Formal dress shouts for return to casual wear

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Fashion Writer

Gigi Chan once thought the cheongsam "was reserved for weddings and movie stars." Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Chinese New Year celebrations Chinese New Year, celebrating the Year of the Ram, begins Saturday and ends Jan. 21, 2004. Among the celebrations: 10 a.m. Saturday at Market City Shopping Center, with lion dances, firecrackers and free fortune cookies. Noon-1 p.m. Saturday at Ala Moana's Centerstage, with the 2003 Narcissus Court, lion dances and kung fu demonstrations. 1 p.m. Saturday, makai end of Fort Street Mall, with lion dances and tea, Chinese treats and traditions at Na Mea Hawai'i. 10 a.m. at Pearlridge Uptown Center Court, 11 a.m. Sunday at Downtown Center Court, with lion dances. 4-8 p.m. Feb. 8, Fountain Courtyard, Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, with lion dances, firecrackers, cultural performances and demonstrations. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 9, Windward Mall, with the Narcissus Court, lion dances, exhibits and demonstrations.

Sadly, the way Chan talks about the cheongsam sounds much like the way a lot of young local women talk about the mu'u mu'u.

Maybe it's time to rethink the cheongsam. It's no secret that men love 'em. They flatter a figure with curves, and they show off a great pair of legs.

Cheongsam often provide inspiration for fashion designers in New York, Paris, London and Milan. This month Vogue magazine showed a Prada pink satin blouse with mandarin collar and frog fastening. Roberto Cavalli

designed a red silk micromini cheongsam embroidered with dragons, as well as a charmeuse cheongsam stamped with flora and fauna. Miu Miu's take on the cheongsam was a satiny pink brocade blouse with green collar and frogs.

By definition

Chan always had a fascination with the garment that is closely identified with her culture. So when she wrote a paper for her historical costume class, she chose the cheongsam, and, in the meantime, became the proud possessor of her mother's red wedding cheongsam.

Now she's a convert to the graceful, feminine garment that New York fashion designer Vivienne Tam said makes a woman feel taller, slimmer, straighter, more refined and elegant.

There are four basic elements that define a cheongsam:

• Mandarin collar
• Diagonal opening, usually fastened on the right side with Chinese frogs
• Side slits
• A slim fit

Hem and sleeve lengths, depth of slits, color and fabric are variable.

Generally speaking, red is for weddings, black for funerals and bright colors for young people. In Hawai'i we usually see cheongsams made of bright silks or brocades with embroidery.

Cheongsam's origin

Chan was able to study cheongsam from several decades that are part of the permanent collection in UH-Manoa's extensive costume collection, reputed to be among the largest in the nation.

Although it's easy to think of the cheongsam as traditional Chinese attire, it was not introduced until the late 1920s. The original cheongsam derived from a Westernized version of the qi pao, or banner gown of the Manchu people.

While cheongsam is a Cantonese word, it is referred to as qi pao in Mandarin.

The style was popularized by Shanghai movie stars who wore tightly fitted versions of the dress on screen in the 1920s. The silhouette slimmed down and the waist narrowed as the sleeves grew shorter in the 1930s and 1940s.

From 1949, and throughout the Cultural Revolution, the cheongsam was banned in the People's Republic of China. Shanghai tailors migrated to Hong Kong and the garment's popularity grew in Hong Kong, Taiwan and among Chinese in other countries.

In the mid-1950s, shoulder seams were added, the collar was softened and rounded and piping was added as an embellishment. Hemlines rose to mid-calf and bust and waist darts cinched the figure in true '50s style.

The no-holds-barred fashions of the '60s influenced the cheongsam as skirts became minis and bold patterns and prints replaced solid colors.

As factory-made ready-to-wear swept into Hong Kong in the late '60s, the cheongsam saw a rapid decline. Since cheongsams required custom tailoring, they simply could not compete with Western ready-to-wear styles.

In the 21st century, cheongsams have evolved into special-occasion garments worn for weddings and beauty pageants, such as our local Narcissus pageant.

However, it may be time to rethink that approach to cheongsam. It's a style that shouts to be worn here and now.

Where to find cheongsam

Most cheongsams are custom-made. Here are a few seamstresses who make them:

• AK Kahala Fashion, near Kahala Mall: 732-5350
• Connie Cheung in the Chinese Cultural Plaza, ground floor: 536-0585
• Creations by Toy, University Avenue: 947-0124

Also try

• Shanghai Tang in Ala Moana Center
• Shops in Chinatown sell inexpensive ready-to-wear cheongsam usually made in Vietnam of polyester or rayon.
• At the time of this writing, eBay listed 358 items under "cheongsam." Some were vintage, others new. Prices ranged from $17-$56 and sizes were varied. Fabrics included silk, brocade and velvet. Few had bids posted.
• Interesting Web sites from which to order cheongsams: www.chinese-tailor.com, www.efushop.com and www.shanghai-tang.com, which refers to cheongsams as qi pao