Qipao Party!

This past Saturday night, Michael and I went to a "Qipao Party" at a Shanghai Jazz club called Brown Sugar. The event was suppossed to be for Shanghai expats, but when we got there, we quickly realized that we were just about the only white people who had shown up wearing the traditional Chinese fashion. As a result, we became immersed in a paparazzi-like frenzy of professional photographers. Everyone wanted a picture of the "white people" all dressed up! Anywho, I don't know what all those celebrities complain about... it was really fun! ;o)

At the party. We finally got a chance to take a picture with our own camera!

After awhile (and a bottle of champagne), Michael started messing with the photographers who came up and started taking our picture. He made this one photographer pose for my camera before he would agree to be photographed by her!

Somebody is a little buzzed...

So anyway, now that I've shared our exciting night as celebrities, it's time for your history lesson:


The Chinese Qipao-style dress for women became popular among ladies of the royal family in the Qing Dynasty. At that time, the Qipao (pronounced "cheepow") were fitted loosely and were so long that they would reach the insteps. Usually, they were made of silk and the whole dress was embroidered, with broad lace trimmed at the collar, sleeves and edges.

In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, the Qipao became more popular throughout China and with the influence of Western style it became shorter, closer-fitted, and more practical.

Today, Westerners and Chinese alike recognize the qipao as a traditional, yet fashionable style of Chinese dress.

As you can probably guess, my Qipao is made in the more modern Chinese fashion.





When men want to dress to match the more modern Qipao-style of women, they wear the traditional zhongshan suit, which became popularized by Mao Zedong, and thus is more commonly referred to as the Mao-suit.

Michael really didn't want to dress up for the party, but I kind-of-pseudo-forced/persuaded him to at least wear a silk Mao jacket.

Doesn't he look handsome? (And, yes, he did wear his house slippers out to the bar...)