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Perhaps no other traditional Oriental dress has become synonymous with the image of exotic Asia than the Cheongsam - that sublime fall of richly embroided silk that sheathes the slight figure of the Asian woman so becomingly. The Cheongsam, also known in Mandarin as Qipao or Chipao was regarded as the standard dress for Chinese women from the 1930's to the 1960's.During that time it enjoyed enormous popularity in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and in overseas Chinese communities.

It perfectly suited the long slim look popularised internationally in the early 1960's by movie stars such as Audrey Hepburn.It was also favoured in Europe by the young and avant-garde.With the coming of mass market fashion and uni-sex dressing the popularity of the dress began to wane.By the 1970's it was simply old fashioned. The Cheungsam is still the preferred form for beauty queens, certain girls' schools and professional women. With the handover of Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997, the Cheungsam is undergoing a revival in Hong Kong and is also attracting attention in the West.

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