Traditional Qipao Dresses

1. The history of traditional qipao

From the 1920s to the late 1940s, Chinese cheongsams were popular for more than 20 years, with various styles such as the height of the collar, the length of the sleeves, and the height of the slit, completely breaking away from the old-fashioned style of cheongsams and changing the long-held image of Chinese women who tied their chests and arms. This allowed women's body shape and curves to fully display their beauty, which was in line with the trend of the time and contributed to women's liberation. The blue cheongsam was most popular among female students at that time and quickly spread throughout the country, becoming a typical dress for new Chinese women in the late 1920s. It is worth mentioning that at that time, as leaders in fashion trends, modern women, socialites, and film and drama stars in the Ten Mile Shopping Mall also promoted the development of qipao styles with their innovative designs.

Since the 1930s, cheongsam has almost become the standard clothing for Chinese women, worn by women from the general public, students, workers, and high-ranking officials. Qipao has even become a formal dress for social occasions and diplomatic activities. Later, qipao was also introduced to foreign countries and imitated by women in other countries.

The 1930s and 1940s were the golden age of qipao, and also the most glorious period of modern Chinese women's clothing. At this time, the qipao had a slender and elongated shape, which matched the popular European women's clothing silhouette. At this point, the qipao has completely broken free from its limitations and is a new style that combines Chinese and Western elements. The qipao has been partially westernized, using Western style treatments on the collar and sleeves, such as using lotus leaf collars, Western style lapels, lotus leaf sleeves, or using double lapels with left and right openings. Although the application of these reforms was not widespread, it represented the freedom of people's thinking at that time, and the original program of qipao was no longer necessary to follow. The combination of cheongsam and Western-style jackets has made cheongsam enter the international clothing family, which can be combined with various modern clothing, indicating that it has become "international and modern". The cheongsams of the 1920s were still wide and straight; In line with the popular trend of inverted sleeves at that time, the hem of the cheongsam was relatively large, and the entire length of the robe was also in the shape of "inverted large". But the shoulders, chest, and even waist have shown a trend of fitting well.

In the late 1930s, the concept of "improved cheongsam" emerged. The cutting method and structure of qipao are more westernized, and the use of qipao for chest and waist is more suitable. At the same time, shoulder seams and sleeves have appeared, making the shoulders and armpits fit together. Some people also use softer shoulder pads, known as' beautiful shoulders' The cutting and structural changes were all completed in Shanghai. Mr. Jin Taijun, a descendant of the Shanghai Hongxiang Company, firmly believes in this. Although he did not personally experience the entire process, he could still obtain a lot of information about it from his master when he worked at Hongxiang in the 1940s. At this point, the cheongsam had already matured and taken shape, and future cheongsams could no longer deviate from the basic form determined by the cheongsam of the 1930s. They could only make some changes in length, weight, and decoration. The cheongsam beloved by women around the world is exemplified by the cheongsam of the 1930s. The cheongsam of the 1930s was modeled after the Shanghai-style cheongsam.

Influenced by Western clothing, the improved qipao gradually became popular among women. There are many styles of qipao, including long qipao, short qipao, clip qipao, single qipao, etc. The improved qipao almost became the standard clothing for Chinese women in the 1930s.

At this time, the fashion trend center had already moved from Suzhou and Yangzhou to Shanghai, which was also a big city for women seeking liberation. Missionaries, businessmen, and revolutionaries competed to establish women's schools, sparking a wave of feminist movement. The social atmosphere seeking liberation is cleansing the outdated customs and habits in clothing and makeup, tending towards simplicity, striving for elegant colors, and emphasizing the natural beauty of women.

Go to the world arena
1). As early as 1933, the Chinese qipao won a silver medal at the Chicago World Expo.
2). The organizing committee of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo in China customized 60 sets of silk cheongsams as gifts from the Chinese government to the wives of heads of state of various countries, each worth 100000 yuan.
3). In November 2014, at the 22nd Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting held in Beijing, the Chinese government chose qipao as the attire for the wives of leaders from various countries attending the meeting.
4). The wives of consuls general from various countries in Shanghai have also participated in charity performances wearing cheongsams.
5). Foreign tourists who come to Shanghai often consider custom-made cheongsams as their first program, representing Chinese elements.
6). The media has reported that American audiences wear cheongsams to watch performances at the Chinese Cultural Festival.
7). Pierre Cardin, a famous French fashion designer, once said, "In my evening dress designs, a large part of the inspiration comes from the cheongsam in China
8). At the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Swedish female athletes wore the style of Chinese cheongsam for their appearance. More than 10 Olympic champions from various countries requested to make a Chinese dress - cheongsam - for their wedding.
9). For overseas celebrities, wearing qipao in public may be more of an exotic addition to themselves. Chinese and foreign media have released beautiful cheongsam photos of Elizabeth Taylor, Paris Hilton, Kylie Minogue, Emma Watson, Jennifer Lopez, and Ayumi Hamasaki.
The qipao style of Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lopez, British supermodel Kate Moss, Nicole Kidman, Victoria Beckham, and Celine Dion further proves the international influence of qipao.
The wives of Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong both wear cheongsams as their formal attire, while the wives of Chinese Singaporean presidents throughout history have showcased their Chinese identity by wearing cheongsams.
Vietnamese officials believe that the traditional Vietnamese costume AODAI (Aude) originated from the Chinese cheongsam.
10). On August 29, 2006, Malaysia issued a set of stamps featuring traditional costumes of various ethnic groups in Malaysia, with the cheongsam being the attire of Chinese women.

2. The characteristics of traditional qipao

Classical qipao dress mostly adopts straight lines, a loose body, with slits on both sides, and a chest waist circumference that is close to the size ratio of the skirt. The appearance characteristics of qipao generally require the following features in whole or in part: a right lapel with a wide open or semi-open front, a standing collar with a button, and a side slit. The slit is just one of the many features of cheongsam.

Through the evolution of designers and qipao in the first half of the 20th century, the various basic features and constituent elements of qipao gradually stabilized. The qipao has become a classic women's clothing and one of the sources of inspiration for designers. Qipao is a traditional fashion for Chinese women that emerged in modern times, rather than a formal traditional ethnic costume. It has both the vicissitudes of the past and the renewed present era. The qipao has a certain historical significance, and coupled with its high level of appreciation, it has a certain collection value.