Chinese Influences on Western Dress
1960-present
    1970s
        Political events and the reopening of trade between China and the West instigated the trend toward Chinese inspired apparel in the early 1970s.  In the late 1960s, China's long isolation from the West began to end.  In Europe, the Chinese worker's suit became a mode; the Mao suits were found in Parisian fashions in 1967.  During the early 1970s, following US Secretary of State Kissinger's secret trips to Peking and President Nixon's trip to China in 1972, Chinese inspired apparel was everywhere in the US (Tong, 1984).

    1990s
        Again in the 1990s, political events have caused a trend toward Chinese inspired apparel.  China's struggle for Democracy brought it to the forefront of national news in the 1990s.  The Tiananmen Square Massacre occurred in June 1989.  On June 30, 1997, Hong Kong was reunified with China after 157 years of British rule.  This especially has brought Chinese influences into Western apparel over the last few years.  Mandarin collars, cheong sam (chi pao) variations, fabrics with typical Chinese motifs such as the dragon have been very popular.
        Additionally, designers of Chinese heritage have come on to the fashion scene in the 1990s, including Anna Sui and Vivienne Tam.


    References
    Tong, Y.S. (1984).  Chinese influences on selected designers during the decades, 1961-80.  Unpublished master's thesis, Ohio University.

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    Last Updated:  December 3, 1999
    Copyright Belinda T. Orzada, University of Delaware, 1997.  All rights reserved.