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Chinese Traditional Dress - Qipao

The Mandarin traditional attire, Qipao, known also as The Cheongsam, is an offshoot from the conventional dresses of the minority Manchu ethnic people in China. In fact in the good olden days, it meant lengthy gowns usually adorned by the Manchurian and Mongols.

During the Qing Dynasty of 17th Century, the Chinese traditional dress had lengthy gowns without collars, having narrower cuffs which looked like the hoof of a horse. The buttons flowed down along the front left, having 4 slits and a tight-fitting waist. Usually people used to roll up cuffs, and bring it down only when they were on expeditions like battles or hunting. Chinese winters are severe and the cuff served well to give protection from cold weather. On each side left and right and front and back, the gowns came equipped with slits reaching knees. Since the dress was fitted tight to your body, with a waistband to tighten it, the lengthy dress was able to even carry food and utensils within it while hunting. Importantly Manchu Qipao was worn with a waist coat which had various options like front buttons, or twisted fronts or fronts appearing like a lute. ?

During the early periods the cheongsam of men resembled a long gown and a Chinese jacket over the gown was worn, while female dress continues from the traditional hold, and has established its popularity over the dynasties and political changes. During 1930s, women's Qipao, were reaching the calves having flowers embroidered, and men's cheongsams didn't have any embroidery patterns. During that time the cheongsam turned out to be the chosen dress for all women, be it students, highest-cadres, folk, or workers all were attiring themselves in cheongsam, which also became the dress for social meets and political and diplomatic celebrations. The Qipao has now spread to many foreign regions and even foreigners consider the Chinese traditional dress as their favorite. During the 1940s, Manchu men gave up cheongsams, while women's Qipao has stood the test of the time. Visit chinesecheongsamdress.com for an in-depth study of the Chinese attires.

One of the reasons for the Chinese female to opt for this dress is that the Qipao fits the Chinese women well and it is elegant on their bodies and since the dress can suit any season, old or young, it continues to be popular.

The word Cheongsam which simply means long attire became an English word, though it is from the Cantonese. The same dress in China, including the modern Beijing city, the dress is known by the name Qipao, the word having its roots in Chinese history.

The word is an offshoot of the early Manchu kings, organizing people into Qi (banners,) naming them as people who hold the banners or qiren, slowly the word represented all Manchu. However females from Manchu clans, attired a along one-piece cloth, which was known as Qipao or a banner dress. Though the Manchu kings were topped, the apparel of the females have continued with some improvements to be popular and is known as the accepted Chinese traditional dress.

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