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The
cheongsam is a female dress with distinctive Chinese features and
enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high
fashion.
The
name "cheongsam," meaning simply "long dress,"
entered the English vocabulary from the dialect of China's
Guangdong Province (Cantonese). In other parts of the country
including Beijing, however, it is known as "qipao",
which has a history behind it.
When
the early Manchu rulers came to China proper, they organized
certain people, mainly Manchus, into "banners" (qi) and
called them "banner people" (qiren), which then became
loosely the name of all Manchus. The Manchu women wore normally a
one-piece dress which, likewise, came to be called "qipao"
or "banner dress." Although the 1911 Revolution toppled
the rule of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, the female dress survived
the political change and, with later improvements, has become the
traditional dress for Chinese women.
Easy to slip on and comfortable to wear, the cheongsam fits well
the female Chinese figure. Its neck is high, collar closed, and
its sleeves may be either short, medium or full length, depending
on season and taste. The dress is buttoned on the right side, with
a loose chest, a fitting waist, and slits up from the sides, all
of which combine to set off the beauty of the female shape.
The
cheongsam is not too complicated to make. Nor does it call for too
much material, for there are no accessories like belts, scarves,
sashes or frills to go with it.
Another
beauty of the cheongsam is that, made of different materials and
to varying lengths, they can be worn either on casual or formal
occasions. In either case, it creates an impression of simple and
quiet charm, elegance and neatness. No wonder it is so much liked
by women not only of China but of foreign countries as well.
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