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Singapore costume rental shop owner slams request to 'train' man to be BDSM 'servant'

This was not the first instance of sexual and bizarre requests she's received.

Eye mask, handcuff and prop (left) and screen grab of reply message from shop owner
Eye mask, handcuff and prop (left) and screen grab of reply message from shop owner (Photos: Getty Images & Theresa Chan/Whatsapp)

SINGAPORE - A costume shop owner received an unusual request from a male client for rental of a servant costume on Monday (27 March) morning.

Theresa Chan, owner of costume rental company The Costume, told Yahoo Southeast Asia she was first approached via text from a customer who wanted to be 'dressed as a servant for a session'.

Unsure about the context of the request, Chan probed the customer further before discovering he wanted the costume for 'a session for dom and sub', implying he desired to rent the costume for 'personal use'.

As a costumier involved in the local theatre and entertainment industry, Chan was initially baffled by the request.

"What's a dom and sub? Why does this sound so familiar but so unfamiliar at the same time? How can I not know? I've been in the theatre business for so many years."

Later that afternoon, Chan pieced things together to realise the sexual nature of his inquiry and recommended the customer to purchase the costume should he desire to use it for personal activities due to hygiene purposes.

After that, the customer requested for Chan to 'train him to be a servant'.

By that point, Chan said she was irritated and angry. She rejected his request and told the customer that she runs a professional costume rental business.

"If you require my assistance to find a costume for you to purchase for your personal activity, it is understandable. However, what you are asking for is inappropriate, rude and disrespectful and I do not appreciate that. Thank you and have a good day," replied Chan.

"If he went to a sex shop, the sex shop should be able to guide him. I don't think we have proper channels for that which is quite sad that he has to call up a costume shop for such things," Chan said when asked why she thought her shop was approached.

"If he really needed me to purchase for him, I would do it as a coordinator," Chan said.

"Do it, sell it to him, get my money and then move on with my life," said Chan, who also shared that she has had to sell surgical masks and seasonal goodies because of rising rental costs and the COVID pandemic affecting business.

Other instances of 'sexual' requests

This was not the first time Chan has received requests of such nature.

In 2018, back when the shop was operating in MacPherson, a middle-aged guy had entered the store with a female partner asking for a French maid costume.

Assuming they needed help to find the right size, Chan stood by the couple, only to overhear the man telling the woman it would be 'quite fun if you wear this costume in the bedroom'.

She proceeded to suggest both parties purchase costumes of such nature from another costume shop if they wanted to use it for personal sexual activities. She was even open to providing the customer names of other shops.

The second instance was a text received in early 2019 from a potential customer requesting for a BDSM costume, which Chan said she had not responded to.

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