Chinese traditional qipao and Mayling Soong

Mayling Soong studied in American since she was a child, so her life was full of

western style, and she kept western-style diet habits, what she ate everyday are

beef, salad and bread,etc. But the dress of Mayling Soong was totally Chinese

traditional qipao, the dress in her closet were all cheongsam dress.

Mayling Soong likes qipao, because qipao can highlight the charm of oriental

woman; besides, she had perfect body figure, Chinese cheongsam dress could

show her figure better. Important members in Nationalist Party who had good

relationship with Mayling Soong, their haram will gave her some advanced cloth

as presents in important festival, so there were inexhaustible advanced cloth to

make cheongsam dress in Song’s house, and let her tailor had cheongsam to do

forever. The exclusive tailor who made cheongsam for Mayling Soong was Zhang

Ruixiang, he opened a shop in Nanjing before, because of his delicate work, and

work hard, Song employed him as exclusive cheongsam maker. Due to her huge

appetite, Zhang Ruixiang should work all the year, almost worked for her in

every minute, every two or three days will made a qipao dress, only had one day

off on Spring Festival all the year. Every time he finished a qipao dress, firstly,

he will took it to Song to have a look, while Mayling Soong didn’t try it usually,

just looked with appreciate, then let servant stored it in closet.

How many cheongsam dress on earth did Mayling Soong has? That is a

astronomical figure, maybe she also couldn’t say a accurate number. As too many

qipao dress she had, so she just dressed one time for every new cheongsam, then

put it in storage. When there was free time, she opened closet, appreciated some

pieces alone. Mayling Soong had high standards about dress, especially in

summer, she will changed dress for at most one day. Sometimes the weather was

too hot, as long as the dress had a bit sweat, she will changed a new one; when

it rains, if the bottom of qipao dress had a speck of dirt, she will must changed

it in soon. Mayling Soong often took cheongsam those fit for wear in every season,

in order to treat various activities and occasions. When she absent assembly,

banquet or dancing party where there have foreign guests, Mrs. Jiang will

selected the most suitable qipao dress, while have to meet important guests, she

will also worn the most delicate cheongam dress.

Mayling Soong was crazy about Chinese traditional qipao, and it is related to her

love Chinese traditional culture. She was crazy about Chinese traditional

painting too, used to be the student of famous painters, like Zhang Daqian and

Huang Binhong, hard studied and practice, unexpectedly became a good painter

who was good at Chinese traditional painting.

One year, Taiwan ”veterans general” hospital sent a female nurse to Jiang

Jieshi’s residence, this female nurse liked dress super short dress, Mayling Soong

and Jiang Jieshi all felt uncomfortable about it, so Mrs. Jiang changed the nurse.

Under major influence of this traditional culture, Mayling Soong never worn

exposed dress, even objected women to wear long trousers. In her mind, female

should have different features from male in dress, so in her long life, almost never

worn long trousers. Even if she was one hundreds years old, she was still

companied with Chinese traditional qipao dress.