Ensemble
1950s (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The 1950s were a golden age of qipao design, and created a boom in the Hong Kong tailoring industry. Following civil war and the Japanese invasion of mainland China in the 1940s, many wealthy families and textiles entrepreneurs, as well as skilled tailors, emigrated from Shanghai or Guangdong province to start new lives in Hong Kong, where their skills and financial capital were highly valued.
This three-piece suit, made from pink wild silk, comprises a qipao, waistcoat and jacket. It was tailored by Hoover Co., located at 118 Leighton Road, Hong Kong. The jacket has three-quarter-length sleeves and an edge-to-edge front opening fastened with hooks and eyes, and is tailored to flare out at either side at the waist. At the back are shoulder darts and long waist darts. Three-dimensional sequinned flowers, arranged in groups of three, are sewn along the front opening and around the cuff ends. Each flower had been handcrafted with mother-of-pearl sequins.
This qipao is typical of the 1950s, emphasising an hourglass figure. When worn on its own, it exudes an undeniably Chinese flavour. The addition of a waistcoat and jacket cleverly transforms it into a western-style ensemble, appropriate for attending a formal event.
This three-piece suit, made from pink wild silk, comprises a qipao, waistcoat and jacket. It was tailored by Hoover Co., located at 118 Leighton Road, Hong Kong. The jacket has three-quarter-length sleeves and an edge-to-edge front opening fastened with hooks and eyes, and is tailored to flare out at either side at the waist. At the back are shoulder darts and long waist darts. Three-dimensional sequinned flowers, arranged in groups of three, are sewn along the front opening and around the cuff ends. Each flower had been handcrafted with mother-of-pearl sequins.
This qipao is typical of the 1950s, emphasising an hourglass figure. When worn on its own, it exudes an undeniably Chinese flavour. The addition of a waistcoat and jacket cleverly transforms it into a western-style ensemble, appropriate for attending a formal event.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Plain-weave wild silk, embroidery in sequins |
| Brief description | Ensemble comprising a dress for a woman (qipao), waistcoat and jacket, pink plain-weave wild silk; embroidery in sequins, made by Hoover Co. (豪華公司), Hong Kong 1950s. |
| Physical description | This three-piece suit, made from pink wild silk, comprises a qipao, waistcoat and jacket. It was tailored by Hoover Co., located at 118 Leighton Road, Hong Kong. The jacket has three-quarter-length sleeves and an edge-to-edge front opening fastened with hooks and eyes, and is tailored to flare out at either side at the waist. At the back are shoulder darts and long waist darts. Three-dimensional sequinned flowers, arranged in groups of three, are sewn along the front opening and around the cuff ends. Each flower had been handcrafted with mother-of-pearl sequins. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Richard A. and Janey M.Y. Cheu, in memory of Dr Henry D. Cheu |
| Object history | On its own, the qipao is itself a modernised form of the dress worn by Manchu and Han women of the Qing dynasty. By the 1940s, the dress had become tailored to be much more form-fitting, and this dress, tailored in the 1950s or 60s, retains this feature. The short sleeves may reflect on the relatively more humid climate of Hong Kong, where the dress was made. Worn on its own, the dress exudes an undeniably Chinese flavour. When the veste and the jacket are worn over the dress, it cleverly transforms the Chinese dress into a Western suit ensemble. |
| Summary | The 1950s were a golden age of qipao design, and created a boom in the Hong Kong tailoring industry. Following civil war and the Japanese invasion of mainland China in the 1940s, many wealthy families and textiles entrepreneurs, as well as skilled tailors, emigrated from Shanghai or Guangdong province to start new lives in Hong Kong, where their skills and financial capital were highly valued. This three-piece suit, made from pink wild silk, comprises a qipao, waistcoat and jacket. It was tailored by Hoover Co., located at 118 Leighton Road, Hong Kong. The jacket has three-quarter-length sleeves and an edge-to-edge front opening fastened with hooks and eyes, and is tailored to flare out at either side at the waist. At the back are shoulder darts and long waist darts. Three-dimensional sequinned flowers, arranged in groups of three, are sewn along the front opening and around the cuff ends. Each flower had been handcrafted with mother-of-pearl sequins. This qipao is typical of the 1950s, emphasising an hourglass figure. When worn on its own, it exudes an undeniably Chinese flavour. The addition of a waistcoat and jacket cleverly transforms it into a western-style ensemble, appropriate for attending a formal event. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.56:1 to 3-1997 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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