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Musings of a modern qipao (or cheongsam) addict.

Reviving stories and history of the traditional Chinese dress; sharing inspiration and ideas for a qipao wardrobe for today.

29/08/2019

We went to a new restaurant over the weekend with some friends, and it turned out to have this amazing view over the old Chinese quarters of Shanghai. I love the neat rows of old li-long roofs set against the sky scrapers in the background (usually the scenery is the other way around... Sky scrapers in the foreground and lower buildings further out), a distinctly landscape.

15/08/2019

Our nanny walked in the other day and exclaimed how there were so many qipao-clad ladies across the street. Intrigued, I peeked out the window. Sure enough, there they all are! Not every dress is what I’d wear, but don’t they look striking all together and so radiant in their confidence? ♥️♥️

08/08/2019

Saw this great article on the BBC today, some amazing photos from the 80s in China. My two favorite shots: 1. The fashion show - don’t the women look so glam? One can hardly tell it was over 3 decades ago when the general population wore mostly drab grey 2. The little girl learning to walk in Chengdu as her bound-feet grandma looks on; this little girl is only a few years older than me, and I still remember seeing all the grannies with their tiny feet when I was growing up in Chengdu. Want to get my hands on this book! So nostalgic ♥️

07/08/2019

Sorry for being absent... but I recently found out that I’m pregnant again and have been rather uncomfortable so please forgive me... today is a nice day to get back into things because it’s Qixi (pronounced Chee-shee), the 7th day of the 7th month on the lunar calendar, and widely called Chinese Valentine’s day here. The story behind it is one of the most romantic stories in Chinese history: an honest, hard working earthly farm boy is driven out of home by his evil sister-in-law. While feeling confused in the mountains, he meets an old, injured ox who he nurses back to health, who then reveals himself to be a heavenly creature. Through the ox, the boy meets a lady of the heavens, and they fall in love and have a pair of children. However this was not to be, as the Empress of the Heavenly Palace finds out about the relationship, and is so irate that she whips out her silver hair piece to create a huge river between the couple to separate them. The sadness of the lovers draws pity from the magpies of the heavens, who fly together to form a bridge for the couple to cross the river. Seeing this, the Empress is touched, and finally permits the couple to meet once a year on Qixi, on the magpie bridge. Well, here are some photos of the red lace qipao from the collection - it’s been popular for wedding ladies and a nice bright red colour for today ♥️♥️ (Hope you enjoyed the story in its super condensed format) @ Shanghai, China

25/04/2019

Leping Zhang was one of China’s most pre-eminent illustrators and cartoonists in the 1940s and 50s, with his most well known work being the “Sanmao” cartoon series, the story of a young orphan boy whose life was affected by war. I saw this picture on display at his late home in Shanghai, and it is an earlier work from the 30s. It catches a particularly delicate moment, where a well dressed lady in a qipao has her hem caught on some wire. I really like it because it’s sexy but awkward at the same time, and really showcases the imperfect moments of life. ♥️

10/04/2019

Does this look familiar? I took it a little while back and completely forgot to post it! We randomly walked past this beautiful vintage butcher in New York - still operating and preserved in beautiful condition. I stopped in my tracks and just marveled at it for a full 15 minutes. I confess, besides qipaos, my second obsession is 50s vintage. Then when I read the fine writing on the window I realized: of course! It’s the amazing little butcher in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel! I ♥️ her, I ♥️ the butcher, and one day I’ll come back here to shop in a qipao!

03/04/2019

I randomly came across this map in the Harvard Map archives this week (we were looking at a map exhibition). It is a map from the early 1600s and shows a round, flat version of the world where China and Korea (in red) are at the center, and while the Great Wall, Japan and parts of South Asia are somewhat recognizable, most of the rest of the world seems to be floating in a bed of donut shaped water, with bizarre names such as “large people country” or “long arms country”. So fascinating! I had no idea our world view had changed so much in 400 years. ❤️

27/03/2019

I found these the other day of the beautiful Jenny Walton... doesn’t she look super amazing in her qipao? I think it’s the attitude that made this outfit oh-so-chic ♥️♥️

02/03/2019

I’ve started to meditate and read about Buddhism over the last 6 months. This is a well known book recommended by a friend, and the first few paragraphs blew my mind. It’s as though so many things I had been searching for in my life were summarized precisely here, that life is both a singularity and a plurality, yet not quite either. That there are many balanced and beautiful - like the qipao, both subdued yet very powerful; like my identity, both Chinese and Australian. Happy weekend, and as usual, enjoy ❤️

21/02/2019

And just like that the 15 days of celebrations are over... I guess the “real” 2019 finally starts after months of holiday celebrations (the perks of being hyphenated... I’ve been celebrating holidays since Christmas!) We were in NYC over the weekend, and amongst the flood of tourists for the New Year parade, saw this cool neon installation. It is the Chinese character “fa”, symbolizing prosperity. May you all have a prosperous year of the Pig! 🐖❤️

15/02/2019

My favorite part of writing the Pankou is getting to know many of the readers who write to me. As it turns out, the desire to don a qipao ( ) represents something of a rites of passage for many women raised in a hyphenated household. Finding the right qipao and wearing it with is a fulfilling and meaningful , and I love Yulin’s journey. .kuang is a talented screen writer and producer in LA, and her work explores so many familiar yet awkward moments from my own life that had been unrepresented in popular media over the years. Check out my interview with her on The Pankou, and watch a few of her short films, I hope you ❤️ them as much as I do. ❤️❤️ bit.ly/PankouYulin

04/02/2019

A very happy Lunar New Year!!! Celine and I decided to color match this year for our yearly qipao photo, and it was an accident that we ended up with pink (the color of pigs 🐖) 😂 but may you all have a happy and prosperous year of the pig, filled with good health, good food, good friends and good fun! ❤️❤️

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