China Chic is the first book to explore the evolution of Chinese dress, from the dragon robes and lotus shoes of the imperial era to the creation of new fashions like the cheongsam and the "Mao suit" that symbolised modern Chinese identity.
For China specialists, the focus on fashion will open up an entirely new way of thinking about modern Chinese culture and society. For readers whose primary interest is fashion, China Chic demolishes the Eurocentric myth of an ancient, unchanging mode of dress.
From Library Journal
Fashion designers often borrow design details from Chinese dress, but what is not often understood is that Chinese costume, far from being static throughout centuries, actually absorbed influences from outside, albeit at a slower pace. In this interesting survey, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) curator Steele and historian Major (Heaven and Earth in Early Han Thought, SUNY, 1993) explore the progression of Chinese historic constume from its 4000-year-old dynastic elegance through 20th-century Maoist modernism. Fashionable Western clothing often was, and still is, imbued with romantic Orientalism, by use of lavish, exotic embroidery, vibrant silks, and silhouettes, collars, or fastenings characteristic of Chinese dress. These elements are beautifully illustrated in 100 color and 40 black-and-white photographs. While the book accompanies a show at FIT, it is not a catalog but stands on its own. This is a well-produced, well-written book for anyone interested in fashion, and it is highly recommended for both academic and larger public libraries.Therese Duzinkiewicz Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
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