Cheongsam (UK: /tʃ(i)ɒŋˈsæm/, US: /tʃɔːŋˈsɑːm/) or zansae, also known as the qipao (/ˈtʃiːpaʊ/) and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the qizhuang, the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people.[2][better source needed] The cheongsam is most often seen as a longer, figure-fitting, one piece garment with a standing collar, an asymmetric, left-over-right (youren) opening and two side slits, and embellished with Chinese frog fasteners on the lapel and the collar. It was developed in the 1920s and evolved in shapes and design over years.[2][better source needed] It was popular in China from the 1920s to 1960s, overlapping with the Republican era, and was popularized by Chinese socialites and high society women in Shanghai.[3][4] Although the cheongsam is sometimes seen as traditional Chinese clothing, the cheongsam continues to evolve with times as it responds to the contemporary modern life.[2][better source needed]
^Wei, Yulong (2017). "Research on the Evolution of Cheongsam Style in the Republican Period and Its Contemporary Application". Proceedings of the 2017 International Conference on Culture, Education and Financial Development of Modern Society (ICCESE 2017). Atlantis Press. doi:10.2991/iccese-17.2017.120. ISBN978-94-6252-330-2.