What Are Cheongsams
| Cheongsam, a female dress with distinctive Chinese features, known to the whole world as a language that expresses the beauty of oriental women, now enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high fashion. And today, Cheongsam, a kind of costume that making a woman’s life a legend, combines the elaborate elegance of Chinese tradition with unique elements of style. The high-necked closed-collar cheongsam with a loose chest, fitting waist,
| | and the attractive slits, is one of the most versatile costumes in the world. It can be long or short, some with full, medium, short or even no sleeves at all to suit different occasions, weather and individuals tasteAnother beauty of cheongsam is that it does not require the wearer to wear accessories like scarves and belts. It is designed to show off the natural softness of the female form, it also cerates the illusion of slender legs, so it makes people a good figure.....more |
The Beauty of Cheongsams
| The collar of Cheongsam generally takes the shape of a semicircle, its right and left sides being symmetrical, flattering the soft and slender neck of woman. Also, against the woman’s lips and chin, it brings out her sex appeal. The collar of Cheongsam needs making meticulously, specially the buttonhole loop on the collar, which serves as the finishing touch. The collar of Cheongsam is really the key part. The front of Cheongsam is rather ordinary, both loose and tight. To be more exact, its bust girth is appropriate. | | Consider Cheongsam without sleeves first. Quite contrary to the traditional Cheongsam with a protrusive front and tiny waist, sleeves of Cheongsam exposes a woman’s slender arms, making her feel comfortably cool, on the other hand, showing the ingenuity of the designer. As for Cheongsam with sleeves, their sleeves vary in shape and length. The cuffs of chipau are so varied that they are too numerous to mention one by one. They give sentiment to women’s hands, making their hands appear pretty and exquisite or small and delicate.....more | |
| The breast is one of the most important parts of a female figure. How to display this part has been a key subject faced by all fashion designers. The design of the front of Cheongsam is simple and flowing without any decoration. It seems that designers don’t pay much attention to the front, but it is not the case. To display the protruding breast of a woman, the designers make the waist girth appear. Cheongsams may have a variety of sleeves. Its designers usually don’t pay much attention to the front of Cheongsam, they do spend a lot of efforts on the sleeves. | |||
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History of Cheongsam
The word cheongsam comes from the Cantonese pronunciation of the Shanghaiese word (chángshān in Mandarin) long dress . It is usually called a qípáo in China .The qípáo, literally' banner gown' evolved from the clothing style worn by Manchu women in the past. Qipao were also called qípáor, or ch'i-p'ao, often known in English as the cheongsam (Cantonese from the Shanghaiese pronunciation of chángshān long dress in pinyin ) mandarin gown, is a body-hugging (modified in Shanghai) one-piece dress forwomen. At the time it appeared in the mid 1920s, it was considered very expensive.
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| Cheongsam in Qing Dynasty | Cheongsam in Republication Period | Modern Qipao |
Due to its restrictive nature, it is now mainly worn as formal wear for important occasions. They are sometimes worn by politicians and film artists in Taiwan and Hong Kong. They are shown in some Chinese movies. However, they are sometimes used as Halloween costumes in some western countries. They are also commonly seen in beauty contests, along with swim suits.
At the end of 20s , with the influenced of occident, the style of cheongsam changed obviously.
| | Today, cheongsam are only commonly worn day-to-day for some people as uniform. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, cheongsams were the uniforms for the medal bearers. They were also worn by female members of the Swedish team and of the Spanish team in the opening ceremony, with the national colors. For the 2012 Hong Kong Sevens tournament, sportswear brand Kukri Sports teamed up with Hong Kong lifestyle retail store G.O.D. to produce merchandising, which included traditional Chinese Cheongsam. |
If you want to order a tailor-made Cheongsam, here are the tips:
Good Chinese tailor shops present you a lot of varieties: At first you can choose fabrics, color and pattern. But often you additionally can choose many different kinds of buttons, buttonhole-loops and -colors; you can select…view more
Conclusion:
The form of the cheongsam makes people associate with the past poems and rhymed prose in which women’s softness, beauty and refinement were vividly described. The chipau is a contribution to the Chinese nation has made to the world wardrobe. Whenever people see a chipau, they will think of Chinese nation and ancient full of boundless mystery. The chipau seems to have a charm, which is symbol for Chinese women with black eyes and hairs and yellow skin. The chipau goes with its tradition and new trend, displaying the wearer’s spirit.
Written by Nicolas Yang
