The Qipao / Cheongsam can display all women’s modesty, softness and beauty. Like Chinese women’s temperament, the Qipao / Cheongsam is elegant and gentle, its long-standing elegance and serenity makes wearers fascinating. Mature women in Qipao / Cheongsam can display their graceful refined manner. A Qipao / Cheongsam almost varies with a woman’s figure.
Cheongsam is deemed as the symbol of romantic and poetic, it can reveal your sylphlike figure attractively . If you have a Chinese classic face, such as little cherry mouth , melon seeds shaped face ,and big bright watery eyes, you definitely suits a cheongsam. But now cheongsam, as a excotic dress has been seen at festivities, parties or wedding ceremony all over the world. Especially, a blouse collided with a jean features so leisurely and fashionable.
Custom-made cheongsam will give more flexible and selectionm, just your own loved colors, fabric and pattern. But nowadays mass production with standard sizes are also not a best choice, at least if price is a concern.
If Qipao / Cheongsam will get some or none colored hem; you can select he sleeve-length, the slit length, the slit position (on the side, front or back) and how many slits you want. Additionally many different kinds of buttons, colors and buttonhole-loops will be chosen for you more often.
Finally you can select the measurement of your Chinese dress / Cheongsam. In this way you can simply get an absolute individual and real fitting Chinese dress / Cheongsam.
The Qi paos have a number of styles which are uniquely designed to flatter your figure. So how to find your appropriate cheongsam to show your personality.
Skinny Ladies:
Brocades with heavy silk designs produce a captivating style which also fills out the figure and adds curves to your body. If you have extremely thin legs, avoid mini-skirts and choose longer, flowing Chinese dresses instead.
Shorter Figure: a long cheongsam seems so unsuitable for you, as a long hem will only emphasize your smaller stature. Additionally, avoid boxy cuts with shoulder pads that weigh you down. Avoid too-cutesy looks so you won’t look little girlish.
Larger Figure:
A striking side split in the cheongsam Chinese Dresses goes a long way in hiding any bulges. Remember to avoid brocade and to choose a dress with a single harmonious color for an outstanding look. Well, dark color makes you look slimmer. A black or blue cheongsam sounds great for you.
Flabby Arms: Whatever your shape, add long sleeves to your cheongsam Chinese dresses if your upper arms are less firm than they could be. Dresses with lone sleeves features more modest and elegant, of course including cheongsam.
Collar Options:
The traditional high collar of the Chinese Dresses cheongsam is best choice for women with a longer neck. However, even with a shorter neck you can find attractive Chinese dresses by opting for a short-collared or even plunging neckline design.
Bottom-Heavy Figure:
The easiest way to balance a bottom-heavy figure is to choose Chinese dress that skims over the lower half of the body. Choose a straight-cut skirt with side slit to slim down your bottom half. A separate top will tone down any disparity between your upper and lower halves.
1.選購
旗袍品種如此繁多，選購時應注意以下兩點。要根據自己穿用需要而定。如結婚禮服（旗袍）不僅面料質地上乘而且色彩鮮艷奪目，充滿喜慶色彩；迎賓赴宴禮服（旗袍）面料應高級華貴，色彩柔和大方，外觀穩重而高雅；便服旗袍可隨心所欲，突出個性及體型美，穿著舒適大方。
市場上成衣旗袍的規格是按大眾化的身材體型量制的。由於每個人身材都有自己特殊性，而旗袍又是趨於緊身、抱合性強的服裝，尺寸規格則是選購旗袍的重要指標。所以，購買旗袍必須准確地測量出自己的“三圍”，即胸圍、腰圍、臀圍，並與旗袍：“三圍”相適或略有餘。然后，在更衣室試穿觀其“三圍”是否貼體舒適，其次還要觀領子、衣身、袖子的長短與肥瘦等。旗袍尺寸大小的選購不同於連衣裙等服裝，要求十分嚴格，否則將會失去其風格和獨到之處。
旗袍面料的選擇：旗袍選料是很廣泛的。日常一般穿用的旗袍，夏季可選擇純棉印花細佈、印花府綢、色織府綢、什色府綢、各種麻紗、印花橫貢緞、提花佈等薄型織品；自制的短旗袍，輕盈、涼爽、美觀、實用。春秋季可選擇化纖或混紡織品，如各種閃光綢、滌絲綢、以及各種薄型花呢等織物。這些織品雖然吸濕性、透氣性差，但其外觀比棉織品挺括平滑、絢麗悅目，在不冷不熱的季節中穿用很適宜。
禮賓或演出穿用旗袍是十分考究的。夏季穿用，旗袍面料應選擇真絲雙縐、絹紡、電力紡、杭羅等真絲織品。該織品質地柔軟、輕盈不粘身、舒適透涼。春秋季穿用，旗袍面料應選各種緞和絲絨類：如織錦緞、古香緞、金玉緞、縐緞、喬其立絨、金絲絨等等，這些高級面料制做的的旗袍能充分表現東方女性體型美、點線突出，豐韻而柔媚，華貴而高雅，如果在胸、領、襟稍加點綴裝飾，更為光彩奪目。
2.旗袍的整理
現在大部分女性所穿著的旗袍大都為織錦緞的面料，而這類錦緞都是不宜水洗的，所以穿著時應非常小心，尤其要注意不要沾染上油漬、可樂和口紅，因為這類物質最難清洗，就算送去干洗店也未必能完全清除，所以我們建議：
1、旗袍不要連續穿著好幾天。
2、要留意尖銳的物件，以避免旗袍鉤洞與抽絲。
3、不要為了貪方便將袖子高高卷起。
3.旗袍的洗燙
如果新穿的旗袍不小心弄臟了，可以用塊微濕的佈鋪在臟處用熨斗熨燙一下，這樣一些灰塵就會附著到佈上，既清潔了旗袍，又起到整燙的作用。
4.旗袍的收藏
旗袍如果不穿了要用衣架（寬寬的那種）把旗袍挂起來，注意肩部要撐妥當。在挂進衣櫥前，還要記得放上防蛀用品。
另外，絲綢衣服要勤換勤洗，脫下后切勿擱置。穿著絲綢衣服時不要貼身，避免過多的汗液浸蝕衣服，使衣服變色、變質、破損。穿著絲綢服裝也不要在席子、藤椅、木板等粗糙物上睡覺，以免造成不必要的破損和並絲。另外，收藏絲綢服裝時，應放在樟木箱內，以防虫蛀。
5.旗袍的穿著場合
旗袍的穿著與搭配和其他服裝一樣，也有一定的規范和要求。可分為正式場合和非正式場合。
正式場合一般指參加節慶典禮、外事訪問、隆重會議、文藝演出和婚禮宴會等，穿著的旗袍必須面料高檔（如織錦緞類）、款式庄重（如國畫旗袍、繡花旗袍）、做工精湛。穿著時必須將所有扣子系好，應注意發型和化裝，一般不需要其它服飾搭配。
非正式場合一般指家庭團圓、朋友聚會、外出旅游、休閑散步和家庭休息等，這時可選擇面料、款式、做工較一般的旗袍，當然也可選擇高檔旗袍在非正式場合穿著，可選擇其它一些飾品，如皮鞋、圍巾、眼鏡、提包等，充分利用自己的特點和愛好，精心搭配。
參考：卞向陽先生的《論旗袍的流行起源》一文 / 百度百科
