page_title: Cheongsam
section_title: Timeline of Chinese dress
hierarchical_section_title: Cheongsam / Timeline of Chinese dress
caption_attribution_description: English: Puyi, last emperor of China, with his consort Wan Rong, last empress of China.
context_page_description: The cheongsam, also known as the qipao, is a type of feminine body-hugging dress with distinctive Chinese features of Manchu origin. It was known as the mandarin gown during the 1920s and 1930s, popularised by Chinese socialites and upper-class women in Shanghai.
context_section_description: Starting from the Qing Dynasty, changpao, which was the early form of cheongsam, was the daily clothes of Manchus Bannerman. Apart from cheongsam, changpao was a long robe without sleeves and collars.
  Until the 1920s, right after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and founding of the Republic of China, cheongsam was originated in Shanghai. Cheongsam of the early 1920s had loose cutting, with long, wide sleeves. Affected by Western culture, cheongsam kept on changing, such as becoming more fitted and body-hugging, with side slits that reached up to the thigh. Moreover, numerous distinct designs were unveiled and cheongsam became a fashion trend.
  In 1929,  cheongsam was chosen by the Republic of China to be one of the national dresses. In the 1930s, the fashion prevailed in Shanghai. At that time, cheongsam was made of silk and embroidered with pearls and other decorations. Also, they were close fitting, and drew the outline of the wearer's body.
  In 1940s, cheongsam was worn with stockings, and trousers had completely fallen out of use. High-heeled shoes became an essential part of the cheongsam fashion set.
  From the 1950s to the 1970s, due to the anti-tradition movements in China, especially the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), the cheongsam was seen as a feudal dress of the ancient times. It was abandoned as daily clothing, and people who wore cheongsams were judged as being bourgeois, which was considered a political misbehavior at that time. For example, in 1963, when President Liu Shaoqi visited four neighboring countries in South Asia, first lady Wang Guangmei wore a cheongsam. She was later declared guilty in the Cultural Revolution for wearing a cheongsam.
  Since 1980s, with the trend of reevaluation of Chinese traditional culture, people in mainland China started to pay attention to the cheongsam again. The cheongsam is gaining popularity in films, beauty pageants, and fashion shows in both China and other countries all over the world. In 1984, the cheongsam was specified as the formal attire of female diplomatic agents by the People's Republic of China.
caption: Puyi, the last emperor of China, and his wife Empress Wanrong
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