Shanghai-style Cheongsam with Modernity

Cheongsam evolved from Manchu women’s dress. Manchu were once called “banner people” (chi-ren), thus the name cheongsam (chi-pao). With its new, stylish and unique charm, Shanghai cheongsam forms Shanghai style which can’t be surpassed by other regions. In 2007, the production technique of Shanghai-style cheongsam was listed by Shanghai Municipal Government in the list of the first batch of City-level Intangible Cultural Heritage in Shanghai. Cheongsam was originally just for Manchu women and women in the court. In the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai became the origin of new-style cheongsam. After improvement in length, width, slit height, sleeve length and collar height, Shanghai-style cheongsam becomes well-cut and fit, and fully displays the graceful curves of oriental women, thus becoming a typical representative of Chinese women’s dress. In addition to the reform in tailoring, Shanghai-style cheongsam also lays emphasis on decorative buttons, rendering it not only a button but also an exquisite decoration. Besides, embroidery and hand-painting are also widely used in Shanghai-style cheongsam to make it more elegant. Shanghai-style cheongsam records the development process of dress culture of an era, and reflects the social consumer psychology, fashion customs, aesthetic orientation and technological level of modern society. It is an important carrier of modern Chinese dress culture, a unique product of cultural exchange between China and the West, and an important historical memory of modern Chinese society.