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Cheongsam

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The qipao (旗袍), qipaor (旗袍儿), or ch'i-p'ao, also known as the cheongsam or mandarin gown, is a body-hugging woman's dress originating from the Manchus, modernized and innovated in Shanghai.

History

When the Manchu began to rule China, certain social strata were arranged. Among the strata were the "banners" (qi), mostly Manchu, who as a group were called "banner people" (旗人 qi-ren). Manchu women typically wore a one-piece dress which came to be known as the 旗袍 (qipao or "banner dress") which fit rather loosely and straight down the body. The dress proved popular enough to survive the political turmoil of the 1911 revolution which toppled the Qing Dynasty and, as a result, and with later refinements, has become the archetypal dress for Chinese women.

Its modern innovation was first developed in Shanghai around the turn of the 20th century; it was slender with a high cut and was form fitting. In Shanghai it was first known as 長衫 (Mandarin: changshan, Cantonese: cheongsam, Shanghainese IPA ASCII: /zANsE/), and contrasted sharply with the traditional qipao which was designed to conceal the figure and be worn regardless of age.

The cheongsam (the Cantonese term later popularized by Hong Kong) went along well with the western overcoat and the scarf, and portrayed an unique East Asian modernity. As Western fashions changed, the basic cheongsam design changed too, introducing high-necked sleeveless dresses, bell-like sleeves, and the black lace frothing at the hem of a ball gown. By the 1940s, cheongsams came in transparent black, beaded bodices, matching capes and even velvet. And later, checked fabrics became also quite common.

The 1949 Communist Revolution ended the cheongsam and other fashions in Shanghai, and the Shanghainese emmigrants and refugees brought the fashion over to Hong Kong where it has remained quite popular. Recently there has been a revival of the Shanghainese cheongsam in Shanghai and elsewhere in Mainland China; the Shanghainese style functions now mostly as a stylish party dress (see Mao suit).

The movie In the Mood For Love by Wong Kar-wai of a Shanghainese community in Hong Kong is notable for its use of a variety of cheongsams, even taking the spotlight away from the star actors Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung.

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