Cheongsam tailoring tools: Measuring tape with Cantonese scale

Measuring tape with Cantonese scale
1960s to 1970s
Hong Kong Museum of History collection
In the 1950s, cheongsam tailors began to use measuring tapes for more accurate measurements crucial for making body-hugging cheongsam. The two sides of the measuring tapes show different scales: the British inch is represented in red and the Cantonese cun in black.