Lined turquoise sleeveless cheongsam with hand-painted pattern

Lined turquoise sleeveless cheongsam with hand-painted pattern
1977
Hong Kong Museum of History collection
This cheongsam was made by Mong Kar Mo. The light chiffon fabric gives a graceful and elegant impression, and the floral pattern – painted on the fabric before it was cut – resembles a sketch. The relatively high slits allow the wearer to show off her legs.
The cheongsam was an important garment in Hong Kong beauty pageants. As early as 1946, a cheongsam competition was part of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant. In 1973, when Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) took over as the organiser of the pageant, the contestants continued to wear evening gown-style cheongsams when they made their first appearance on stage. Mrs Loletta Chu Lo wore this cheongsam in the 1977 Miss Hong Kong Pageant, which she won.