Wearing the Cheongsam

The cheongsam (Cantonese for “long dress”), or qipao (Mandarin for “banner robe”) is an internationally recognized symbol of Chinese cultural identity and femininity. Originating as a combination of Han and Manchu clothing styles and later influenced by Western fashion, the garment carries layered meanings across generations and diasporas. For Canadian-born women of Chinese descent, wearing the cheongsam can evoke tensions between desire, fear, wonder, and contestation.

Drawing from her book Wearing the Cheongsam: Dress and Culture in a Chinese Diaspora, curator and author-scholar Cheryl Sim examines the cheongsam’s history and revival overseas, as well as its contested meaning for Chinese Canadian women as a symbol of heritage, traditional values, and cultural belonging.

Following the presentation, join Cheryl Sim and Mia Wu, owner and senior tailor at Modernize Tailors, for a discussion on contemporary cheongsam trends, garment production, and cultural appropriation.

Attendees are encouraged to wear a cheongsam to the program.