Circa 1930 Women's Gown (cheong sam)

Description:

The donor, Virginia Lee, posed in a similar cheong sam for a US World War II poster and for the "Miss China" contest in New York. Also known as a qu pao, the Chinese traditional loose dress shape was modified by Western designers in the 1920's to be more close-fitting to accentuate a woman's figure. The altered dress form became broadly popular in the United States as evening wear in the late 1950's and 1960's.

Date Made: ca 1930

User: Mead, Virginia LeeMaker: unknown

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: ChinaWorn: United States: New York, Manhattan, Chinatown

Referenced: ImmigrationImmigrantsUsed: Chinese Americans

Subject:

See more items in: Home and Community Life: Costume, Family & Social Life, Cultures & Communities, Clothing & Accessories, Chinese American

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Related Web Publication: http://collections.si.edu/search/results.jsp?view=&dsort=&date.slider=&q=AC0555-0000006.tifhttp://collections.si.edu/search/results.jsp?q=set_name:%22Lee+Chinese-American+Family+Papers%2C+ca.+1915-1970%22

Related Publication: Mead, Virginia Lee. Photograph, Portrait of Virginia Lee in a cheongsam dress, Mead, Virginia Lee. Lee Chinese -American Family Papers, ca. 1915-1970

Credit Line: Gift of James Edgar Mead and Virginia Lee Mead

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1992.0620.16Catalog Number: 1992.0620.16Accession Number: 1992.0620

Object Name: dressObject Type: DressWomanMain Dress

Physical Description: satin (overall material)silk (overall material)embroidered (overall production method/technique)Measurements: overall: 51 cm x 116 cm; 20 3/32 in x 45 21/32 in

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-a044-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1119978

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