Traditional Chinese Dress – Qipao

Chinese dressing style is quite different from those in the west because of China’s unique cultures. As Chinese movies march towards the world stage, an increasing number of Chinese movies and movie stars are known by people abroad, such as In The Mood For Love and its chief actress Madame Zhang Manyu. In this movie, Madam Zhang always wears the 旗(qí) 袍(páo), or cheongsam. 旗(qí) 袍(páo) is one of the most distinctive costumes for Chinese women.

The cheongsam is a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women; the male version is the长(chánɡ) 衫(shān). It is known in skype Chinese lessons as the Qipao, and is also known in English as a mandarin gown. In ancient time, the collar of the costume was made high and tight fitting to keep warm. And this feature is often incorporated into cheongsam styles. Now, it is not only to keep warm but also for beauty. Usually, the collar of cheongsam takes a semicircle shape, and the right and left sides of it are symmetrical. The collar of the 旗(qí) 袍(páo) is made meticulously, especially the buttonhole loop on the collar, which serves as the finishing touch.

There are two big slits at either side of the hem of a cheongsam for moving conveniently while displaying the woman's slender legs. The cheongsam is far more modest that a short skirt even though it reveals beautiful glimpses of leg far up the thigh. Like a Chinese temperament, the cheongsam is elegant and gentle. The modernized version is noted for accentuating the figures of women, and as such remains popular as a dress for high society. As Western fashions changed, the basic cheongsam design changed too, introducing high-necked sleeveless dresses, bell-like sleeves, and the black lace adorning the hem. By the 1940s, cheongsam came in a wide variety of fabrics with an equal variety of accessories.