SINGAPORE: While no woman (or any person for that matter) should ever be reduced to their looks or fashion choices, many in Singapore have something new to look forward to regarding Ms Loo Tze Lui, the wife of newly-minted Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Ms Loo, who works in wealth management, has won praise for her classic, if understated, style, as seen in recent high-profile events she attended, including the inauguration of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and PM Wong’s swearing-in ceremony at the Istana on May 15.
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On her husband’s big night, Ms Loo was clad in a black dress, with a simple necklace and heels completing her ensemble. Other photos online of the Prime Minister’s wife have shown that she often chooses clothing with long, elegant lines.
Many have noted Ms Loo’s beauty and grace, especially as she has been in the spotlight more and more due to her husband’s government role. Some have even compared the lovely Mrs Wong’s looks to those of a K-drama actress.
Mdm Ho, on the contrary, has not always been as successful in her personal style choices.
An engineer by profession who helmed Temasek Holdings from 2004 to 2021, she was criticized in the past for her appearance, especially in state functions, with some even suggesting that a stylist would be necessary to help her look better.
In particular, Mdm Ho was called out for wearing open-toed shoes more than once. At a visit to the White House in 2017, she was photographed in casual sandals, in contrast to the other members of the delegation from Singapore, who many feel were more appropriately dressed.
Some had already characterized her style as sloppy the year before when, on a visit to the US, a photo of her standing beside then-First Lady Michelle Obama showed a marked difference between them.
While some defended her for looking “authentic” and urged her to “keep it real,” others have said that she looked more like a “market auntie” or an ah ma.
But Mdm Ho has appeared to be undisturbed by such criticism, continuing to sport open-toed sandals to even formal events such as the ASEAN summit gala in November 2018 and when meeting former US Vice President Mike Pence and his wife in the same week.
Two days later, on Friday (16 Nov), Ho Ching again wore nude open-toed sandals as she greeted visiting US Vice President Mike Pence and his wife alongside PM Lee.
However, with eyes now on the new PM and his wife, perhaps there won’t be a need for a fashion showdown or face-off between the two women after all. /TISG
Read also: Ho Ching Sandals White House controversy continues, Nadia Samdin praised for footwear choice