Qi Pao
The qipao is a feminine body-hugging dress with distinctive Chinese features of Manchu origin. Throughout the years, its meaning has changed according to the context, most often seen as traditional wear in China, worn during special occasions. However, in the early years of the Republican Period in China, wearing the qipao was seen as a political symbol as it was a promotion of gender equality. Most notably, the qipao was worn as a form of silent protest during the May Fourth Movement and New Cultural Movement in China during the 1920s.
The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement that grew out of student protests in Beijing on May 4th, 1919 in response to China's response to the Treaty of Versailles. This Treaty allowed Japan to continually occupy many parts of China. The New Cultural Movement on the other hand criticized traditional Confucian ideas and promoted Western ideas: particularly science and democracy (Britannica).
Historically, the qipao was loose fitting and baggy, however, as women in China became more "liberated, educated, and self aware, they expressed themselves in form-fitting, brightly colored qipao that sent a message: Look at me" (Shanghai Daily, 2012). Clothing is a form of communication that goes beyond words – it shows expression, individuality, and power.
For example, an educator named Wu Yifang, "one of the first women to graduate from a Chinese college," wore a qipao in 1945 to sign as the first female delegate at the United Nations Conference (Shanghai Daily, 2012). The qipao in this instance was a patriotic statement and was also a push towards gender equality.