A fashion evolution

The cheongsam first emerged in the 1920s as loose-fitting dress that was not commonly worn by women as it looked similar to the one-piece gowns that Chinese men wore.

It was only around the 1930s that the dress started becoming a means of accentuating one's curves as Hongbang tailors who were adept at sewing Chinese tunic dresses and Western-style suits began pioneering a new style.

According to Liu Yu, a professor at the college of fashion and design at Shanghai's Donghua University, this change to the silhouette quickly made the cheongsam a daily dress. Before long, the outfit became a must-have item for every fashion-savvy woman in Shanghai, which was considered the fashion capital of the nation.

Today, the cheongsam could be said to be synonymous with Shanghai.

"Although there are many cheongsam styles in China, the first thing that comes to mind when one mentions this dress is the scene of a woman in a cheongsam walking along the Bund," says Shen Huiqin, director of the Shanghai Qipao Culture Promotion Association.

But the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) saw this coveted dress disappear from society almost completely as it was deemed a bourgeoisie symbol, according to Shen. It was only in the 1990s since the reform and opening-up that it started making a comeback in Chinese society.

Shen believes that the cheongsam will only become more prevalent in the years to come, noting that many hotels and airlines have already been trying to adopt the cheongsam as their official work attire. Other industries have been following suit, too.