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Tag Archives: chinese fashion
July 11, 2012 — Cheongsam Dreams
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Li Ling-Ai, the Chinese American author who lured me into FINDING KUKAN, was known for always wearing a traditional Chinese dress known as a cheongsam (or qipao in Mandarin).
I didn’t always have an appreciation for the style since I associated it with my elderly grandmother who lived with us when I was a teenager in the 70s. Her old-fashioned Chinese ways and insistence on wearing a Chinese dress everywhere was a cause of angst and embarrassment to me at a time when appearing too ethnic or Asian was just not the cool thing to do.
But my attitude has changed over the years along with the fashions. All the rage in the 20’s and 30’s when Chinese women were expressing newfound freedoms, the cheongsam was banned in mainland China during the Mao era and later considered too old-fashioned by Chinese women who were going for more modern Western looks in the 70s and 80s. According to this excellent article by Babette Radclyffe-Thomas, sexy Chinese movies like IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE have recently inspired a nostalgia for the cheongsam.
Madonna, Nicole Kidman and Kelly Preston have all been caught wearing the style to glamorous effect at red carpet events.
To honor Li LIng-Ai and the revival of the cheongsam (and also divert myself from writing grant applications), I’ve been collecting cheongsam photos on my Pinterest board. Here are some of my favorites.
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Have a favorite cheongsam of your own? Post in the comments or send me a link to your pin and I’ll put it on my board.