A brief history of cheongsam Chi-pao dress: Where does that lingering style come from?

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In today’s various TV dramas or movies, as long as they involve the Republic of China period, there will always be a beautiful woman wearing a cheongsam more or less appearing in the drama. This is certainly an attempt by film and television dramas to show the beauty of women in the “Republic of China style”, but it also reflects that in today’s minds, the cheongsam is closely integrated with women of high status and has become a model that represents the beauty of Chinese women. apparel. As a relatively young piece of clothing, where does this lingering style come from? Today, let’s talk about the history of cheongsam.

The image of female cheongsam in the movie “Jinling Thirteen Hairpins”:

1. Origin and production

Although the wearing of cheongsam dress has nothing to do with the nation today, cheongsam has been popular in the world as a Manchu dress for a long time after its creation. Because the Manchu people implemented the Eight Banners system, the clothes worn by the “banner people” were naturally called “cheongsam”. As a nomadic people living in the northeastern region, the Manchus make a living as nomads. Their year-round life on horseback makes the robes they wear fit and split. Only in this way can the Manchus maintain their comfort on horseback to the greatest extent. In other words, early cheongsam was not limited to women. However, as the Manchus entered the Central Plains and founded the Qing Dynasty, and shifted from horseback life to farming life, the male cheongsam gradually withdrew from the stage of history. After hundreds of years of development, only the female cheongsam has survived.

Manchu riding and shooting scene

In other words, the cheongsam was not a representative of traditional Chinese clothing at the beginning. It was only known as a national costume. The style of cheongsam is also very different from today. Its design can wrap the whole body. However, with the evolution of the times, especially the introduction of Western clothing culture, the design of cheongsam is also constantly changing, and eventually became the representative of modern cheongsam. style.

2. The evolution of cheongsam during the Qing Dynasty

In the early days, cheongsam was made for both men and women. The style and structure were roughly the same, but the thickness varied with the seasons. To a certain extent, its style is similar to the clothing of the earlier Jin Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty. Due to the cold climate in the Northeast, the collar of the cheongsam is smaller, thinner and longer. It is completely different from the loose robes of the Han people. Because the cuffs are narrower, Therefore, it is also called “horseshoe sleeve” or “arrow sleeve”, and the patterns on the clothes are relatively simple and unsophisticated, without too many gorgeous modifications.

gown with horseshoe cuffs

After the Manchus entered the customs, they were increasingly influenced by Han culture, and their clothing was gradually influenced by Han clothing. By the mid-Qing Dynasty, the cuffs of cheongsam gradually became wider, and the overall style changed from slender to loose, with the hem mostly hanging to the ground. By the middle and late Qing Dynasty, cheongsam had become very loose, with a mainly straight shape. At the same time, a high stand-up collar design called “yuanbao collar” appeared on the collar, just like ingots standing on both sides. The parts are the same. Although this design looks more “peculiar”, it is very consistent with the body shape characteristics of Manchu women. Compared with women from the Central Plains, most Manchu women have stronger bodies. The straight-line design and high stand-up collar can well cover up the shortcomings of Manchu women in figure. At this time, short cheongsam with exposed legs had also begun to appear.

With the increase of national power and the improvement of production technology, the decorations and patterns on cheongsam have gradually become more colorful. At that time, many production techniques appeared, such as inlay, inlay, rolling, pasting, embroidery, etc., which all required extremely high craftsmanship. The craftsmanship can be accomplished. Most of these decorations are embroidered with lace on the sleeves and neckline, and the lace has become more exquisite and complex with the evolution of the times. By the late Qing Dynasty, many ornately decorated cheongsams were almost completely covered with pattern decoration, and the original fabric could no longer be recognized. This was also a very exaggerated form in the development process of cheongsams.

3. The “national dress” cheongsam: the evolution of cheongsam in the Republic of China

The Revolution of 1911 broke out in 1911. China ended its thousand-year imperial system and became the first “republic” in Asia. In such a society where everything needs to be “new”, cheongsam has naturally undergone many new changes under the influence of Western clothing. In the early years of the Republic of China, men wore Chinese tunic suits and suits as popular clothing, but women did not find suitable clothes as a popular clothing. For a time, women’s clothing in society was diverse, like the eight immortals crossing the sea, each showing its magical powers. By the 1920s, influenced by Western dress designs, the cheongsam was gradually transformed. The key to transformation is a breakthrough in concept. The design of cheongsam is no longer bound by traditional ethics and pays more attention to reflecting the beauty of women’s bodies, gradually becoming slimmer from looser.

The image of cheongsam beauties in films and TV dramas of the Republic of China

In the 1920s, female students in Shanghai took the lead in wearing the improved “cheongsam”. As the youngest and most fashionable and progressive group in society, female students made improvements to the cheongsam that fit modern aesthetics. They tightened the waist of the cheongsam so that the figure can be better displayed. The shape is still mainly linear and the cuffs are looser. At the same time, they improved the external decoration of the cheongsam to make it more simple, elegant and generous. It is in line with the student status and more solemn at the same time. Under the leadership of female students, cheongsam became widely popular in society again, and its simple and elegant design was also widely loved by upper-class women. At that time, someone said in a newspaper: “Women coming and going are all wearing colorful attire.” “Cheongsam,” for a time the cheongsam became a popular dress for Chinese women. In the “Regulations on Uniforms of the Republic of China” promulgated by the Nationalist Government in 1929, the cheongsam was listed as one of the standard dresses for women during the Republic of China.

After 1930, the development of cheongsam dress in China entered its heyday. Women wore cheongsam as a symbol of nobility and beauty. The styles of cheongsam also became diverse, making it difficult to form a single production standard. For example, the sleeves of the cheongsam came and went, and in the end the sleeves were simply eliminated. The length of the hem sometimes shortened from hanging to the ground to above the knees, while the slits on both sides of the cheongsam became increasingly wider. High, almost level with the hips at its highest point. The craftsmanship of cheongsam production is also becoming more and more sophisticated. The upper class naturally uses imported silk and satin, while ordinary people mainly use indanthrine cloth to make cheongsam. The decorative patterns are decorated with dragons, phoenixes, peacocks or simple geometric figures. It is no longer as gorgeous as in the late Qing Dynasty, but more solemn and elegant. All these changes reflect the changes and breakthroughs in people’s thinking. The design of clothes is mainly about beauty, and no longer considers the traditional etiquette and rules. The changes in clothing also reflect the social style of the Republic of China.

The history of the evolution of cheongsam can be regarded as the history of changes in Chinese aesthetics and ideas. With the introduction of Western culture and the development of China’s modernization, people, especially women, have made great breakthroughs in their ideas about clothing and no longer blindly pursue beauty. They are no longer bound by traditional etiquette and are gorgeous. They pay more attention to showing the beauty of women and the elegance of the clothes themselves. A history of cheongsam contains so many Chinese people’s dreams of pursuing modernization!

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