Sales increased

Zhai Xinyu, 25, is among those who have embraced wearing this traditional dress in everyday settings. Over the past three years, Zhai has bought more than seven different styles of cheongsam that have been worn for work, daily life and formal events. The most basic dress of the lot cost just 100 yuan. The most exquisite cost 3,000 yuan.

In fact, her passion for this outfit has even seen her join the Shanghai Qipao Culture Promotion Association.

"I usually wear a cheongsam at work. But if I wear a cheongsam when hanging out with my friends, they will be surprised. To them, the cheongsam is nothing more than my work attire," says Zhai.

"But I'm confident that sentiments are changing. You will find many young people wearing cheongsam-style clothes in shopping malls, parks and scenic spots today. Many young fashion bloggers have also been creating video content about the cheongsam. More and more new styles of the dress have also been emerging. I once saw a short cheongsam with geometric prints. That was the first time I had seen anything like that."

Market reports have painted a similar picture. According to an e-commerce report released by Donghai Securities on June 20, the cheongsam was one of the most sought-after items on online retailer Vipshop during the recent June 18 shopping carnival. The report noted that the sales of this dress had increased nine times compared with the previous year.

Meanwhile, the cheongsam has been among the most searched fashion-related products on Douyin this year, according to a report by the short-video platform.