Heather Guo bridges cultures by way of Cheongsam trend

“I used to be well-versed in Nineteen Fifties and Nineteen Sixties American trend throughout my highschool years, however conventional Chinese language apparel from the identical period was surprisingly unfamiliar to me,” Guo mentioned. 

Later in highschool, one among her collector pals launched her to a treasure trove of Cheongsam clothes, igniting her fascination for blended Japanese and Western trend.

Guo believes that Cheongsams encapsulate the dedication and creativity of ladies from the 20 th century. The unique Cheongsams had been designed for males. The time period “Cheongsam” is a romanization of the Chinese language phrase “长衫,” which means lengthy robes. As feminist consciousness rose within the Twenties, Chinese language girls deserted their conventional and cumbersome clothes, turning to Cheongsams as an alternative. Over time, girls have made important enhancements to the unique male model of Cheongsams.

“These clothes reworked the large, flowing silhouettes of conventional Cheongsams into extra form-fitting, figure-flattering designs. The addition of aspect slits allowed for better mobility whereas showcasing the sleek curves of ladies,” Guo mentioned. “The meticulous craftsmanship and revolutionary design that went into creating Cheongsams spoke volumes in regards to the girls of that point.”