---
node: fashion_republic_of_china
type: fashion
slug: republic_of_china_era_fashion
title: "Fashion in the Republic of China era"
lead: "The Republic swept away Qing court dress and modernized Chinese clothing, above all in cosmopolitan Shanghai: the qipao was reworked into its slim, iconic form and men took up the Western suit or the new Zhongshan (Mao) suit."
published: 2026-07-28
updated: 2026-07-28
change: "Published as a fashion sub-page under the history section"
requester: internal
reason: "Per the owner's decision, fashion is no longer a standalone section but lives under each history era"
---

## Overview

In 1920s–30s Shanghai the qipao (cheongsam) was reshaped into the slim, high-collared, side-slit dress now seen as iconic, its golden age. Men wore Western suits or the Zhongshan suit, promoted as modern national dress and associated with Sun Yat-sen, while students and new women adopted a simple jacket-and-skirt. The queue was cut off.

## Key garments and style

Western tailoring, department stores and film stars spread the new looks, and Shanghai became China's fashion capital.

## Transition

The People's Republic would turn to plain, utilitarian dress.