There are four traditional techniques to qipao (cheongsam) edgings: 滚 gun，镶 xiang，嵌 qian and宕 dang. These can be used alone, or in combination with each other as the qipao above to create a wide range of effects. (Image source: MET Museum collection) There are several features of the qipao which are unique to the dress. I have written about some of…
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This sleeveless black velvet qipao (cheongsam) is what I call the Little Black Qipao, and like the classic Little Black Dress, is extremely versatile. The slight stretch of the velvet combined with black is extremely slimming, and the simple neckline is the perfect for dressing up with jewelry. It has been a surprisingly warm Autumn in Shanghai this year. In…
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Like my previous post on all the qipaos from In the Mood for Love, this one to document all the Lust, Caution dresses has also taken much longer than I originally planned. But again, it was such a pleasure going through the process, because this film is just stunning in so many ways. For those of you who might remember my very…
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This striped pink qipao was inspired by In the Mood for Love. It is made from silk taffeta, sleeveless, with a high collar, and I think just perfect as a wedding guest dress in the summer. I had this qipao (cheongsam) made in 2012, after seeing the striped pink material at the Shanghai south bund fabric market. Somehow it immediately…
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The qipao (cheongsam) front is unsurprisingly, the front piece of the dress, which starts from below the collar and extends down to the hem. Typical the front is made from two or three pieces of materials, joined together diagonally at the chest area by a series of pankous (traditional Chinese knot buttons). In my mint green wedding qipao pictured above,…
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