Wearing the Cheongsam: Chinese Canadian Identity Through Fashion

The cheongsam (Cantonese for “long dress”), or qipao (Mandarin for “banner robe”) is an internationally recognized symbol of Chinese cultural identity and femininity. Originating as a combination of Han and Manchu clothing styles and later influenced by Western fashion, the garment carries layered meanings across generations and diasporas. For Canadian-born women of Chinese descent, wearing the cheongsam can evoke tensions between desire, fear, wonder, and contestation. 

Drawing from her book Wearing the Cheongsam: Dress and Culture in a Chinese Diaspora, curator and author-scholar Cheryl Sim examines the cheongsam’s history and revival overseas, as well as its contested meaning for Chinese Canadian women as a symbol of heritage, traditional values, and cultural belonging. 

Following the presentation, join Cheryl Sim and Mia Wu, owner and senior tailor at Modernize Tailors, for a discussion on contemporary cheongsam trends, garment production, and cultural appropriation.

Attendees are encouraged to wear a cheongsam to the program.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

• Location: Chinese Canadian Museum (51 E Pender St.)

• Time & Schedule:
  5:30 P.M. – Doors
  6 to 6:30 P.M. – Presentation by Cheryl Sim
  6:30 to 7:30 P.M. – Discussion with Cheryl Sim and Mia Wu
  7:30 to 7:45 P.M. – Audience Q&A

• Cost: $5/annual pass holder; $15/general admission visitor
  *GST not included

• Register: Reserve tickets here

This event will be conducted primarily in English.

This program is part of the public programming for Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000.