Qipao
Qipao, also known as the Cheongsam or referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the, the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often seen as a longer, figure-fitting, one piece garment with a standing collar, an asymmetric, left-over-right opening and two side slits, and embellished with Chinese frog fasteners on the lapel and the collar. It was developed in the 1910s-1920s and evolved in shapes and design over years. It was popular in China from the 1920s to the '60s, overlapping with the Republican era, and was popularized by Chinese socialites and high society women in Shanghai.
Terminology
As English loanwords, both "cheongsam" and "qipao" describe the same type of body-hugging dress worn by Chinese women, and the words can be used interchangeably.The term cheongsam is a romanization of the Cantonese word chèuhngsāam, which comes from the Shanghainese term zansae. In Cantonese and Shanghainese, the term denotes a Chinese dress that gained popularity in Shanghai. However, in Mandarin Chinese and other varieties of Chinese, chángshān refers to an exclusively male garment, and the female version is known as the qípáo. In Hong Kong, where many Shanghainese tailors fled after the communist revolution of 1949, the word chèuhngsāam became gender-neutral, referring to both male and female garments.
The word qipao, which literally means "Banner gown", or "Bannerman robe" which originally referred to a loose-fitting, trapezoidal-cut garment worn by both Manchu men and women, became a more formal term for the female chèuhngsāam. Usage of the term "cheongsam" in Western countries mostly followed the original Cantonese meaning and applies to the dress worn by women only.
Design and construction
The design of the cheongsam has evolved with time; and there are now a various styles of cheongsam. However, after decades of development, the design of cheongsam itself can be roughly categorized into the Beijing style, the Shanghai style, and the Hong Kong style.General characteristics and features
The cheongsam is typically a tight-fitting dress, with a pair of high side slits above the knee-level. The length of the cheongsam can vary; it can be either long or short. It is more often seen with short sleeves; however, it can also be sleeveless.Collars and neckline
It is typically found with the mandarin collar and has asymmetric closure which runs from the central collar across the top area of the chest to the armhole curing down to the right side. In Chinese clothing culture, the overlap on the right side is known as. However, the cheongsam is not limited to the asymmetrical closure; there are various styles of cheongsam necklines, including a symmetrical opening in the chest area.Fasteners and closures
The fasteners uses traditional Chinese knotting craftwork with the use of the fastening and Chinese button knot.Edges and piping
The cheongsam is typically edged with piping, especially at the collar and the closure. There are four traditional piping techniques used in the making of the cheongsam: which is a narrow strips of fabric roll around the raw edge of the garment and is the most commonly used nowadays, which is broad edging typically found in Manchu clothing of the Qing dynasty and the early cheongsam and is now quite rare, is a very narrow strip of fabric which is even narrower than the, and is a specific type of technique which uses a narrow strip of fabric which is stitched on the dress.It is also typical for the and the to be used together on the same dress creating a double-edged look; this technique is known as . Other double-edged piping technique include “two--one-” and the “two--two-”. The can also be combined with the ; in this combination, the and the would be made of the same width and colour of fabric but they would run parallel to each other about two to five centimeters away from each other.
Fabric and textile
Different materials can be used in the making of the cheongsam, such as wool, silk, or silk-like materials. The cheongsam can also be unlined or interlined. The fabric of the cheongsam can decorated with a diversity of decorative motifs, which can be embroidered on the dress.Main styles
The Beijing-style cheongsam originated in Beijing and is fairly traditional and conservative. It is typically handmade. It maintains the traditional straight and A-line silhouette, and often has embroidery and elaborate adornments. It is also characterized by its wide piping. The Beijing-style cheongsam expresses Chinese culture in its style. The production of a Beijing cheongsam is complex. The fasteners can sometimes take several days to create, typically requiring twenty-six procedures of silk processing to be turning into silk strips which would be appropriate in the making of the fasteners of various patterns by artisans.The Shanghai-style Cheongsam originated in Shanghai and is a popular and dominant style. The Shanghai-style Cheongsam, especially, conveyed progressive messages of female body emancipation from the 1930s to 1940s; it also came to symbolize the idea of modernity in "pursuing health, fashion, and natural beauty". As a result, to deliberately create a more figure-hugging silhouette and to focus on showing off the natural curve of the female body, many elements of Western tailoring techniques can be found in the Shanghai-style cheongsam, including curved cutting, waist darts. This act of showing the female body was a physical expression of the changes in the identities of Chinese women and their rebellion against the idealized womanhood as indicated in the Confucian ideology. It also features high side slits and high collar. The collars can be lapel collars, water drop collars, and lotus leaf collars; the shape of the sleeves are also diverse. It also uses lighter materials and has less elaborate embroidery or adornments; the piping is very narrow.
The Jiangnan-style cheongsam, also known as Su-style cheongsam, originated in the Jiangnan Water town. This style of cheongsam expresses the cultural characteristics of the water town in Jiangnan and also creates a fusion between Chinese calligraphy and Chinese painting, incorporating the hand-painting art of the Wumen School of Painting. It is characterized by the neckline and embroidered patterns on the edges of the cuff. The dress is also embroidered with rich pattern motifs which tend to be floral, e.g. plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, peonies, and roses. The fabrics used tend to be high-quality soft satin and plain crepe satin, etc.
Pairing Qipao
Many people have a misconception that Qipao is never worn with trousers or skirts, but this is incorrect.The evolution of Qipao is strongly linked to Qing Dynasty clothing, and historically in China, women wore trousers under their skirts, so naturally, Qipao was no exception.
Furthermore, women in the Qing Dynasty wore both trousers and skirts under their robes.
The famous Hollywood actress Anna May Wong has left behind many photos of herself wearing Qipao with pants and a skirt.
Qipao's split design
Qipao offers a variety of slit designs, ranging from no slits to slits that extend only halfway up the calf to slits that reach the waist. The most classic slit designs are those that reach the knee and thigh. Qipao usually has double slits.The Qipao, with its slits extending to the waist, visually resembles the Ao Dai, but in reality, this height of slit design has nothing to do with the Ao Dai.
Japanese anime and games often adopt the waist-high slit design of the Qipao. Therefore, Qipao with this split design is commonly seen at cosplay exhibitions.
Various no-slit designs and slit designs up to the calf
Various thigh-high to hipbone-height slit designs
Various waist height slit designs
Other slit designs
length and shape
Qipao skirts come in various lengths, ranging from ankle-length to just above the thigh.The styles of the skirt hems are also different.
Various skirt hem designs
History
Background
The Manchu are an ethnic minority that founded the last of China's imperial dynasties, the Qing dynasty, which lasted from 1644 to 1911. When the dynasty was first established, dress regulations were implemented as a way of expressing their identity as a people and creating social order. They used an administrative division called the Eight Banner system. Originally only the Manchu households were organized within this system, but over time naturalized Mongols and Han Chinese were incorporated. The Manchu, and anyone living under the Eight Banners system, wore different clothing from ordinary civilians. Thus, they became known as the Banner People.The type of that both men and women typically wore consisted of long robes, which can be referred to as the Manchu changpao and also categorized under the broad category of paofu or changshan.
Manchu men wore a changpao, which were designed for horseback riding, known as Qizhuang#Ordinary dress / casual dress, which was characterized by two pair of slits which increased ease of movement when mounting and dismounting horses, a Garment collars in Hanfu#Pipa-shaped collar collar, and the sleeve cuffs known as matixiu.
On the other hand, some imperial Manchu women wore a changfu, informal dress, which looked similar to the men's neitao known as the changfupao. There were also two styles of changpao for the imperial consorts, known as Qizhuang#Ordinary dress / casual dress and Qizhuang#Ordinary dress / casual dress, which became popular. The chenyi and the changyi differed in terms of structure: the changyi had two high side slits which allowed for greater ease of movements while the chenyi had no side slits. Both the chenyi and changyi differed from the changfupao lacking the matixiu cuffs. Both the chenyi and changyi were also the changfu of the Manchu women; they also both became popular during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. It is also theorized that the cheongsam was derived from the Manchu women's chenyi although the chenyi shows the absence of slits.