When it comes to the beginning of cheongsam fashion, it is generally believed that it was in the 20th century and the Republic of China. Mr. Zheng said that "in the Qing Dynasty, women wore short clothes instead of cheongsam, and cheongsam was adopted after the Republic of China." As for the specific year, the previous research was vague. Both Mr. Zhou Xibao and Ms. Zhang Ailing believe that cheongsam became popular after 192 1 year. Zhou also inferred from the pictorial data of 1923 that there were only one or two so-called cheongsam among dozens of people in Shanghai at that time. In fact, in view of the sensitivity of Shanghai press to social phenomena at that time, the popularity of a new style is bound to attract widespread attention. However, it is difficult to find words about cheongsam in newspapers such as Shenbao before May 1925, and a large number of materials provide evidence for the appearance of cheongsam in 1925. In the old imperial capital Beijing, it is also recorded that the fashion of cheongsam began at 1925. Therefore, it is reasonable to regard the beginning time of cheongsam popularity as 1925.

There are many opinions about the origin of cheongsam style in academic circles. There are four main viewpoints:

The first one, represented by Mr. Zhou Xibao's History of Ancient Chinese Costume, thinks that cheongsam is directly developed from the robes of flag girls in Qing Dynasty.

However, some scholars believe: "Although the cheongsam of the Republic of China has a form similar to the flag gown, it no longer has the meaning of the flag gown. It is considered that the cheongsam of the Republic of China was directly developed from the flag robe, which is biased. "

Secondly, represented by Professor Fennie Yuen's China Cheongsam [27] and Professor Bao Mingxin's China Cheongsam and China Modern Women's Clothing, they think that cheongsam and cheongsam have a certain inheritance relationship, but at the same time they think that the origin of cheongsam should be the thin tube linen of the Western Zhou Dynasty or the deep clothes of the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties. Professor Cui Rongrong of Jiangnan University also said in the book Complete Works of Modern Han Folk Costume: "Some people question that cheongsam is Manchu costume ... I think these understandings are one-sided and superficial. The robes of the Han nationality have a history of more than 2,000 years. Where did the historical origin of the robes of the Manchu come from? I think the answer is easy to get. " Zhang Taiyan, a master of Chinese studies, also thinks: "In the past, Zhuge Liang made sleeves and armor ... Manchu clothes, and their sleeves and armor were also in the mood." The origin of Manchu costumes can be traced back to Shu and Han costumes in the Three Kingdoms period.

The third one, represented by Wang Yuqing's Textual Research on Women's Robes in Past Dynasties, thinks that the robes worn by Chinese women can be traced back to the Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song and Ming Dynasties, and it is not only the Qing Dynasty that flag women wear robes. He thinks that the women's robe of the flag has an influence on the cheongsam of the Republic of China, but he doesn't think there is a direct inheritance relationship between the two, so it is not appropriate to call the cheongsam of the Republic of China a "flag" robe, so he advocates renaming the cheongsam as "cheongsam" and the "Taipei Cheongsam Research Association" as "Taipei Cheongsam Research Association". For many years, people in the clothing industry in Taiwan Province Province have been calling for the name of cheongsam.

Fourthly, represented by Professor Bian Xiangyang's On the Popular Origin of Cheongsam, he thinks that Cheongsam is a westernized variant of China's clothing tradition. It combines the characteristics of cheongsam vest and civilized new clothes, and also combines the compatible forms of western-style dresses, thus forming a new fashion and clothing aesthetic feature which has the shadow of western fashion and is different from the traditional robes in China. It has distinct China characteristics and a symbol of the times, and can be used as a design model for the integration of Chinese and western clothing. At the same time, he thinks that the origin of the name "Cheongsam" is a kind of "improper use of words", because the early advocates of Cheongsam were all urban new women, students and other social groups, who were deeply influenced by Western learning, pursued gender equality and opposed feudal ethics. Most of them are Han Chinese. Their ancestors fought bloody battles in the early Qing Dynasty to win the right for Han women not to wear full-length clothes, so they could not return to the imperial era.

In the Republic of China, the name "Cheongsam" finally became popular, because throughout the Qing Dynasty, the traditional system of "going up and down" for Han women was still maintained. Ordinary women generally don't wear robes, except aristocratic women's dresses. Flag women should wear robes regardless of aristocratic women's dresses or ordinary women's daily clothes. Therefore, under the influence of nearly 300 years, ordinary people have become accustomed to the historical memory of "women wear robes = women's robes", so when the cheongsam of the Republic of China began to appear, it would give ordinary people an association, that is, "cheongsam". In fact, the first batch of cheongsam in the Republic of China did not recognize the name "cheongsam", but "only called it a gown, robe or robe, confused with men's wear. On February 27th, 1926, there was a short article "No Cheongsam" in Shanghai Republic Daily, and it was suggested to change its name to "Hanpao". Others suggested that it be called cheongsam, and after a circle, it was finally called cheongsam. "