Cheongsam
FASHION, POLITICS, AND CULTURE SEWN TOGETHER
Who could have imagined that a dress could repeatedly influence political and cultural agendas of a country? Women have been wearing the traditional long, flowing dress called a cheongsam, or “Mandarin dress,” for more than 500 years in China. The modern cheongsam is a contemporary version of the qipao worn by members of the Qing Dynasty, who ruled China from the 17th to 19th centuries. The original version was wide and loose fitting, covering the majority of the woman’s body, except the face, hands, and feet. The modern version we recognize today, with its silky fabrics, form- fitting silhouette, high neckline, and side slits, went through many symbolic transformations after the fall of the Qing Empire in 1911. From official high-class call-girl garb in the 1920s to a fashionable symbol of political resistance against Communist oppression in the 1960s, today’s stylish party dress has shifted in and out of trends, often due to government crackdowns on its citizens’ dress code.
Within this global marketplace, traditionally ethnic dress has begun to transcend borders; the cheongsam can just as often be seen on a Hollywood starlet at the Oscars as on a local Chinese woman shopping in Hong Kong. You could easily order one from the Internet or have a custom dress made by your local tailor, “suited” to your personal taste. —SBR
Traditional Chinese cheongsam (qipao) in red silk, a color considered to attract luck, good fortune, and prosperity.