Cheongsams or Modern Qipao are a kind of figure-flattering Chinese dress perfect for showcasing a lady's features gracefully.
It is no wonder they're becoming ever more prevalent to wear, particularly for special occasions like your wedding. But the modern qipao can be worn anytime for any event.
Although there are nearly too many choices when shopping for the Western wedding outfit, purchasing Chinese wedding clothing or Modern Qipao (cheongsam) can be a maddening experience if you don't know what to look for in a Modern Qipao dress.
How will you get the best Cheongsams or Modern Qipao if you don't know them well?
Fortunately, we have reviewed a complete list of 5 vital things to check before you buy a cheongsam or modern qipao dress in this article below.
It will certainly help you to get the best qipao China dress from anywhere in the world!
What Is a Modern Qipao or Cheongsam Chinese Dress?
As a type of Chinese dress, qipao is at all times a classic option for women. Cheongsams or qipao originated almost a century ago in Shanghai in China as a contemporary take on the Chinese Manchu dress, and then it remained among the most iconic dresses of Chinese fashion.
In case you are getting married as well as looking to honor your fiancé's or own Chinese tradition, then the modern qipao or cheongsam can be the best addition to the Chinese wedding outfit.
Nowadays the modern qipao or cheongsam is added to Asian-American fashion and also to the traditional wedding trade. There are many online sites that promise to take more quality, customization, and transparency to the modern cheongsam or qipao dress shopping.
Modern qipao or cheongsam dresses let you combine your tradition with a fashionable style. So, do not wait further to bring your dream cheongsam or qipao dress to life.
During the initially 21st century, the old-style qipao got funkier designs and turn out to be more modern. These days, conventional fashion takes motivation from old-style Chinese dresses, as well as even the Japanese style, which uses some conservative Chinese essence.
To assist you in better realize the gist of cheongsam or modern qipao, let's now take a quick glance at the feature of the modern cheongsam style below.
The Features of Modern Qipao Or Cheongsam Style
Precisely, traditional Cheongsam or qipao has an old-fashioned collar design, along with its pankou button, as well as it fits your body closely, and this type of dress has openings on both sides.
Old-style qipaos or Cheongsam are elegant and simple, as they are designed with a single piece of cloth, buttoned-down one side of your body. But the modern qipao is a bit different. The modern Cheongsam has many other features now, let's know in detail below.
Elements To Check Before Buying Modern Qipao
Anyone would love to wear the modern qipao or cheongsam for their wedding day or maybe for a tea ceremony, but the fact is, are you know actually what makes clothing a modern cheongsam or qipao?
Well, if you do not know then continue reading this article to find out the top 5 key points of a qipao that will expectantly inspire you to make something new that will honor your tradition while also being true to your elegance.
Diagonal Top
The front part of the qipao top by tradition consists of a diagonally designed chest area, encircled by a series of pankou knots on it.
The diagonal naturally starts from the collar base in the center to underneath your right armpit. However, there are several variations in the modern Qipao to its front side;
- Several of them are diagonals on both side
- Others are straight one-sided diagonals, and
- Several of them even continue all the way down to reach the waist part.
Color of the Qipao
The color of Qipao matters a lot especially if it is for wedding purposes. Although there is no certain color associated with qipaos specifically, for weddings, the RED color is the most preferable one.
In Chinese principles, Red color symbolizes the whole thing you can ever ask for – happiness, joy, and good luck. That is why the covers you get for the Chinese New Year are similarly red. Therefore, brides, similarly typically pick red for their wedding dress in order to bring good fortune.
You can likewise include a different color floral or accent into your qipao pattern fabric such as
- White
- Gold
- Purple
- Pink
- and Blue are all prevalent secondary colors for qipao.
Material of the Qipao
Qipao can be of several different materials, however, the heritage ones are naturally made from silk fabric and decorated with sewing on top of the dress.
Habitually, brides will pick embroidery that has a dragon and/or phoenix for their wedding purpose qipao.
In Chinese principles, the phoenix and dragon together represent a harmonious marriage and good luck.
- Lace Qipao
- Brocade Qipao
- Silk Qipao
Pankou Knots
Pankou is actually the Chinese term for the old-style frog buttons or knotted buttons placed on the top of qipaos. They are likewise called frog fastenings often.
Usually, they come in numerous floral and animal designs as well as are made of satin or silk wrapped around a solidifying material like copper in order to help the dress is in its shape.
With the pankou knots, one can go as decorative as they want! The easiest version is the conventional pankou knots. As they contain a simple button (knotted) with a loop fastening.
On its other side, you can follow more complex and intricate floral pankou knots on your qipao dress.
A prevalent favorite for the Chinese wedding qipao is to adopt the pankou knots with phoenix tail, as the phoenix conventionally signifies the bride as well as is a prevalent Chinese wedding representation.
Mandarin Collar
The utmost iconic part of the qipao's Mandarin Collar. The mandarin collar was promoted after the Manchurians conquered China's present ruling dynasty in order to arrange the Qing Reign in the 17th century. This collar was among the traditional structures of the Manchu dresses.
It's an upright, unfolded collar that will go around your neck and naturally is 2 to 5cm in height. Some people also prefer 3 to 4cm for comfort.
At the present time, the modern qipao has changed into an iconic part of fashion that is a part of Chinese culture. Although there are precise elements of the dress that style it a qipao, you now have sufficient knowledge and many choices for how to customize your own cheongsam or qipao to fit your contemporary aesthetics.