This is a cream cheongsam decorated with cherry blossoms all over. This piece has a nipped-in waist, which was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. The cheongsam flap on the right is secured by press studs while the zipper is at the side.This cap-sleeved cheongsam belonged to Mdm. Wu Chuen Chuen. The owner of the former Stamford Café at Bras Basah Road, she enjoyed wearing the cheongsam to work, often with a corset underneath to achieve the desired hour glass figure. In the 1950s and 1960s, cheongsams were usually worn by high-society ladies and working women. The Mandarin term, 'qipao', best describes this one-piece dress because it was developed from the robes (‘pao’) worn by Manchu women during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). In Singapore and Hong Kong, however, the Cantonese term, cheongsam (men’s long robe), is more commonly used.
