A Outfit To Wear To Celebrate Chinese New Year, Cheongsam

JAKARTA - Clothing is a cultural marker. When celebrating Chinese New Year, it is popular to wear red clothes. Because the red color symbolizes happiness, luck, sufficiency and prosperity.

For women, cheongsam, also known as qi pao, has meaning in every detail of its elements. Starting from the motifs, buttons called pankou, colors, and types of cuts.

If you look at films directed by, for example, Wong Kar Way, entitled In The Mood For Love, you will certainly see the costumes used by Maggie Cheung. Or Gong Li's costume in Zhang Yimou's film Raise the Red Lantern.

Not all cheongsam is red, but red cannot be separated from symbols of hope. While the motif is also an important element because there are several motifs used for wedding clothes and of course the lucky color, red.

Regarding motives, it is most often missed. Dragon and phoenix motifs are only used for wedding clothes. And based on history in the use of cheongsam for women there are various motives.

Quoting from a thesis and dissertation written by Chui Chu Yang from Iowa State University, during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD), colors and embroidered insignia with animal, bird, and plant motifs were used to show family rank.

Since the 1930s, the cheongsam fashion has become more modern. Often the cheongsam is worn without a pattern or plain. This style of clothing that is not only worn by women but also men and children is also known as Shanghai clothes. This shirt model has various button patterns. There are 3 types of buttons that are most popular, namely straight pankou, simple floral, and combination.

Because the shape of the buttons is similar to a frog, it is called a frog button. While there are various kinds of stitching patterns. Starting from the diagonal, vertical in the middle and on the side. Furthermore, the neckline of the cheongsam is also unique.

Even today, many party dresses and formal wear are inspired by the neckline of cheongsam, for example the YSL FA04 and Cavalli SP03 collections with dragon motifs on yellow fabric.

When it comes to cutting, there are various types too including the fitted body below the knee and the A-line along the ankle.

Chui Chu Yang in his writings shows that the cheongsam is no longer bound by strict rules. You can wear it to work, parties, get together with family, and celebrate Chinese New Year.

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