History Of Chinese Dress

History Of Chinese Dress

Cheongsam also named Qipao, is one of the traditional clothes in China. It originates

from the middle of 16 century as an ancient clothing of Manchu ethnic minority. As

for whom style this type of dress, nobody has an answer. But there has a fairy tale

that lengthy extended ago close to the Jingbo Lake, there lived Manchu fishing girl.

She felt the old loose dress will not be convenient for operating, so she clipped it.

Afterwards, she was picked as a princess in palace where she missed the past and

wore the dress she designed again. However the king believed this behaviour guilty

and drove her out from the palace. The girl died due to the fact from the kicking

from the king. Manchu people today heard the news of that, to be able to bear in

mind this princess, men and women there began to wear that dress. Later, girls

thought it was gorgeous and named it Qipao.

Inside the early time of Qing Dynasty, cheongsam was created as collarless, narrow

cuff, four slits and also a fitting waist. Firstly, the dress didn't cover the feet, only the

women got married, they would wear the a single covered their feet as a formal

dress. When the Manchu rulers came for the central plains, they began to unify the

nationwide costume too. Males at that time ordinarily wore lengthy gown,

meanwhile ladies wore cheongsam. Gradually, cheongsam has turn out to be the

regular dress for Chinese ladies.

The heyday from the cheongsam may be the 1930s. Shanghai, at that time, as the

culture center in the east and the west, not simply some highest-tone women, but

also folk women,workers and students worn it. Cheongsam became the formal suit

for occasions of social intercourses or diplomatic activities. Later immediately after

the 1940s, influenced by foreign countries, the pruning became narrow-sleeved and

fitted to the waist which shown the beauty in the female shape. And it was

well-known among some European countries.

Girls in China like to put on cheongsam since it fits the female Chinese figure nicely,

and together with the very simple lines, it looks very elegant. To Han people, this

dress will not be only the very simple costume, but in addition the symbol of Chinese

regular culture.