Cheongsam or Qipao in Chinese comes from a form of very old clothing of the Manchu ethnic group. In the olden times, it usually referred to the kind of long gowns worn by the people of Mongolia or Manchuria. During the reign of the Qing Dynasty, there were long gowns usually collarless with a narrow cuff in the shape of the horse’s hoof. There were four slits in addition to the fitting waist. The cuffs were often coiled up at the time of hunting or to cover the back of the hand. In winter, the cuff would help prevent cold. The slits were made on the left, right, front and the back up to the knees. The dress was fit to the body and provided warmth. The place where the waistband was fastened, wearers typically held food and utensils while hunting. Men were seen clad in green, blue or gray and the women preferred whites.



These Chinese dresses came along with a waistcoat which was buttoned in the front or in the shape of a lute. The Qing dynasty is known to unify china and hence the costumes were also unified. Men, all over the nation wore long gowns and a mandarin jacket over the gown; on the other hand women wore cheongsam. In the 1911 revolution, the Qing dynasty toppled, however the women silk dresses survived the political turmoil and with some improvements, it is still the traditional dress for Chinese women even today.

From the thirties, cheongsam became a preferred dress for all the women. Workers, students, folk women, all of them wore the cheongsam and it soon became the formal suit for all the social occasions and parties. Cheongsam was even carried off to foreign countries and a lot of foreign females started wearing the dress in parties. From the 1940s, Chinese dresses were highly influenced by newer fashion and the men’s cheongsam phased out completely. The women’s cheongsam, which was loose formerly, became narrow-sleeved and tightly-fitted on the waist. The hip part was still kept loose and the lower hem reached till the ankles. Gradually, there were all forms of cheongsams emerging in the Chinese market that emphasized greatly on colour and design, so as to add beauty to the female body. Cheongsams could be used in all seasons by women of all age groups. These cheongsams are made from various fabrics including wool and silk. Silk patterns include flowerlets, thin lines, plain lattices, exquisite brocades and many more.