Chinese fashion and accessories-Cheongsam1

   Cheongsam

     The cheongsam, or qipao, is the classic dress for Chinese women, which combines the elaborate elegance of Chinese tradition with unique elements of style. The high-necked, closed-collar cheongsam features a loose chest, asymmetrical fastening, fitted waist and side slits. To fans, the cheongsam encapsulates a woman’s modesty, softness and beauty. Designed to show off the natural softness of the female form, it also creates the illusion of long, slender legs.

   Legend of the cheongsam

Legend has it that a young fisherwoman lived by the Jingbo Lake, she was not only beautiful, but also clever and skillful. But when fishing , she often felt hindered by her long and loose fitting dress. Then an idea struck her: why not make a more practical dress for work? She got down to sewing and produced a long multi-looped-button gown with slits, which enabled her to tuck in the front piece of her dress, thus making her job much easier. As a fisherwoman, she never dreamed that a fortune would befall on her.

The young emperor who ruled China at that time had a dream one night. In the dream, his dead father told him that a lovely fisherwoman in cheongsam by the Jingbo Lake would become his queen. After awakening from his sleep, the emperor sent his men to look for hr. sure enough, there she was! So she became the queen, bringing her cheongsam with her. Manchu (one of the minorities in China) women all followed the suit and soon the cheongsam became popular.

   Cheongsam through the years

The cheongsam came from the Manchus who grew out of ancient Nuzhen tribes (one of famous tribes in Chinese history, which live in north China). In the early 17^th century, Nurhachi (the ruler at that time), a great political and military strategist, unified the various Nuzhen tribes and set up the Eight Banners System. Over the years, a collarless, tube-shaped gown was developed, which was worn by both men and women. That is the embryo of qipao. The dress is called qipao in Chinese or translated as “banner gown”, for it came from the people who lived under the banner system.

    The cheongsam became popular among ladies of the royal family in the Qing Dynasty (the last feudal dynasty in Chinese history). At that time, cheongsams were fitted loosely and were so long that they would reach the insteps. Usually, they were made of silk and the whole dress was embroidered, with broad lace trimmed at the collar, sleeves and edges.