences.

What is a baju melayu?

Meanwhile, the baju melayu is a traditional outfit for men, consisting of a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, often accompanied by a sampin (a short sarong) around the waist.

Free entry peranakan heritage house for photos

Instead of visiting the Peranakan Museum or Katong Antique House, which admission fee costs $12 and $15 respectively, you can consider heading down to Rumah Kim Choo instead as admission is free for all. You don’t even have to rent a Peranakan costume to visit the heritage house on the second floor.

Of course, Rumah Kim Choo will be less informative than the museum and antique house. But, it’s a great alternative if you’re mainly looking for photo opportunities anyway.

Location: 111 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428801
Opening hours: 9am-9pm

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Monice Cheung

A passionate baker at day and blogger at night, Monice’s life revolves around nothing less than food and cakes. Despite facing cakes all day, her true love is in fact sushi and steamboat. Her passion for food and travel has also sparked her initial interest in penning down her experiences on her personal blog – m0nice.com