Cheongsam
A woman in a cheongsam | |
| Type | Dress / female outwear |
|---|---|
| Material | Diverse, such as silk, silk-like material, cotton |
| Place of origin | China |
| Introduced | 20th century |
| Cheongsam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Cheongsam" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 長衫 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 长衫 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | long garment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Qipao | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 旗袍 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | banner gown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cheongsam (UK: /tʃ(i)ɒŋˈsæm/, US: /tʃɔːŋˈsɑːm/), also known as the qipao (/ˈtʃiːpaʊ/) and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the qizhuang, 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 (youren) opening and two side slits, and embellished with Chinese frog fasteners on the lapel and the collar. It was developed in the 1920s and evolved in shapes and design over years. It was popular in China from the 1920s to 1960s, overlapping with the Republican era, and was popularized by Chinese socialites and high society women in Shanghai. Although the cheongsam is sometimes seen as traditional Chinese clothing, it continues to evolve with the times, responding to changes in contemporary modern life.