No more drab dresses, the cheongsam's back in style

No longer is the cheongsam a reminder of bygone times for earlier generations, as it is now making a quiet return through various specialist stores in Singapore

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The 1949 Communist Revolution ended the cheongsam and other fashions in Shanghai, but fashion trends brought it back to popularity in Hong Kong and now in Singapore.

Mention the cheongsam dress or qípáo (旗袍) and the image that pops into most people's minds is that of a stiff, tight dress worn by the older generations. They used to be mainly red with elaborate floral motifs, worn by Chinese women during the auspicious Chinese New Year holiday. But in recent years, a small group of inspired dress-makers and stores have been waging a quiet revolution -- turning out modern interpretations of the age-old cheongsam dress, complete with different prints and cuts without losing their ethnicity and sense of history.

Clarissa Choh, owner and designer of high-end boutique My Mandarin Collar, says that she started out designing her own cheongsams for the Chinese New Year, and when she got an overwhelming interest, she set up her store. "A lot of the traditional cheongsams don't cater to the younger generation anymore. We use modern fabrics like French lace and Italian silk, instead of the typical brocade and cotton," she tells CNNGo. Her floral motifs have also been tossed up -- they've got a decidedly European feel instead of the typical Oriental designs.

Another store that puts a great modern spin on the cheongsam is the newly opened Tong Tong Friendship Store. The owner and designer, Tan Sheau Yun, set out to make her oriental-inspired pieces wearable by the public. Having been trained in what she dubs the "Asian decorative arts," Tan tried to use her clothing designs to draw shoppers into the material culture of Chinese civilization, without them looking out of place or like costumes. She describes her collection as "light-hearted and quietly quirky, but always with a respectful nod to tradition," a notion which is quite apparently in her store.

While Tong Tong's clothing line incorporates a strong element of fun, cheongsam boutique Mazzario by Mimi's offerings depart a lot more from tradition with some daring cuts and styling that mixes in a nice touch of whimsy. They offer "cheongsam-inspired apparel" that ranges from casual blouses and tea dresses to evening cheongsam gowns. But one thing stays true to tradition -- each cheongsam is handmade at each stage of production, from design, pattern making and sewing, as any good cheongsam should, and is carefully tailored to flatter each body shape.

Why do we think it's about time the cheongsam made a comeback? Simple -- retro vintage style is making a comeback and there's nothing more 'old school' than the cheongsam, especially when you're Chinese and proud of it. Check out our gallery of style from the various stores to see what the modern cheongsam's capable of.