In the Qing Dynasty, the clothing of men is mainly the robe and mandarin jacket. This is very popular in the late Kang Xi and Yong Zheng period. While women's clothing is combined with the costumes of both Manchu and Han nationality. Women in Manchu mainly wear robes, while women of the Han nationality still wear clothes for the upper and dress for the lower for it is considered fashionable among them. From the middle of Qing Dynasty, people of the Manchu and the Han nationality begin to learn from each other. Later, the trend that Manchu and Han follows each other is quite abundant. Even there is a history book which records this phenomenon. While the culture that Han clothing follows the example of the Manchu come into being among rich ladies at that time. The styles of Chinese traditional dress of women's clothing and varieties also becomes more and more diverse in the Qing Dynasty, such as vest, skirt, coat, wrapped round, cloud shoulder, scarves, hand cage, bra, belt, glasses and so on.
After 1840, Western cultures flood into Chinese native culture. Many big coastal cities, especially in big cities like Shanghai, began a potential change in Chinese traditional dress because of Western clothing trends.
Cheongsam, which is popular in the 20's of present century and originated in Manchu women's clothing of the Qing Dynasty, is composed of Han women wear in the absorption of the western styles of dress for continuous improvement. At that time, there is no professional clothing research center, the clothing styles changes from households to households. And it changes under the influence of fashion and times. But the Chinese traditional dress still plays a significant role.
From the 1920s to the end of the 40s, the Chinese cheongsam is popular for more than 20 years. The styles of women’s clothes changed several times, such as the collar, sleeve length, and the height of the slits of the height. Thus Chinese dresses completely get out of the old fashion, which let the female body and the beautiful line of body fully displayed. And it is just the fashion at that time. Moreover, for women's Liberation, it has made a contribution. Green cloth cheongsam is most welcome among female students at that time. It spread like wildfire and was followed by almost all people in the country. It also almost becomes the typical dress up in the late 20s among new Chinese women. It is worth mentioning that, as a leading fashion, modern girls, and social movie stars who make it new in order to be different in the style of cheongsam, also promote its development. A good example is the socialite Tang Ying, who firstly established Yun Shang Fashion Company in Shanghai. Since 30s, cheongsam has almost become the standard of Chinese women clothing, and folk women, students, workers, dignitaries’ wives all dressed. The cheongsam even became formal attire in communication occasions and diplomatic activities. Later, cheongsam even spread to foreign countries, which is then followed by foreign women.