Carried by the torrent of time, no one can get rid of the fate of eventually going to extinction, so it is a matter of course that the retro style is homeopathic, whether it is used to reflect on the past or to imagine the future, it is a unique memory. Perhaps, the secret of the continuation of the cheongsam is here......

As a traditional Chinese costume, cheongsam is a well-deserved quintessence of the country, but unfortunately, with the development of multiculturalism, it is becoming less and less valued. Fortunately, the improved version is just as classic and worth cherishing.

It not only retains the original oriental charm of the cheongsam, but also adds a lot of popular elements on its basis, which is quite a leader's style. Moreover, there is no limit to the audience, as long as you are interested in traditional culture, you can control it, and you don't have to be too angry.

Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't like the style that changes too much, radish and cabbage have their own preferences. It seems that a famous cheongsam with flowers and birds is an improved version that has not changed much, except for the slightly sexy length and just the right bifurcation, it almost follows the essence of the cheongsam of the Republic of China, full of ancient style.

may be the inherent gentleness in the bones, the cheongsam of the new era, most of them are indispensable to lace, think about it, one is gentle, one is generous, the combination of two similar charms coincides with each other, which is enough to capture the hearts of all women.

If the temperament is outstanding enough, you can appropriately challenge the type of light color, with the jacquard process with a great sense of age, as well as the sporadic royal blue decoration, the overall style has been improved, and you can wear a beautiful cheongsam without pulling the assistance, and it is not white.

The famous writer Zhang Ailing once said: For people who can't speak, clothes are a language, and what they carry with them is pocket drama. As we all know, in Zhang's family, the prop with the highest appearance rate is the cheongsam. No way, the deadly attraction of poppies, who can resist it.

Probably because it has been adjusted too many times, the definition of cheongsam is still controversial, but even so, it cannot change the fact that it is one of the most splendid phenomena and forms of the long-standing clothing culture, because the outside can be different, and the soul cannot lie.

Cheongsam, the traditional clothing of Chinese women in China and the world, is known as the quintessence of China and the national dress of women. Although there are still many controversies about its definition and time, it is still one of the most splendid phenomena and forms of China's long-standing clothing culture.

The cheongsam was formed in the 20s of the last century7, and some scholars believe that its origin can be traced back to the deep clothes of the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, and became the most common women's clothing after the 20s of the Republic of China, and was determined by the government of the Republic of China in 1929 as one of the national dresses.

After the 50s, the cheongsam was gradually neglected in the mainland, especially during the Cultural Revolution, it was criticized as "feudal dross" and "bourgeois sentiment".

After the 80s, with the re-emphasis of traditional culture in the mainland, as well as the influence of film and television culture, fashion shows, beauty pageants, etc., cheongsam has gradually revived not only in the mainland, but also in various fashion places around the world.

When it comes to the beginning time of the cheongsam fashion, it is generally believed that during the Republic of China in the 20th century, Mr. Zheng Yimei said that "it turned out that women wore short clothes in the Qing Dynasty and did not wear cheongsam, and the cheongsam began to reign after the Republic of China". As for the specific year, previous studies have been relatively vague.

Mr. Zhou Xibao and Ms. Zhang Ailing both thought that the popularity of cheongsam was after 1921, and Zhou also deduced from the 1923 pictorial and other materials that the so-called cheongsam was only one or two out of dozens of people in Shanghai at that time.

In fact, given the sensitivity of the press in Shanghai to social phenomena at that time, the popularity of a new style would inevitably attract widespread attention, but it was difficult to find any text about the cheongsam in newspapers such as the "Declaration" before May 1925, and a large amount of information provided evidence for the appearance of the cheongsam in 1925.

In Beijing, the former imperial capital, there are also records that the cheongsam fashion began in 1925. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider the beginning of the popularity of cheongsam as 1925.

The cheongsam is the most representative of traditional Chinese women's clothing. She is suitable for women of any age. In other words, every woman should have her own cheongsam, and the elegance and nobility of the cheongsam are not comparable to any piece of clothing, because it contains the best ingredients of our traditional clothing. Nowadays, with the retro trend in vogue, some improved cheongsams have re-entered our field of vision. The enchanting cheongsam is put on, and it instantly interprets all the charms.

The origin of the cheongsam style is much debated in the academic community, and there are four main views:

The first is represented by Mr. Zhou Xibao's "History of Ancient Chinese Costumes", which believes that the cheongsam is directly developed from the robes of the flag girls in the Qing Dynasty. However, some scholars believe that "although the cheongsam of the Republic of China has a form similar to the robe of the flag girl, it no longer has the meaning of the robe of the flag girl.

The second is represented by Professor Yuan Jieying's "Chinese Cheongsam" and Professor Bao Mingxin's "Chinese Cheongsam" and "Record of Modern Chinese Women's Clothing", which believe that the cheongsam and the cheongsam have a certain inheritance relationship, but at the same time believe that the source of the cheongsam should be the narrow tube of linen cloth in the Western Zhou Dynasty or the deep clothes of the pre-Qin and Han dynasties.

Professor Cui Rongrong of Jiangnan University also said in his book "The Complete Collection of Modern Han Folk Costumes": "Some people question that the cheongsam is a Manchu costume...... I think these perceptions are one-sided and superficial, the robes of the Han people have a history of more than 2,000 years, and where does the historical origin of the robes and gowns of the Manchus come from? I think the answer is easy to get. Zhang Taiyan, a master of Chinese studies, also believes: "In the past, Zhuge Liang made sleeve armor...... The Manchurian suit, its sleeve armor is also. "The origin of Manchu costumes can be traced back to the Shu Han costumes of the Three Kingdoms period.

The third type is represented by Wang Yuqing's "Examination of Women's Robes and Uniforms of the Past Dynasties", which believes that the robes worn by Chinese women date back to the Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties, and are not only worn by flag women in the Qing Dynasty.

He believed that the robe of the flag girl had an influence on the cheongsam of the Republic of China, but he did not believe that there was a direct inheritance relationship between the two, so he thought that it was not appropriate for the cheongsam of the Republic of China to be called a "qi" robe, so he advocated that the cheongsam be renamed "Qi robe" and renamed the "Taipei Cheongsam Research Association" to "Taipei Qi Pao Research Association". For many years, people in Taiwan's clothing industry have been calling for "the name of the robe".

The fourth is represented by Professor Bian Xiangyang's "On the Popular Origin of Cheongsam", which believes that cheongsam is a Westernized variation of Chinese clothing tradition. It combines the characteristics of cheongsam vest and new civilized clothes, and at the same time combines the compatibility form of Western-style skirts, forming a new fashion trend and clothing aesthetics that are not only the shadow of Western fashion but different from traditional Chinese robes, but also have distinctive Chinese characteristics and symbols of the times, which can be a design model for the integration of Chinese and Western clothing.

At the same time, he believes that the origin of the name "cheongsam" is a "misnomer", because the earlier groups advocating cheongsam are all new women, students and other social groups in the city who are deeply influenced by Western studies and pursue equality between men and women and oppose feudal etiquette, and the vast majority of them are Han people, and their ancestors obtained the right not to wear Manchu clothes for Han women after bloody struggle in the early Qing Dynasty, and they cannot restore the clothing of the imperial era or foreign oppressors, so the conditions for the restoration of the cheongsam in the Republic of China are not available.

The reason why the name "cheongsam" will eventually become popular during the Republic of China is because throughout the Qing Dynasty, Han women's clothing still retains the traditional "top and bottom" system of Han women. Except for the aristocratic women's dresses, ordinary women generally do not wear robes, while flag girls are robes regardless of whether they are aristocratic women's dresses or ordinary women's daily clothes.

Therefore, under the subtle influence of nearly 300 years, ordinary people have become accustomed to the historical memory of the "women's robe", so when the cheongsam of the Republic of China began to appear, ordinary people will be given an association that this is a "cheongsam".

In fact, the group that initiated the cheongsam of the Republic of China did not recognize the name "cheongsam", but "only called it a long gown, a long robe or a long robe, and mixed it with men's clothing, and on February 27, 1926, Shanghai's "Republic of China Daily" had a short article "Robe but not Flag", proposing to change the name to "Chinese robe". Someone else suggested that it be called a cheongsam, but it was called back to the cheongsam. ”

Whether "cheongsam" refers specifically to the cheongsam that appeared in the Republic of China, or whether it includes the "robe of the flag man" or "the robe of the flag girl" in the Qing Dynasty, the definition of the concept of cheongsam is as controversial as the origin style of the cheongsam.

As we all know, during the Cultural Revolution, the cheongsam was criticized and ignored as a symbol of the "four olds" and "sealing, capital, and repair", and the study of cheongsam became a forbidden area in the academic world, and it was not until after the reform and opening up that the study of cheongsam gradually increased in the academic circles of the mainland.

In the early days after the reform and opening up, based on the government's policy of "the Chinese nation is one", and in order to prove that the cheongsam has a long history and noble origin, scholars consciously linked the relationship between the cheongsam of the Republic of China and the costumes of the Qing Dynasty flagmen. "'The concept of cheongsam, including the robe of the Qing dynasty flag man or the robe of the flag woman, is not particularly numerous, but it is also in a class of its own.'"

For example, there is a note on cheongsam in Cihai: "Cheongsam, originally a kind of clothing worn by Manchu women in the Qing Dynasty, has no slits on both sides, sleeves are eight inches to one foot long, and the edges of the clothes are embroidered with colored green." After the Xinhai Revolution, it was accepted by Han women, and improved to: straight neck, right oblique placket, tight waist, length to the knee, slits on both sides, and small cuffs. ”

For example, Yu Feng's view: "Cheongsam, as the name suggests, refers to the robes of the women of the Eight Banners before and after the Manchu people entered the customs in the Qing Dynasty, that is, the regular clothes of women outside the customs with Manchu and Mongolia as the main body...... This kind of cheongsam is mainly popular in the north, and most women in the south still follow the customs of the Ming Dynasty to wear a long gown with a long skirt exposed. ”

Another example is Yuan Jieying's opinion: "The regular dress of the flag man is different from the military uniform, and it is generally a robe,...... It has always been a simple straight body as the basic style, and it is called cheongsam. In the Qing Dynasty, the cheongsam was a common dress for both men and women, but there was a slight difference in the style of wearing. ”

But the idea that the concept of "cheongsam" included the Qing dynasty "robe of the flag man" or "robe of the flag woman" was questioned in academic circles from the beginning. "In the vast literature of the Qing Dynasty, the word 'cheongsam' never appeared, and in the Qing Dynasty the flag people called their own robes or qifu, and the Manchu language called them 'Yijie'. The word cheongsam appears as a word with a specific meaning, which was first seen in the book "Snow Eun Xiupu" dictated by Shen Shou in 1918 and recorded by Zhang Rui: "There are three bandages: the big bandage is used to embroider the edge of the cheongsam, so it is called the edge bandage". The cheongsam here is used as a specific noun to refer to a certain kind of embroidered clothing. ”

The main view in today's academic circles is that "cheongsam" refers to the cheongsam of the Republic of China, which developed and matured during the Republic of China period and formed a relatively stable form of women's robes.

Zhou Xibao in his book "History of Ancient Chinese Costumes" believes: "The robes of Manchu women...... This robe was extremely wide at first, but gradually changed to a small waist, and its time was close to the eve of the Xinhai Revolution. This kind of robe later evolved into one of the main costumes of Han women, which was later called cheongsam.

Bao Mingxin also made a special exposition on this issue in his book "Chinese Cheongsam": "Although it seems that the cheongsam is regarded as the robe of the flag man or the robe of the flag girl, it is inevitable that it will be suspected of being literary, and the connotation of the cheongsam is much richer than the robe of the flag man or the robe of the flag girl." In a broad sense, it can be said that the cheongsam has experienced the development of three periods: the robe of the Qing Dynasty flag girl, the new cheongsam of the Republic of China and the contemporary fashion cheongsam, among which the new cheongsam of the Republic of China period is the most typical and the most important. In a narrow sense, the cheongsam is the cheongsam of the Republic of China, and of course it can also include the cheongsam that basically maintains the characteristics of the cheongsam of the Republic of China after the Republic of China. ”

Bian Xiangyang said in his article "On the Popular Origin of Cheongsam": "The so-called 'cheongsam' refers to a one-piece dress (one-piece dress) to which the clothes belong, and at the same time, it must have all or part of the following typical appearance characteristics: the open or semi-open form of the right placket, the detailed arrangement of the stand-up collar buttons and the side slit of the swing, the plane cutting of the single piece of clothing and the sleeves of the body, etc. Although there is a view that the cheongsam includes the robes of the Qing Dynasty and the robes of women in the Republic of China, the cheongsam in the usual sense generally refers to a style of women's clothing after the Republic of China in the 20th century. ”

In the magazines of the Republic of China, there are also many discussions about the concept of "cheongsam", such as the author of the "Modern Family" magazine named Chang Yan wrote in the article "The Evolution of Women's Cheongsam in the Past Fifteen Years" in the magazine "Modern Family": "What is a cheongsam, it can be said that it is a new product suitable for Chinese women in the new era after the Republic of China, and it can also be said that Chinese women imitate a coat that has been reformed in the style of women's clothing in the previous Qing Banner." ”

The reason for the popularity of the cheongsam in the Republic of China is that many scholars and the media at that time believe that in the early Republic of China, in order to seek ideological independence and the emancipation of women's rights, women imitated men to wear sub-robes for an important reason.

Since the Han Dynasty, Chinese Han women have gradually only worn the "upper and lower clothes" style, commonly known as "two pieces of clothing", and wearing robes has almost become a man's patent. Women's wearing of "two clothes" has also become a symbol of feudal etiquette and oppression of women.

In the early days of the founding of the Republic of China, due to the massive influx of Western culture and ideas, the country suffered from the aggression of foreign powers and warlord wars.

At that time, the "May Fourth Movement" and the "New Culture Movement" and other social movements with young people as the main participatory, provided a huge impetus for women to seek ideological emancipation and equal rights at that time. When many scholars study the origin of cheongsam, they also stand in such a social background at that time, such as Wu Hao's book "Chinese Women's Clothing and Body Revolution". PROPONENTS OF THIS VIEW ARE ALSO ESSIELING.

Ms. Zhang Ailing once wrote in "Changing Clothes": "After the republic of the five ethnic groups, women across the country suddenly unanimously adopted cheongsam, not because they were loyal to the Qing Dynasty and advocated the restoration movement, but because women deliberately wanted to imitate men. They were first influenced by Western culture and were obsessed with the idea of equal rights between men and women, but the surrounding situation was too far from the ideal, and under the shame and indignation, they rejected everything feminine and wanted to kill the root of women. Therefore, the cheongsam of Chu Xing is cold and square, with a Puritan style".

Mr. Wang Yuqing also holds this view: "The cheongsam, which was popular for women's clothing for more than half a century, turned out to be a by-product of the new wave of women's struggle for women's rights and equality."

On the eve of the Xinhai Revolution, many young women who actively participated in revolutionary groups also liked to wear robes, and Zhou Yawei recalled Qiu Jin's attire in 1907 in "Memories of the Restoration of Liberation": "At that time, he was wearing a Xuanqing Huzhi robe (the same robe as a man), with braids on his hair, and a Xuanqing braid tassel, with his feet down, and black satin boots. She was thirty-two years old. The young members of the Liberation Society call her 'Mr. Qiu.'"

The so-called trend of women wearing men's robes for equal rights with men did not end with the victory of the revolution. In 1920, the "Republic of China Daily" published a letter written by Zhu Rongquan to Mr. Chu Lun, discussing the article on women's wearing long shirts - "the benefits of women wearing long shirts", "long shirts" was originally the name of men's long shirts in Guangdong, which shows that it was not uncommon for women to wear long shirts in Shanghai at that time.

After the victory of the Xinhai Revolution, women's emancipation developed vigorously in the mid-20s, and with the development of the feminist movement, the phenomenon of women wearing men's robes became more and more common throughout the country. A newspaper in Beijing wrote: "Today's women have cut their hair, their feet have been released, and even their clothes are wearing more robes." At first sight, we cannot tell whether he is male or female, and the future attire of men and women will inevitably be assimilated. ”

This is not only the case in Beijing, "in Guangzhou's Tongheng Avenue, its women wearing long shirts are everywhere." …… And whether it is rich or poor, if it is a young person in the female world, if it does not have a long shirt, it is not enough to be magnificent. It can be seen that it was a common practice for young women to wear men's robes at that time, but there was not much encouragement in public opinion at that time, but there were many critics. Later, after the victory of the Northern Expedition, the cheongsam had completely regained its femininity, and it was rare to see women wearing men's robes again.

In the strong feudal atmosphere of the Qing Dynasty, it was impossible to want women to show their curves as they did in modern times. The tailoring of the Qing Dynasty flag costume has always been straight, and the chest, shoulders, waist, and hips are completely straight, so that the curves of the female body are not exposed. Although there is an opinion that the cheongsam was changed from the flag costume of Manchu women, the cheongsam is not a flag costume.

The flag costume is the national costume of the Manchu people that has been extended to this day. Most of the flag outfits use straight lines, the body is loose, the hem is not slit, and the bust waist circumference is close to the size of the dress; At the cuff neckline there are plenty of coiled trims. Yellow is the color of royal exclusivity, and the people are taboo to use it. The colors of the flag are bright and complex, and the varieties of materials and other colors are diverse, and the colors with high contrast are liked.

A few bright lace or colourful tooth rolls were added to the neckline, sleeves and placket. Flag costume is a kind of flat clothing, and the coil roll has become the only design space of the flag costume in addition to the fabric, so it is beautiful to multi-plate roll. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, there was a "eighteen inlays" (that is, eighteen laces). The Qing Dynasty flag patterns are mainly based on sketching techniques, such as dragons, lions, shy beasts, phoenixes, cranes, birds, plum orchids, bamboo chrysanthemums, flowers, as well as eight treasures, eight immortals, and Fulu Suxi.

After 1840, in modern times, Western culture was immersed in the local culture of the Qing Dynasty, and many large coastal cities, especially metropolises such as Shanghai, were preceded by Western culture due to the mixed Chinese and Western culture, and clothing began to undergo potential changes.

The cheongsam, which was popular in the 20s of the twentieth century, was shaped by the continuous improvement of traditional Chinese robes and costumes in the Republic of China when women absorbed Western clothing styles in wearing. At that time, there was no professional clothing research center, and the changes in clothing styles were in thousands of households, and they were constantly changing under the influence of the fashion of the times.

From the 20s of the 20th century to the end of the 40s, the Chinese cheongsam has been popular for more than 20 years, and the style has changed several times, such as the height of the collar, the short length of the sleeves, and the height of the slit, so that the cheongsam has completely got rid of the old style, changed the old appearance of Chinese women who have long tied their chests and arms, and fully displayed the beauty of women's posture and curves.

The green cloth cheongsam was the most popular among female students at the time, and it spread for a while, and the whole country followed suit, almost becoming the typical dress of new Chinese women in the late 20s. It is worth mentioning that at that time, as the leading fashion trend of the ten-mile foreign field, modern girls, socialite film and drama stars, etc., in the cheongsam style of the unusual, also promoted its development, such as courtesan Tang Ying and others, the earliest Yunshang fashion company founded in Shanghai is.

Since the 30s, cheongsam has almost become the standard clothing of Chinese women, and is worn by folk women, students, workers, and wives of dignitaries. The cheongsam has even become a dress for social occasions and diplomatic events. Later, the cheongsam was also spread abroad and imitated by women from other countries.

The 30s and 40s were the golden age of cheongsam, and it was also the most glorious period of modern Chinese women's clothing. At this time, the cheongsam was slender in shape, which coincided with the silhouette of women's clothing popular in Europe at this time. At this time, the cheongsam has completely jumped out of the limitations of the robe of the cheongsam, and it is completely a new style of "Chinese and Western".

First, there is the saying of "other tailors". The part of the cheongsam is Westernized, and Western-style treatment is adopted outside the collar and sleeves, such as lotus collars, Western-style lapels, ruffle sleeves, etc., or double plackets with left and right plackets. Although the application of these reforms was not widespread, it showed the freedom of thought of the people at that time, and the original formula of the cheongsam was no longer obligatory.

The combination of cheongsam and Western-style coat is also a feature of the "tailoring school", which makes the cheongsam enter the international clothing family, and can be combined with a variety of modern clothing, indicating that it has been "internationalized and modernized".

The cheongsam of the 20s is still wide and straight; Echoing the popular inverted large sleeves at the time, the hem of the cheongsam was relatively large, and the whole body of the robe was also in the shape of "inverted large". However, the shoulders, chest and even the waist have shown a trend of fitting.

Zhang Ailing said: "Chuxing's cheongsam is cold and square, with a puritan style. If the "first xing" mentioned by this female writer who is good at observing and describing fashion refers to the 20s, then "cold and square" must be her childhood impression.

At the end of the 30s, the "improved cheongsam" appeared. The cutting and structure of the cheongsam are more Westernized, and the use of cheongsam in the chest and waist province is more fitting, and at the same time, the shoulder seams and sleeves appear, so that the shoulders and armpits are also fitted. Some people also make softer shoulder pads, which are called "beautiful shoulders".

This suggests that women are beginning to abandon the old ideal shaped horns characterized by shaved shoulders. These cuts and structural changes were all done in Shanghai. Mr. Jin Taijun, the descendant of Shanghai Hongxiang Company, firmly believes in this. Although he himself did not experience the whole process himself, he could still get a lot about it from his master when he worked at Hongxiang in the 40s

At this time, the cheongsam had matured and been finalized, and the subsequent cheongsam could no longer jump out of the basic form determined by the cheongsam in the 30s, and could only make some changes in length, fat and thinness, and decoration. The cheongsam loved by women all over the world is typical of the cheongsam of the 30s. And the cheongsam of the 30s was modeled after the Shanghai-style cheongsam.

In the 20s of the twentieth century, under the influence of Western clothing, the improved cheongsam gradually became popular among the majority of women. There are many styles of cheongsam, including long cheongsam, short cheongsam, clip cheongsam, single cheongsam, etc. In the 30s of the 20th century, the improved cheongsam almost became the standard clothing of Chinese women.

At this time, the center of fashion fashion had already moved from Su and Yang to Shanghai, which was also an important town for women seeking emancipation, and missionaries, merchants, and revolutionaries competed to establish women's schools, setting off a wave of feminist movements. The emancipatory social climate is swept away by the stereotypes of clothing and makeup, tending to be simple, the color tone is elegant, and the natural beauty of women is emphasized.

The cheongsam originally appeared in the form of a waistcoat that was as long as the instep of the foot and was added to a short jacket. Later, the long vest was changed to a sleeved style, which became the prototype of the new cheongsam. It is said that the Shanghai female students who were the first to gain popularity were the initiators of the popularity of cheongsam.

At that time, female students, as representatives of intellectual women, became the ideal image of society, they were the symbol of civilization, the forerunner of fashion, and even celebrities and fashionable figures dressed up as female students.

At the beginning of the 20th century, it was common to wear short jackets with flared wide sleeves and sleeveless waistcoats with floor-length waistcoats. Since then, some changes have been made to the cheongsam in the sides, sleeves, placket, collar, etc., and the decoration has been added, and there have been complicated changes. However, it still maintains the straight and wide style of the old-style cheongsam vest, and adopts the traditional straight line cutting method, which does not reveal the slender figure of women.

In the late twenties and thirties, the cheongsam was changed repeatedly in terms of length, width, slit height, sleeve length and sleeve shortness, high collar and low collar. In 1929, under the influence of short skirts in Europe and the United States, the cheongsam, which was originally of moderate length, began to become shorter, the hem was shrunk to the knees, and the cuffs became shorter and smaller. Later, there was a school uniform-style cheongsam, with a hem shrunk to 1 inch above the knee and sleeves in a Western style.

This change was criticized, and after 1931, the cheongsam began to become longer again, and the hem drooped. In the mid-thirties, it developed to the extreme, and the bottom of the robe fell to the ground to cover the feet, which was called "sweeping cheongsam". The sleeves of the cheongsam, which used to cover the wrists, were shortened to the elbows. Later, the length of the sleeve became shorter and shorter, shrinking to two inches below the shoulder, and after 1936 it was almost sleeveless.

In the Qing Dynasty, the flag was not slitted, and after the cheongsam appeared, the cheongsam also quietly opened a low slit on the left side when the sleeves were shortened. Later, the slit opened higher and higher, gradually reaching the knee and reaching the thigh. Due to opposition, the robe was returned below the knee at one point. However, as soon as the pressure of public opinion decreased, the robe rose rapidly, and after 1933, the cheongsam with large slits became popular.

The traditional cheongsam is a straight line up and down, plus a high stiff collar. In the early thirties, the waist of the robe began to shrink over time, and by 1934, the curves of the female figure were finally fully revealed. The towering ear-length collar also gradually became shorter, and later some became collarless cheongsam.

At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, people's pursuit of beautiful clothing had been completely transformed into a fanaticism for revolutionary work. The laid-back and comfortable lady image represented by the cheongsam has lost its living space in this atmosphere......

In the era when the people were the masters of the country, if clothing was also popular, the dominance of fashion had shifted to the common people. In 1956, when a leader of the former Soviet Union visited China, it is said that the clothing of the Chinese should reflect the new face of the prosperity of socialism, so the government called for "everyone to wear floral clothes".

The cheongsam that appeared at this time added a healthy and natural temperament than before. Not enchanting, not flattering, not delicate, not morbid, in line with the "beautiful and generous" standard at that time, and more practical.

The "Cultural Revolution" of the past year was a catastrophe of traditional culture and a disaster of cheongsam. On the eve of the "Cultural Revolution", Wang Guangmei visited Shiguo with ***, wore a cheongsam, and was later criticized by the Red Guards for being a crime during the Cultural Revolution.

For the cheongsam that can best reflect this perfect figure, there is room for survival and development. It is said that the cheongsam, which was very popular in the past, will return to the people again. But surprisingly, the cheongsam did not become popular again, but only a few people wore it......

The heyday of the cheongsam is gone, and it has been neglected for 30 years, and it seems to be a little outdated in the land after it was opened up since the 80s.

The ideal image of women in the new era has changed again. Tall and slender, with flat shoulders and narrow hips, the figure is desirable. As the representative of Chinese fashion that can best set off the figure and temperament of Chinese women, the cheongsam has once again attracted people's attention.

With the re-emphasis on traditional culture, cheongsam is also regarded as one of the symbols of the Chinese nation, not only the wives of leaders, female diplomats wear cheongsam in foreign affairs activities, but also the cheongsam is also chosen for the costumes of the hostesses of the previous large-scale international conferences and sports events held in China.

In 2010, the Organizing Committee of the Shanghai World Expo customized 60 sets of silk cheongsams as gifts from the Chinese government to the wives of heads of state, each worth 100,000 yuan.

The wives of consul generals in Shanghai also wore cheongsams to participate in charity performances.

When foreign tourists come to Shanghai, they often regard the custom-made cheongsam as the first program, which is regarded as a representative of Chinese elements.

The media reported that American audiences wore cheongsams to watch the Chinese cultural festival performances.

Pierre Cardin, a famous French fashion designer, once said: "In my evening wear designs, a large part of the work is inspired by Chinese cheongsam. ”

At the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Swedish female athletes used Chinese cheongsam styles for their outfits, and more than 10 Olympic champions from various countries asked to make a Chinese dress - cheongsam for their wedding.

For European and American celebrities, wearing cheongsam in public may be more to add exoticism to themselves. Chinese and foreign media have released beautiful cheongsam photos of Elizabeth Taylor, Paris Hilton, Kylie Minogue, Emma Watson, Jennifer Lopez, Björk, and Ayumi Hamasaki.

The cheongsam style of Hollywood superstars Jennifer Lopez, British supermodel Ji Moss, Nicole Beckham, and Celine Dion can prove the international influence of cheongsam.

The wives of Singapore's "Father of the Nation" *** and the current Prime Minister*** father and son all wore cheongsams as ceremonial dresses, and the wives of Singapore's presidents of all generations of Chinese descent wore cheongsams to show their Chinese identity.

Vietnamese officials believe that the traditional Vietnamese costume AODAI is derived from the Chinese cheongsam, and believes that the Chinese name of AODAI is qipao.

On 29 August 2006, Malaysia issued a set of stamps on the traditional costumes of various ethnic groups in Malaysia, in which the Chinese women's costume is a cheongsam.

Most of the classical flag costumes have straight lines, loose bodies, slits on both sides, and the bust and waist circumference are relatively close to the size of the dress. The appearance characteristics of cheongsam generally require all or part of the following characteristics: the open or semi-open form of the right placket, the standing collar buttons, the swing side slit, the flat cut of the single piece of fabric, the body and sleeves, etc. The slit is just one of the many features of the cheongsam, it is not the only one, and it is not necessary.

Art is a social ideology that concretely reflects social life and expresses the author's thoughts and feelings through the creation of images. After the evolution of the first half of the 20th century, the basic features and constituent elements of the cheongsam slowly stabilized. The cheongsam became a classic women's clothing and one of the sources of inspiration for the designer.

Cheongsam is the traditional fashion of Chinese women that has emerged in modern times, and it is not an informal traditional national costume. It has both the vicissitudes of the past and the new era. The cheongsam itself has a certain historical significance, and the appreciation is relatively high, so it has a certain collection value.

The characteristics of the cheongsam of the Republic of China, which are consistent with the aesthetics of Western clothing, are not accidental. At that time, Shanghai, a metropolis with a mixture of Chinese and Western cultures, was the most qualified to give birth to the cheongsam of the Republic of China, which may be difficult for us to find today, although the evidence of its birth in Shanghai is not very conclusive, we can still assert that the Shanghai-style robe is a typical cheongsam of the Republic of China.

If we are a little more bold, we can further assume that the modern cheongsam, or the cheongsam in the narrow sense, is the Shanghai-style cheongsam. Because, in the minds of ordinary people, the associations or images caused by the word cheongsam are the Shanghai-style cheongsam in the thirties and forties of the 20th century. The Beijing School and the Shanghai School represent two styles of art and culture. Concise.

Modern cheongsam has entered the era of three-dimensional modeling, with darts appearing on the clothes, the waist is more fitting and equipped with Western-style sleeves, the length of the cheongsam, the sleeves are long and shortened, and the waist is more and more fitted.

After a hundred years of evolution, with the changes in people's lifestyles and aesthetic tastes, cheongsam has deduced a variety of styles, which makes people dizzy. In the 30s and 40s of the 20th century, the golden age of cheongsam development was characterized by many changes in style.

The placket, collar, sleeves, skirt and other parts of the cheongsam have different styles: the placket has a round placket, a square placket, a long placket, etc.; There are Shanghai collars, ingots, low collars, etc.; The sleeves have long sleeves, short sleeves, large sleeves, flower sleeves, and flared inverted large sleeves, which are inlaid with various patterns on the cuffs, embroidered, rolled and swung, which are very chic; In addition to the change in length, skirt styles such as fishtail and wavy have also been added.

The collar style of Chinese cheongsam has undergone changes such as cross-collar, rectangular collar, straight collar, disc collar, round collar, and stand collar. The collar of the cheongsam is full of patterns, and the height of the collar is first high and then low. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Shanghai was the first to lead the trend, and the "ingots collar" was popular, and the collar height could reach the palate, and then to the ears, holding the chin, beautifying the face shape.

The collar type of cheongsam from high to low, low collar has become a popular trend, and slowly developed to collarless, female students love to wear collarless cheongsam, because the style is novel and playful, attracting other women in society to follow suit.

The collar types of cheongsam include ingots collar, round neck, square collar, low collar, phoenix collar, etc., as well as water drop collar, V-neck, and stand collar. In order to ensure that the collar of the cheongsam is stiff, the master uses paste to make the white cloth hard and put it into the collar, and some cheongsams made of high-grade fabrics are hand-sewn with a scraping white cotton cloth below the neckline, which is easy to disassemble and wash.

Chinese robes are used to the Shang and Zhou circles, and most of them are right-handed.

There are various styles of cheongsam plackets, including single placket, double placket, oblique placket, straight placket, curved placket, pipa placket, medium and long placket, ruyi placket, large round placket, double round placket, etc. In the production of cheongsam, the double placket is more complex than the single placket, and the double-placket cheongsam is visually more beautiful and noble.

The styles of cheongsam sleeves mainly include wide sleeves, narrow sleeves, long sleeves, medium sleeves, short sleeves or sleeveless. The pattern of the sleeve shape often changes with the trend, sometimes long sleeves, longer than the wrist, sometimes short sleeves, short to the elbow, all of which reflect women's pursuit of beauty.

In the 20s of the 20th century, the most striking feature of the cheongsam sleeves was the appearance of inverted large sleeves, which reached the elbow length and were flared, and the cuffs were rolled with zigzag, wavy, incense-shaped edges, or lined with white lace. In the 1927 Beiyang Pictorial, a fashion illustration was published, showing a woman wearing a fashionable inverted large-sleeved cheongsam, with a slightly loose waist and gorgeous fabrics.

In the 30s and 40s of the 20th century, the cheongsam had an obvious waist, showing the delicate curves of women, with sleeves sometimes slender, longer than the wrist, sometimes as short as the elbow, and even some sleeves as long as two inches below the shoulders, and some cheongsams directly omitted the sleeves. The sleeves are new and different in decoration, and styles such as ruffled sleeves, slit sleeves, and lace sleeves have appeared.

The skirt of the cheongsam has wide hem, straight hem, A-line hem, dress hem, fishtail hem, short front and long back, serrated hem, etc.

The change of the skirt is closely related to the change of the waist of the cheongsam. The cheongsam of the Manchu women of the Qing Dynasty was not divided into upper and lower parts, one was full-length, longer than the ankles, with a high waistline and a wide and long skirt, which covered the curves of women. As the waist of the cheongsam narrowed, the skirt also became straight.

In the early 20th century, the skirt of the cheongsam quietly changed, and through old photos and old advertisements, it can be noticed that the skirt of the cheongsam has become shorter, and the shoes and even the calves are exposed outside the skirt.

In the 20s of the 20th century, a new style of cheongsam was popular in Shanghai, similar to a sleeveless vest, covered outside the short jacket, and later the long vest and the small short jacket were combined into one, long to the legs, large cuffs, the shape is still straight, the waist line is low, the curve is not obvious, and the hem reaches the knee.

In the early 30s of the 20th century, short cheongsams began to become popular, with a hem slightly above the knee and a tightened skirt to highlight the curve of the waist. In the mid-30s of the 20th century, high heels from Europe and the United States began to match with cheongsam, changing the popular fashion of cheongsam, the skirt gradually lengthened, and the delicate high heels increased the beauty of cheongsam, making women's figures more slender and long-sleeved, sexy and moving. As the hem of the cheongsam lengthened, the slit also became higher and higher.

In the late 30s of the 20th century, some self-conscious women began to advocate a low slit, the slit only reached the calf, and the skirt length was also developed to the extreme, covering the feet, and the skirt reached the ground, which was laughingly called "sweeping cheongsam".

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, women from all walks of life devoted themselves to the anti-Japanese salvation movement, and for the convenience of movement, the skirt gradually became shorter, and the slit gradually increased.

In the 80s of the 20th century, whether it was on the international fashion stage, or in daily work and life, the cheongsam showed feminine beauty with a changeable posture and interpreted a different oriental style.

The common red cheongsam, with its gorgeous and eye-catching colors and unique styles, fully demonstrates the long history and culture of the Chinese nation, and focuses on the subtle and elegant charm of oriental women.

The brocade of cheongsam, which is common in modern times, is patterned with traditional Chinese ornaments such as Pisces, Fugui flowers, plum blossoms, etc., as well as hand-painted cheongsams designed with floral patterns depicted in Chinese ink painting.

The cheongsam was once designated as the national dress in the "Regulations on National Uniforms" promulgated by the Nationalist Government on April 16, the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929). Article 2 (Women's Dress) of the Regulations on National Uniforms stipulates: "1. Clothing: as shown in the fourth figure, with a full collar, the placket is covered on the right side, long to the midpoint of the knee and ankle, and the lower end of the trousers, the sleeve length is higher than the elbow, and the midpoint of the hand vein, and the quality is made of silk, linen, cotton and wool fabric, the color is blue, and the button is six. ”

Influenced by the Qing Dynasty flag man robes, from the Republic of China to the present, the women's robes are collectively referred to as cheongsam, affected by the environment at that time, most people know that the banner women of the Manchu Dynasty have their own unique cheongsam, and mistakenly think that Han women only wear skirts, different from the flag people.

Therefore, everyone today says that the skirt is the clothing of Han women, but they don't know that for two or three thousand years, Chinese women have been robes and skirts at the same time, and have taken robe-shaped long clothes as traditional dresses, but due to the changes of the times, there are entanglements between robes and skirts, which need to be clarified urgently. Taiwan has had a campaign to correct the name of the cheongsam, and the cheongsam of the modern Han women's robe will be renamed the Qi robe.

Remove its ambiguity and take its auspicious meaning. It is logical to verify the name and clarify the false names and return them to the truth. Chinese women have a variety of robes, which have been inherited for two or three thousand years, and should not only be covered by the word cheongsam. Wang Yuqing, chairman of the Taiwan Chinese Cheongsam Research Association, once launched a campaign to correct the name, changed the cheongsam to a cheongsam, and submitted it to the official office for approval.

The reason is as follows: "Most of the market stores have been using Qi robes for more than ten years. Erqi means auspicious. Why do you have to change the cheongsam to the Qi robe, because the Chinese women's robes are ancient rituals for two or three thousand years, and the word cheongsam originated very late, only more than 300 years, and can be used as a women's robe for 3,000 years? The cheongsam worn by the flag people has its own inherent style and is relatively fixed, and the women's robe in China for thousands of years is colorful, far beyond the back of the cheongsam, so how can the cheongsam be called its name? Therefore, the flag must be obtained. He also said why it is not only called a robe or a women's robe, because the robe lacks a woman's exclusive part of speech, and the women's robe is not used to being unpleasant and unpleasant, and it is not feasible. If it is not changed, it will not live up to its name, and the flag, Qi, and Qi will be chaotic, and there will be no difference. And there are many precedents, such as the carved silk of the silk, the gentry of the gentry, etc. ”

In fact, the renaming of the cheongsam to the Qipao began on New Year's Day in 1974, and on this day, the inaugural meeting of the Chinese Cheongsam Research Association was held in Taipei City. The flag was unanimously approved, and the articles of the constitution were immediately submitted to the competent official office for approval. The case was finalized and the official status was clearly stated.

In terms of the evolution process of robes, the evolution history of robes is a history of national integration and cultural integration. The round neck of the robe, which was popular in the late Northern Dynasties, was produced by the influence of the northern ethnic minorities, and the sleeves from loose to tight were the result of the interaction between the ethnic minorities and the Han costume culture.

In general, the evolution of Chinese robes is like the evolution of the Chinese nation, which is the result of the continuous integration of the Han nationality and the surrounding ethnic minorities, which is a basic fact, the evolution of the traditional robes is basically based on the mainstream robe styles of the Han nationality, absorbing the good elements of other ethnic groups, and now it is deeply influenced by Western culture, putting the cart before the horse, until the traditional is basically lost, and the loss of culture is undoubtedly a major disaster for a nation.

Calling for the inheritance of tradition, the inheritance of traditional clothing is undoubtedly the responsibility of every Chinese, which requires the popularization of traditional clothing culture by the people, the attention of the rulers to clothing culture, and the advocacy of literary and artistic intellectuals.

The names of women in the culture of the Republic of China are always accompanied by their cheongsam photos, such as the three Song sisters, Wu Jianxiong, Wu Yifang, Lin Qiaozhi, Ruan Lingyu, Zhou Xuan, Zhang Ailing, Lin Huiyin, Xiao Hong and Ding Ling.

The costumes of the actresses of Suzhou Pingdan, a precious cultural heritage, are still cheongsam, and other traditional rap arts such as drumming and storytelling also use cheongsam as the traditional costume of actresses.

In the long-established Miss Hong Kong, Miss Hong Kong Chinese, Miss Asia and Miss Guangzhou Xiguan elections, they will definitely wear cheongsams during or at the end.

TV series and movies with cheongsam as a selling point continue to appear, such as the famous In the Mood for Love, Lust and Caution, etc.

On May 16, 2015, the cheongsam show initiated by the China Cheongsam Association and responded by 420 chapters around the world was launched around the world, with 150,000 Chinese wearing elegant cheongsams and challenging the Guinness World Record for the largest number of cheongsam shows.

Helen Foster Snow is the widow of Snow, the author of "A Journey to the West". The book records his meeting with Mao Zedong during his time in the caves of Yan'an. When Helen first went to Shanghai in 1931, she was only twenty-three years old. Helen's friend Polly traveled all over the United States to raise money for China for Gungho, and when Soong Ching Ling learned about it, she gave her cheongsam and asked Polly to wear it when she gave speeches across the country.

When Mr. and Mrs. Snow arrived in the Philippines to continue fundraising for China for the "Gung Ho", Polly gave the cheongsam to Mr. and Mrs. Snow. On March 17, 1998, 58 years later, this beautiful cheongsam returned to China from the United States and returned to the "Former Residence of Song Qingling" at No. 46 Beiyan of Houhai, Beijing.

The number of cheongsams in Song Meiling's wardrobe is probably unsurpassed by the current Guinness World Records. Song Meiling's cheongsam has a large number of pieces, and there is a diligent tailor master, which is quite closely related. This master tailor is called Zhang Ruixiang and is a male tailor.

The reason why Zhang Ruixiang is so loved by Song Meiling is nothing more than because of her delicate handiwork and loyalty. Zhang Ruixiang worked non-stop almost every day to make cheongsam for Song Meiling, he could make a cheongsam about every two or three days, and after it was done, Zhang Ruixiang held the new cheongsam in front of Song Meiling to ask for credit.

Song Meiling usually only took a cursory glance, and ordered someone to take it to her closet for safekeeping, and then she never wore it again, so Song Meiling's cheongsam was probably worn back and forth, always those sets, and there would not be too many changes. Zhang Ruixiang except for resting on Chinese New Year's Eve, she spends the rest of her time making clothes, and only for Song Meiling; In addition, in order to do what they liked, most of the things that some officials and wives gave to Song Meiling had clothes, and these silk satin were enough for Zhang Ruixiang to be busy all year round. Song Meiling's oversized wardrobe has become the world's largest cheongsam storage room.

Jiang once resented the foreign daughter-in-law (Belarusian wife Jiang Fangliang, formerly known as Fina Ibativa Vakhreva, Russian for Фаина Ипатьевна Вахрева) who refused to meet without wearing a cheongsam.

The master who once made cheongsams for Zhang Ailing said, "I can't remember how many cheongsams I have made for Zhang Ailing, but each cheongsam is "constructed according to the drawings".

For example, the cheongsam she wears in winter has a velvet jacket and the collar can't be too tall and too stiff, because she said: "The cheongsam collar is high and stiff, and the head and neck are straight, and it's very uncomfortable to sit and write." "Skinny, narrow long sleeves with slits at the sides to the knees. Plus a "sea tiger velvet" coat. In spring and autumn, I like to wear a "cheongsam skirt" with a low neckline and a belt.

And the style of wearing cheongsam in summer that she painted, such as "collarless, short-sleeved, knee-length" and called "cool cheongsam", should be called "dress", and it has been popular until contemporary times.

My master is a generous person who admires Zhang Ailing. Not only did he not care about Zhang Ailing's "deviant behavior" (handing over the cheongsam pattern she drew directly to me to make for her), but he also praised it: "Zhang Ailing has become a fashion designer!" ”

Zhang Ailing once said: Even when a woman who has no heart talks about her "brocade robe last year", she is also in love.

I can always meet one or two elegant women wearing cheongsam, not necessarily how beautiful and exquisite, the calm and calm self-confidence is enough to take people's breath, not to mention the elegance and nobility naturally revealed under the background of the quaint cheongsam. I don't necessarily want to be different from my surroundings, but this oriental charm is more suitable for me.