The cheongsam is one of the most timeless and female body-hugging dress in the fashion world. It has a distinctive Chinese flavour and yet flatters the Western woman’s body without discrimination. While Cheong sum is the Cantonese name for this piece of garment, qípáo is its name in Mandarin, inspired by Manchu dress code during the Qing Dynasty. Still very popular today, the qipao or cheong sum was first popularised in Shanghai by Chinese socialites and upper-class women in the 1920s and 1930s.