Amazing grace of Cheongsam

Spotted, this girl in the pics is now one of the hottes movie stars in China. Her name is TANG Wei. She caught my eyes in the movie directed by Ang LEE, Lust, Caution. She impressed me so much in the movie not only because of her excellent acting, but also her way to express the beuty of Cheongsam.

Here I post two pics of her in different styles. The same TANG Wei, two totally different feels. She’s a woman when she’s wearing Cheongsam, but she’s more like a little girl in another dress. I was so amazed by her in the movie Lust, Caution. Every movement of her is telling you: be cautious, the sexy woman is dangous. The Cheongsam looks perfect on her. It shows the best part of a woman’s body.

Interview to Anna Z. II PART

 

In the second part of interview to Anna Z. We focus on her father’s work with the company”Songshi“. It’s an indirect way to broaden his customer target.

Q1 Has your father ever worked for a company?
A: Yes. He is now working for “Songshi”, which is a firm specialized in Cheongsam manufacturing. The firm was founded several years ago with a team of 12 designers. My father was one of them. 
 
Q2 Does the company have a specific target of clients?
A: Yes. Actually “Songshi” is a costume based professional brand. She works for many large-scale performances and has been widely praised.
 
Q3 Is your father’s design influenced by company’s suggestions?
A: More or less. First, the design for the company is a teamwork. So he has to cooperate with the other designers to make their designs unified. Also as I said earlier, the company works for costumes on the stage. So the design should go with the theme of the performance, which means that there are a lot of elements other than my father’s own preference to be taken into account.
 
Q4 Is the design for company quite different from design for single client?
A: Yes. Because the customer target of the company is not single clients but groups of dancers or artists. So the style of the Cheongsam designed by the company usually is more exaggerated.
 
Q5 Which one is more profitable to your father, working alone or working for a company?
A: It’s hard to say. It’s not very easy for the company to get a decent order for a big show, but when it did get one, that would be very profitable.

Interview to A.J. – A chinese student studying fashion

 

H: What do you think about Cheongsam?

A: Cheongsam is a kind of very traditional symbol of Chinese culture. It represents the Classical characteristics of Chinese women. It also evolves as the development of Chinese society.

H: Normally when do you wear Cheongsam?

A: Well, usually we don’t wear it during our daily life, but in many traditional festivals. Such as Chinese New Year and Mid moon festival. We will wear it to show our respect to these formal situations.

H: What kind of Cheongsam do you like?

A: Actually I think the more modernly-designed Cheongsam is very attractive and fashionable. It is a combination of the traditional Chinese spirit and the preference of the young people.

H: Do you think Cheongsam will gradually be forgot in the future?

A: No, I don’t think so. As I’ve mentioned above, Cheongsam is a part of Chinese culture and history. As long as, the historical heritages are passed to the new generation, Cheongsam will remain in our life and continue to be loved by us.

H: Nowdays, globalization is an inevitable trend, do you think cheongsam will become more and more international.

A: Well, as we can see that Cheongsam is more and more broadly accepted by people of different nationalities, it will surely be internationalized in the new future.

H: Do you think that there will be more foreign designers put Cheongsam elements into their design?

A: As the demand of fashion products becomes more differentiated these days. I think to put the Cheongsam element into their design might be a fresh inspiration for more designers.

H: Are the designs of Cheongsam in various Chinese regions different?

A: In general, they have same feature. However, as the influence of different local cultures, they may have some unique characteristic of their own.

Interview to Anna Z. -Daughter of a Cheongsam Tailor (I PART)

 

Q: Is Cheongsam simple to make upon your observation?
A: Not really. At least I don’t think it’s an easy job. Cheongsam has its special requirement of cutting which is the key of its attractiveness. So every Cheongsam has to be custom-tailored according to different clients.
 
Q: Which city in China is most famous for Cheongsam manufacturing?
A: Probably Suzhou as well as Hangzhou. These two cities were once two very important trade centers in China and also famous for their silk manufacturing. Well, silk, as we know, is the essential material to make Cheongsam. Knowing these, it’s clear to see why they have an important position in Cheongsam manufacturing.
 
Q: What’s your suggestion for people who want to buy Cheongsam?
A: I know nowadays women are anxious for being skinny. However, Cheongsam is not fit for skinny women. Instead, it shows a Chinese traditional view of women’s beautiful which emphasises curves.
 
Q: What’s the average age of your father’s clients?
A: From 18 to 55. The range of clients is quite wide because Cheongsam, as a symbol of traditional Chinese fashion, is very popular among Chinese women even foreingers with different ages.
 
Q: How long does it take to make one Cheongsam?
A: Four to five days on average. Starting from the selection of material and its colour as well as patten, to the cutting, it’s a complicated process.
 
Q: Does your father also design any other accessories for Cheongsam?
A: No. My father is specialized in Cheongsam making. But I think maybe doing also the design of related products of Cheongsam like accessories is a good idea.
 
Q: Is your father’s workshop competitive in maket specilized in Cheongsam manufacturing?
A: Well, the maket of Cheongsam itself is now highly competitive. So I don’t think there is a problem of competitiveness of my father’s workshop. Or it’s better to ask his clients. Maybe they will tell.
 
Q: Will you inheit your father’s business in the future?
A: Well, I have to say at least now I’m not sure about that. Cheongsam, as I mentioned, is a symbol of traditional Chinese fashion. On the other hand, we should admit that its maket is limited and we are not sure how far it can go in the future.

In the Mood for love

“In the Mood for Love” The best indicator of the last century 60’s attributes of Hong Kong is the women who’s qipao, but most especially in Maggie Cheung‘s qipao.  

Maggie Cheung changed 20 times for traditional cheongsam in the movie, stunning dress make the Golden Horse Actress Maggie Cheung, sometimes depression, sometimes sad ,and sometimes grace, sometimes generous, each one represents a hostess dress mood.  

In the dark light, when Maggie Cheung kept changing the color and style chinese cheongsam dress, people seem to see an oriental beauty of classical temperament.

To be honest, Maggie Cheung does not belong to the actor looks to get the applause, but in “In the Mood for Love” taking cheongsam dress, Maggie Cheung is not only beautiful, but also mature. She is a show of night-blooming cereus, left much light and far odor in the dark night. 

Wong Kar-wai is indeed a master of characterization, while Maggie Cheung wore so many cheongsam, but the audience did not think it superfluous or redundant. Perhaps the film will be broadcast after the heat off a cheongsam.

 

Use of Changpao

Changshan are traditionally worn in pictures, weddings, and other more formal historically Chinese events. A black changshan, along with a rounded black hat, was, and sometimes still is, the burial attire for Chinese men. Changshan are not often worn today in mainland China, except during traditional Chinese celebrations but, with the revival of some traditional clothing in urban mainland China, the Shanghainese style functions as a stylish party dress.

History of Changpao

Changshan, along with qipao, were introduced to China during the Qing Dynasty (17th century–20th century). The Manchus in 1636 ordered that all Han Chinese should adopt the changshan style of dress—or face harsh punishment. However, after the 1644 fall of the Ming Dynasty, the Manchu stopped this order, and only required the court and government officials to wear Manchu clothes. Commoners were actually still allowed to wear the hanfu. However, over time, even the commoners freely adopted the changshan and qipao as their own dress.Thus, the traditional Chinese Hanfu style of clothing was gradually replaced. Over time, the Manchu style gained popularity.

Changshan was formal dress for Chinese men before Western-style suits became common in China.

The male changshan went well with the western overcoat, fedora, and scarf, and portrayed a unique East Asian modernity.

The 1949 Communist Revolution ended the wearing of changshan and other similar clothing in Shanghai, but Shanghainese emigrants and refugees brought the fashion to Hong Kong where it has remained popular. Recently there has been a revival of the Shanghainese changshan in Shanghai and elsewhere in mainland China.

Changpao

In traditional Chinese dress, a changshan (literally “long shirt”) is the male equivalent of the women’s cheongsam (qipao). It is also known as a changpao or dagua .

The Mandarin word changshan is cognate with the Cantonese term chèuhngsàam, which has been borrowed into English as “cheongsam”. Unlike the Mandarin term, however, Cantonese chèuhngsàam can refer to both male and female garments, and in Hong Kong is frequently used for the body-hugging female garment rather than for the male changshan. The Hong Kong usage is reflected in the meaning of “cheongsam” in English, which refers exclusively to the female garment.

in the Olympics

In the 2008 Summer Olympics, cheongsams were the uniforms for the medal bearers. They were also worn by female members of the Swedish team and of the Spanish team in the opening ceremony, with the national colors of blue and yellow.

also in the nighclub…

Many waitresses in Chinese restaurants over the world wear suits and skirts but some, especially the receptionists, wear cheongsam uniforms. These cheongsam (referred to as qipao in China) are long, often foot-length or floor-length. They have slits high to the waist or hip, and are usually sleeveless or have only cap sleeves. They are often made of brightly-colored silk or satin with rich Chinese embroidery. Some nightclub waitresses, ritual girls in ceremonies, and competitors in Chinese beauty competitions wear similar cheongsam uniforms. They may wear pantyhose but not an underskirt so walking shows their legs. These uniforms are considered too sexy for ordinary wear so they are worn and kept at work. The waitresses change into casual clothes before going home.