A Singapore TikTok user’s dispute with local fashion label The Style Soirée over the cause of a wardrobe malfunction has gone viral.
Natalie Ong said in a TikTok post that a tube top she had purchased from the label unzipped in public due to a faulty zipper.
While she made light of the incident, Ms Ong stressed that it had been a distressing experience. “I would not wish this experience (+ the aftermath of dealing with the rude local brand lol) on my worst enemy,” she wrote.
The video sparked a flurry of reactions online, with many expressing sympathy for Ms Ong. One commenter said: “I also had a top from them and one day the zipper came down… I sewed hooks onto all my TSS tops with those zippers because it was quite traumatising.”
Another wrote: “This kind of zipper shouldn’t be used for a tube. It can be easily undone if it gets caught in anything.”
But there were also those who defended the brand. “Once it’s locked, she’s secure,” said one TikTok user, referring to the zip mechanism. Another added: “It wasn’t that hard to understand how the zipper works. She didn’t follow the tutorial.”
The Style Soirée later released its own TikTok video that showed the disputed top being zipped and tugged on. The clip was overlaid with captions such as “maybe you should calm down first and try pressing the zip down?” and was partially set to circus-style music.
It included screengrabs of the store’s chat with Ms Ong and disputed her claims.
The use of clown music drew criticism online, with one commenter calling it “not very respectful”. Others felt the situation could have been handled with more empathy.
Some viewers defended the brand, pointing out that the customer had not locked the zip in her video and that the tutorial had clearly explained how it worked. “Customer service is supposed to assess if it’s actually defective or user error – not just apologise blindly,” said one.
In response to queries from The New Paper, The Style Soirée said the matter was addressed during a TikTok Live session and that the top was tested live for over three hours without issue.
“The zipper functions as intended. It remains secure and only unzips when the pull is flipped upwards,” a spokesperson said.
The Paylyn Pleated Tube Top in question, which features a back zipper, is currently out of stock on The Style Soirée’s website, though the brand said it is exploring alternative zip and clasp options for future designs.
The brand added that refunds and exchanges are granted for valid defects, and that the video response was intended to clarify the situation. “As a business, we have our rights to clarify as we have to be held accountable to all our customers and people working with us.”
Ms Ong told The New Paper: “I did lock the zip down as instructed. That’s how I even managed to leave the house. But it flipped up and unlocked just from adjusting my hair or bag. The lock didn’t stay secure, which I considered a defect since the top relied entirely on it to stay up.”
She added that she had not intended to escalate the matter. “It was just a subtle rant of how I was invalidated and ridiculed by their customer service,” she said.
“Since TikTok has deemed the top defective and granted me a refund, and the brand has said they’ll explore other zip alternatives, that’s good enough closure for me.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional quotes from Natalie Ong.
