Includes bibliographical references (p. 192-195) and index.

Fashion today is increasingly international and multicultural, and many designers are turning to Chinese clothing and decorative motifs for inspiration. Yet few people -- western or Chinese -- understand the historic significance of Chinese clothing. 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 symbolized 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. China Chic features a narrative and interpretive text by Valerie Steele and John S. Major, supplemented by six more specialized essays by some of the world's foremost scholars of Chinese dress. The book also features a wide range of well-chosen illustrations, including some that have never before been published.

The book is published to coincide with the opening of an exhibition at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.