Can Non-Chinese People Wear Qipao / Cheongsam?
In 2018, twitter user Keziah posted a picture of herself dressed up for her high school prom. She wore a beautiful red qipao with black and gold accents. It's hard to argue that she didn't look stunning. Why then, did this post cause such controversy? Simply put, it was because she's white.
A widely circulated and debated reply to her post claimed "My culture is NOT your [...] prom dress". This was perhaps one of the earliest mainstream conversations about cultural appropriation in relation to traditional Chinese clothing.
Before answering the question in the title of this article, we should acknowledge that this is a hotly debated topic. We want to give space to all perspectives in this piece. We will first introduce the concept of cultural appropriation and explain why some people consider it problematic. We'll then share our perspective and the perspectives of other Chinese when it comes to foreigners wearing qipao.
What is Cultural Appropriation?
Like most evolving cultural phenomena, there's no one definition of cultural appropriation. Some claim that there's no such thing, while others claim that any use of a foreign culture is appropriation. Generally, though, it's agreed that there must be an element of exploitation, disrespect, or misunderstanding involved.
Most often, conversations about cultural appropriation centre around fashion. This could be adopting hair styles from different cultures (like braids) or wearing clothing from other cultures (as with the qipao). Sometimes it is also extends to religious traditions and music, but rarely to things like food.
So why is cultural appropriation bad? Some people think that using elements of their heritage outside of its cultural or ceremonial context is disrespectful. They consider it an erosion of their values and an insult to tradition. It's easy to see how wearing clothing intended for a serious religious occasion to a party might be considered distasteful, for example.
Mainland Chinese Opinions on Cultural Appropriation
So far we've focused on conversations in English and on Western social media. We don't want to dismiss these opinions. Overseas Chinese and 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants have their own unique experiences. Being a minority can be difficult and isolating. That said, we think it's important to get the opinion of those who a live their day-to-day lives immersed in Chinese culture.
We've spoken to Chinese across the country and of different age groups and we've only really heard one opinion: Mainland Chinese are either not aware of, or do not care about cultural appropriation. In fact, all of the people we spoke to are very proud of their culture and are enthusiastic about the idea of it being spread abroad. They find the idea of a foreigner wearing a qipao flattering and many have encouraged us to spread culture abroad through our shop.
Of course if qipao were being used to mock or degrade Chinese people, they would not look upon it favourably. Otherwise, they are happy for the dress to be worn - even if the wearer doesn't know its cultural and historical background.
What Do We Think About Non-Chinese People Wearing Qipao?
We acknowledge that there are situations where wearing certain items of clothing without understanding their meaning could be disrespectful. However, we do not think this applies to the cheongsam, which is not an inherently ceremonial item of clothing. Historically, it was worn daily by Chinese women and is considered a symbol of female empowerment.
While often worn during Chinese festivals and weddings, the cheongsam is a secular garment. It doesn't have a particular ceremonial meaning, nor is it meant to be sombre. In fact, it is often worn at celebrations. We encourage you to learn about the qipao, but you don't have to be particularly cautious. You are unlikely to cause offense because there is no "wrong" occasion to wear it.
It's easy to forget that despite having a large Han Chinese ethnic majority, China is very culturally diverse. Different provinces have their own languages, customs and traditional garments. The qipao is a unifying piece of clothing that spans across these cultures. We think it should remain that way. We don't think that restricting the dress to certain ethnicities respects the spirit of the garment. If you find the qipao beautiful, we encourage you to wear it proudly.
