The Evolution of the Cheongsam: A Temporary Transition — The 1930s to 1940s

｜Wartime cheongsams adopted a simple and utilitarian style.

In 1937, with the outbreak of the full-scale Japanese invasion of China, Shanghai and Guangzhou fell one after another. Among those fleeing Shanghai for sanctuary in Hong Kong were tailors who followed their old patrons south, becoming Hong Kong’s earliest "Shanghai tailors." This influx of talent into Hong Kong gradually shaped the unique identity of the Hong Kong cheongsam (cheongsam/changshan), elevating local craftsmanship and opening up new opportunities for the trade.

Meanwhile, Shanghai was enduring the hardships of the anti-Japanese war. Clothing styles shifted toward economic practicality and utility; wartime cheongsams were shortened to mid-calf length, and their designs grew increasingly minimalist. Western tailoring techniques—such as shoulder seams, bust darts, and waist darts—gradually emerged, and metal zippers began to be used in a small number of garments. Although Hong Kong did not immediately adopt these trends, its local cheongsam styles would later evolve in this exact direction at their own pace and rhythm.

This progression halted in 1941 when Hong Kong fell to the Japanese. The population plummeted by two-thirds, industries collapsed, and affluent families fled north for safety. The production of new cheongsams dropped drastically, prompting a booming trade in secondhand clothing. During this dark period, the Hong Kong cheongsam was largely a continuation of the 1930s style—maintaining the traditional flat-pattern cutting method—but the length was shortened to reveal the calves for easier mobility, the mandarin collar became lower to offer less restriction, and sleeveless designs grew popular as embellishments were further simplified.

｜Shanghai tailors migrating south to Hong Kong

In 1937, with the outbreak of the full-scale Japanese invasion of China, Shanghai and Guangzhou fell one after another. Among those fleeing to Hong Kong for sanctuary were tailors who followed their old patrons south, becoming Hong Kong’s earliest "Shanghai tailors." This influx of talent gradually shaped the unique identity of the Hong Kong cheongsam/changshan, elevating the craftsmanship of the local trade.

Following the end of World War II in August 1945, Hong Kong faced a period of postwar reconstruction. Subsequently, due to political instability in Mainland China during the mid-to-late 1940s, a massive wave of affluent families from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions relocated to Hong Kong, laying a crucial foundation for the city’s economic revival. Alongside them, a vast number of Shanghai tailors who had followed their regular clientele south arrived in Hong Kong. They continued their craft, established businesses, and took on apprentices, expanding their market to embrace the local Hong Kong clientele.

According to statistics from the Shanghai Tailoring Workers' General Union (STWGU), founded in Hong Kong in 1949, there were approximately 600 Shanghai tailors and 29 shops at the time; when combined with Cantonese tailors, the industry total approached nearly a thousand. These tailors successfully penetrated and dominated the cheongsam market not only because of their exquisite craftsmanship and superb aesthetic vision, but also due to their profound understanding of fabric characteristics, which allowed them to create cheongsams that were more elegant, impeccably tailored, and form-fitting.

The apprentices trained by these Shanghai masters in Hong Kong eventually spread far and wide, hailing from Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong, as well as the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions. Entering the market as a vibrant new force throughout the mid-to-late 1940s, they significantly raised the craftsmanship standards of Hong Kong cheongsam and made enduring contributions to its historical development.

During this transition period, the length of the cheongsam, the height of its side slits, and the collar size shifted with changing trends, eventually stabilizing at a mid-calf length. A vast number of cheongsams also began utilizing zippers and press buttons instead of traditional decorative frog buttons. As its style matured, the cheongsam established its own unique identity—completely breaking free from the styling constraints of the Qing Dynasty and seamlessly integrating Western fashion elements and pairings.

Although the elaborately designed "Shanghai-style cheongsam" flourished during the 1930s and 1940s, it initially had little impact on Hong Kong society, which was more conservative at the time and whose tailoring techniques had yet to mature. However, the fall of Shanghai and Guangzhou in the late 1930s brought an unexpected turning point for the Hong Kong cheongsam: the influx of tailors created a distinctive local style, shifting the overall design toward a minimalist, slim, and elongated silhouette.