All about the Chinese Qipao Dress

The Chinese Qipao dress is a must-have of modern Chinese fashion. However, the origin and history of the Qipao are shrouded in mystery and many myths.

Qipao or Cheongsam?

Chinese Qipao is sometimes also called Cheongsam, but the former is more often used in French. The term Cheongsam is actually an English word: a romanization of the Cantonese word 衫, Cheuhngsam. This word is commonly used to describe this fitted Chinese dress that is particularly popular in Shanghai. In Shanghai Chinese dialect, the term zansae is commonly used to describe the same dress.

Qípáo, on the other hand, is a Mandarin word. Therefore, the use of these two terms may vary depending on the location. In Hong Kong, for example, the term Cheongsam or Chèuhngsam is now used as a mixed term referring to both genders and can therefore refer to both men’s and women’s traditional clothing! In China, Qipao refers exclusively to the female version of the garment. In Western countries, the terms Cheongsam and Qipao also refer exclusively to the female garment.

The History of the Chinese Qipao Dress

Historical background

The history of Qipao began during the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China, which ruled between 1636 and 1911. It was during this time that the Manchu people ruled China. The Manchus used an administrative system called the Eight Banners which was established by Chief Nurhachi, who ruled between 1559 and 1626. In this system, the Manchu people wore different clothes from other people, especially the oppressed Han and Mongols.

The Manchu people wore long robes called changpao (袍) for both men and women, although the term qipao was also commonly used to describe the dress worn by Manchu women. In 1936, a dynastic law pushed all Han Chinese to adopt changpao and Manchu headdress in place of Han Chinese traditions. Later, the law was lifted, and only Han Chinese who were scholars or officials were required to use the changpao. In time, Hans civilian men voluntarily adopted the changpao.

The Modern Qipao

It should be noted that the original qipao worn by women during the Qing dynasty did not look like the one we know today. This qipao was fitted quite loosely, with a lot of draping, and this very loose dress covered a large part of the body, except for the toes, hands and head.

While Qipao has been around for a long time, the look we know today was introduced and popularized between the 1920s and 1940s in Shanghai. The cheongsam was then modernized and worn by celebrities and upper class women in Shanghai.

Among the reasons for the meteoric success of this dress in China as well as in the West, it is worth noting that we cannot separate the history of the modern qipao from that of Madame Wellington Koo, the former First Lady of China who was also repeatedly voted by Vogue as one of the best-dressed women in 1942. Madame Wellington Koo was famous for her modernized adaptation of the Cheongsam. At the time, Cheongsam dresses were ankle-length and Madame Wellington Koo cut hers to the knee. She also insisted on using only fine Chinese silk.

When the Communist government ruled China in 1949, the qipao became less popular in China, as the Communists tried to push for modernization and erase traditional Chinese values, including fashion. Many people fled to Hong Kong, where Qipao remained popular until the 1950s.

Transformation of Qipao

As mentioned above, the original “Qipao” of the Qing Dynasty era (the Manchu rule) was rather loose, with a relatively straight skirt pattern compared to what we have today and a higher neckline. At the time, it covered almost the entire body of the woman, except for a small part of the toes, both hands and the head. The intricate embroidery was also a very important feature of the Cheongsam pattern (it still is today but to a lesser extent).

In the 1920s, the Cheongsam was worn with pants, both for men and women. However, with western fashion during the 1930s in Hong Kong, stockings slowly but surely replaced pants, and the side slits became higher and reached above the knees or even sometimes the top of the thighs.

In the 1940s, high-heeled shoes were also introduced in Shanghai and quickly became a new fashion trend, and since then they are often associated with qipao. As Chinese fashion modernized at a rapid pace, women soon had to abandon their stockings and wear the Cheongsam bare-legged.

Western fashions evolved over the years and also influenced the transformation of the Qipao design to include more accentuation, sleeveless designs with high collars and bell-shaped sleeves. In the 1940s, the modern Qipao design mostly “matured” into the form we know today, and included a wide variety of fabrics and patterns, as well as various accessories. Nowadays the qipao can be a short dress as well as a mid-length dress, in lace as well as embroidered there is something for everyone.

When should you wear a Cheongsam?

During the Qing Dynasty in the 17th century, Chinese women wore a qipao almost every day for all occasions, and the qipao was also worn quite often as casual wear in the 1920s in Shanghai and in the 1950s-1960s in Hong Kong.

Today, in China and other traditional Chinese countries, the qipao is not usually worn as an everyday dress, but remains a common garment for the following formal occasions, celebrations, or events:

Weddings: the Qipao is a common choice for Chinese weddings or even Western weddings when a bride is of Chinese descent or is marrying into a Chinese family. As a guest, wearing a Qipao to attend the wedding is also considered appropriate.
School uniform: The Qipao is used as the official school uniform in some primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, mainly in the older Christian and Catholic schools.
Work wear: The Cheongsam is used as a uniform in many restaurants and hotels, and is also a common choice of flight attendant and ground staff uniform for airlines in mainland China, Taiwan, and Chinese-influenced countries like Singapore.
Chinese New Year: Qipao is a common garment to wear during Chinese New Year or other traditional Chinese festivals.
International fashion: many fashion designers, including Western ones, have adopted the qipao and its elements in their collections. In addition, many Hollywood movies have featured it, including by non-Chinese actors such as Anne Hathaway, Elizabeth Taylor and Nicole Kidman, among others.
As a Chinese national garment: the qipao is often used to represent China in official contexts such as politics, sports (e.g., the 2008 Summer Olympics medalists) and other diplomatic occasions.

How to wear a modern Qipao?

Here are some helpful tips before investing in a beautiful Cheongsam:

Thinner collars can help lengthen your neck, while higher collars can shorten it. The collar is usually 6 cm high, but there are shorter collars of 3 cm or less.
You can also accessorize your outfit with a bag for your girl power look!
You can always opt for a sleeveless version if you want your arms to look longer and thinner.
There are many options for fabric choices. As a general rule, you should choose a fabric that fits your body well without forming wrinkles, such as silk, artificial silk, cotton or polyester.
If you have wide hips and are rather uncomfortable with tight skirts, you can always opt for skater dress version of qipaos, where the skirt will be more flared.