traditional clothing in China- Cheongsam
Cheongsam
The cheongsam is a
body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women
The cheongsam is the
dress that most westerners associate with China. It is a long, close-fitting
dress with short sleeves, a slit up one side, a mandarin collar (a round,
stand-up collar that is worn close to the neck), and a fastening across the
right side of the upper chest. The cheongsam, also known as the qi-pao or the
cheung sam, is considered the national dress of Hong Kong, a major island off
the coast of China. Though outsiders see the cheongsam as typically Chinese, in
fact the dress represents a mixing of Chinese and Western clothing styles.
Women especially
began to have more freedom and wanted to modernize their clothing to allow more
freedom of movement and comfort. But they didn't want to just adopt Western
dress. The cheongsam represented a compromise. It used traditional Chinese
fabrics like silk and included a traditional collar and fastening across the
right side. But the form-fitting cut and the lack of binding ties were
distinctly Western.
It is advertised
heavily and worn by famous actresses, often with high heels popular in the West
Women in Hong Kong
wear the dress to celebrate their cultural identity
http://www.encyclopedia.com/sports-and-everyday-life/fashion-and-clothing/clothing-jewelry-and-personal-adornment/cheongsam
The cheongsam is a sheath dress with a high cylindrical collar,
side slits and an asymmetrical opening in the front that stretches from the
middle of the collar to the armpit and down the side. The opening is
traditionally secured with knotted buttons and loops known as hua niu
(flower button).
Cheongsams can be made using a variety of materials to suit various seasons, occasions and budgets. Materials used for making cheongsams include satin, silk, brocade, velvet, lace and cotton. Cheongsams for daytime wear are normally simple in design with only piping and prints for decoration. Evening wear cheongsams have far more elaborate designs and are usually adorned with sequins and bead. For work, the cheongsam is sometimes paired with a matching Western-style jacket.
The lengths of the hems and sleeves of the cheongsam have changed with fashion trends, although the fit of the dress has generally become tighter over the years.The trend towards closer-fitting clothes that show the wearer’s figure reflects the growing influence of Western values among Chinese women. For the best fit, most cheongsams were traditionally custom-made for the wearer. Shanghainese tailors in particular were renowned for their skill in making cheongsams.
Historical development
The cheongsam is believed to have evolved from a long robe worn by Manchu women during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) in China. The long gown was cut in a single piece that hung straight down to the ankles. There was a slit on either side of the gown but other garments worn underneath prevented the legs from showing.
Prior to the cheongsam, Chinese women generally wore two-piece outfits consisting of tops paired with either skirts or pants. The cheongsam was not immediately popular due to its resemblance to the men’s one-piece gown known as the changshan (long shirt) or changpao (long robe).
The earliest cheongsams were loosely fitted and had a low hemline that reached the ankles. A group of female students in Shanghai became one of the first women to wear the cheongsam when they started donning the outfit in 1912. In a bid for gender equality, these students wore the cheongsam as a modification of the men’s long robe. The students’ version of the cheongsam was made of cotton, plain in design and loose-fitting with bell sleeves. This experimental style of dress piqued the interest of other women and it soon became a trendy outfit.
The cheongsam first became popular in late 1920s Shanghai, which was then an influential fashion capital. The cheongsam spread from Shanghai to places with large Chinese communities such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. Shanghai calendar posters that featured beautiful women dressed in cheongsams also helped to boost the popularity of the dress
Cheongsams can be made using a variety of materials to suit various seasons, occasions and budgets. Materials used for making cheongsams include satin, silk, brocade, velvet, lace and cotton. Cheongsams for daytime wear are normally simple in design with only piping and prints for decoration. Evening wear cheongsams have far more elaborate designs and are usually adorned with sequins and bead. For work, the cheongsam is sometimes paired with a matching Western-style jacket.
The lengths of the hems and sleeves of the cheongsam have changed with fashion trends, although the fit of the dress has generally become tighter over the years.The trend towards closer-fitting clothes that show the wearer’s figure reflects the growing influence of Western values among Chinese women. For the best fit, most cheongsams were traditionally custom-made for the wearer. Shanghainese tailors in particular were renowned for their skill in making cheongsams.
Historical development
The cheongsam is believed to have evolved from a long robe worn by Manchu women during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) in China. The long gown was cut in a single piece that hung straight down to the ankles. There was a slit on either side of the gown but other garments worn underneath prevented the legs from showing.
Prior to the cheongsam, Chinese women generally wore two-piece outfits consisting of tops paired with either skirts or pants. The cheongsam was not immediately popular due to its resemblance to the men’s one-piece gown known as the changshan (long shirt) or changpao (long robe).
The earliest cheongsams were loosely fitted and had a low hemline that reached the ankles. A group of female students in Shanghai became one of the first women to wear the cheongsam when they started donning the outfit in 1912. In a bid for gender equality, these students wore the cheongsam as a modification of the men’s long robe. The students’ version of the cheongsam was made of cotton, plain in design and loose-fitting with bell sleeves. This experimental style of dress piqued the interest of other women and it soon became a trendy outfit.
The cheongsam first became popular in late 1920s Shanghai, which was then an influential fashion capital. The cheongsam spread from Shanghai to places with large Chinese communities such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. Shanghai calendar posters that featured beautiful women dressed in cheongsams also helped to boost the popularity of the dress
The cheongsam is a female dress with distinctive Chinese features and
enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high fashion.
The name “cheongsam,” meaning simply “long dress,” entered the English
vocabulary from the dialect of China’s Guangdong Province (Cantonese). In other
parts of the country including Beijing, however, it is known as “qipao“,
which has a history behind it.
When the early Manchu rulers came to China proper, they organized
certain people, mainly Manchus, into “banners” (qi) and called
them “banner people” (qiren), which then became loosely the
name of all Manchus. The Manchu women wore normally a one-piece dress which,
likewise, came to be called “qipao” or “banner dress.” Although the
1911 Revolution toppled the rule of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, the female dress
survived the political change and, with later improvements, has become the
traditional dress for Chinese women.]
Easy to slip on and comfortable to wear, the cheongsam fits well the
female Chinese figure. Its neck is high, collar closed, and its sleeves may be
either short, medium or full length, depending on season and taste. The dress
is buttoned on the right side, with a loose chest, a fitting waist, and slits
up from the sides, all of which combine to set off the beauty of the female
shape.
The cheongsam is not too complicated to make. Nor does it call for too
much material, for there are no accessories like belts, scarves, sashes or
frills to go with it.
Another beauty of the cheongsam is that, made of different materials and
to varying lengths, they can be worn either on casual or formal occasions. In
either case, it creates an impression of simple and quiet charm, elegance and
neatness. No wonder it is so much liked by women not only of China but of
foreign countries as well.
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