Describe a Chinese dress: 

Qipao (Ch'ipau) is one of the most typical, traditional costumes for Chinese women. Also known as cheongsam, it is like a wonderful flower in the Chinese colorful fashion scene because of its particular charm. 

In the past, the collar of the costume was made high and tight fitting to keep warm. Qipao has incorporated this feature, not just for preventing coldness but also for beauty. The collar of Qipao generally takes the shape of a semicircle, its right and left sides being symmetrical, flattering the soft and slender neck of a woman. The collar of Qipao is meticulously made, especially the buttonhole loop on the collar, which serves as the finishing touch. We can’t help but admire the designers’ artistic originality. The design of the front of Qipao depicts the maturity of women properly; reminding people of the line of a Chinese poem ’A garden full of the beauty of spring can not be prevented from being enjoyed.’ 

Qipaos can display Chinese women’s modesty, softness and beauty. Like Chinese women’s temperament, Qipaos are elegant and gentle. 
Like other costumes, the beauty of Qipao comes first. Simplicity is one of its features from the collar, loop, chest, waist and hips to the lower hem, and a Qipao almost varies with a woman’s figure. It not only lays stress on the natural beauty of a female figure, but also makes women’s legs appear more slender. Mature women in Qipaos can display their graceful refined manner. 

Besides its simplicity, Qipao provides designers with vast, creative space: some short, some long, with low, high, or even no collars at all. 

Practicality always goes with beauty. Qipaos are worn in both urban and rural areas, its long-standing elegance and serenity making wearers fascinating. 

When wearing Qipao, women should pay attention to the match as a whole; particularly middle-aged or elderly women should do so. Hairstyles, jewelry, socks and shoes should match Qipaos properly in color and design. 

In either case, Qipao / Cheongsam creates an impression of simple and quiet charm, elegance and attraction. With distinctive Chinese features Qipao / Cheongsam enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high fashion.
The name 

In Northern China, e.g. Beijing, the term "Qipao" is popular - for the term’s origin please have a look at the history of Qipao. In Southern China the Qipao is also known as "Cheongsam". Cheongsam means "long dress", entered the English vocabulary from the dialect of China’s Guangdong Province (Cantonese). 

There is a legend that a young fisherwoman lived by the Jingbo Lake. She was not only beautiful, but also clever and skillful. But when fishing, she often felt hindered by her long and loose fitting dress. Then an idea struck her: why not make a more practical dress for work？ She got down to sewing and produced a long multi－looped－button gown with slits, which enabled her to tuck in the front piece of her dress, thus making her job much easier. As a fisherwoman, she never dreamed that a fortune would befall on her. 

（責任編輯：中大編輯）