Is Cheongsam the Origin of China Women's Traditional Clothing?

Cheongsam was originally the indigenous dress of Manchu women in China. Because Manchu is also called a flag bearer, it is called cheongsam. Later, Han women began to wear it, and improved it on the original basis, making it a traditional dress for women in China.

Manchu women's cheongsam in the late Qing Dynasty was wide, straight and long. Most of the materials used are embroidered red silk, and the collar, lapel and sleeve edges of cheongsam are rolled with wide edges.

In the early 1920s, cheongsam became popular, and its style was not much different from that of the late Qing Dynasty. But soon, the cuffs of cheongsam gradually narrowed, the piping was not as wide as before, and it fitted better than before, which also set off the curvaceous beauty of women. In the 1930s, cheongsam was very popular. Modern "cheongsam" evolved from Manchu cheongsam in Qing Dynasty.

Qipao was not a special pet for women at first, but a costume worn by Manchu men, women and children. All the year round, the same style, only single, leather, clip points. The early cheongsam is a kind of robe with four slits. The basic styles are round neck, narrow sleeves, wide straight body, left slit, buttons and belt. Its formation is related to Manchu living in cold areas and hunting activities. After Manchu entered the customs, there was a slight difference between men's and women's cheongsam. The cuffs of men's cheongsam are narrow horseshoes, commonly known as "horse sleeves" (also known as "arrow sleeves"). The upper part of the dress is long and the lower part is short, with slits at both sides and a cloth belt at the waist, which is convenient for riding and shooting. The cuffs of women's cheongsam are flat and large, the length of the dress can cover the foot, the neckline is low, and the neckline, sleeve head and skirt are inlaid with lace and teeth of different colors, which is called "Han Tao" in Manchu.

With the development of society and the sparseness of riding and shooting, men's cheongsam is gradually abandoned, while women's cheongsam is constantly developing and has become a proper term for women's clothing. Manchu women wear cheongsam, "flag head" and "flag shoes", and walk very straight and graceful.

The style of cheongsam has been changed several times since it appeared. After the Qing Dynasty unified the whole country, with the increasing integration of Manchu and Han nationalities' living habits, cheongsam was also accepted and adopted by Han women and innovated constantly. After the Revolution of 1911, cheongsam changed more. When cutting, pay more attention to the female figure and the beauty of lines. From the late 1920s to the early 1930s, cheongsam became more and more popular and became the main clothing for women in China. At first, high collar was popular. In hot summer, cheongsam was as thin as cicada's wings, and the collar was towering to the ear, but it gradually became popular with low collar. Sleeves also vary greatly, from being longer than wrists to being shorter than elbows. In the mid-1930s, cheongsam gradually grew to the floor, with high slits on both sides, and the looming trouser legs gave people a hazy aesthetic feeling.

Now, cheongsam has become the representative of traditional women's clothing in China.