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.