Price depends on how the cheongsam
was made, the fabric used.
Gasp. Lift breasts with one hand.
Stuff your body inside.
If you wear this print of peonies
people may call them cabbages.
Hand-sewn, it’s vulnerable to tears.
A machine can fix that.
Needles pinned will prick as you slip out
try another.
This dress – too loose.
Take in the back, add darts in the front
(though the fit will clearly be forced).
Wear this one of tangerine wool
high collar, tapered sleeves.
Double-lined
it will cost more to reshape.
Change the zipper to invisible.
Create the illusion
you
were born with this
as skin.
1) What is a cheongsam?
2) How does the speaker feel about trying on this piece of traditional Chinese clothing made for women?
3) Does the cheongsam fit the speaker? Why or why not?
4) What does ‘fitting’ into a piece of traditional clothing mean to someone who is mixed-race?
5) When one is trying on clothes, one often looks at oneself in a mirror. If you were to recite this poem, what subtle movements could you do with your body to express the idea of trying on clothes?
6) Try on a piece of traditional clothing associated with your family’s culture or religion and describe in writing how it feels. Does it make you feel comfortable or uncomfortable? How does it fit?
Useful links:
What is a cheongsam: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheongsam
20 cheongsams (also called qipao) worn by Maggie Cheung in the movie In The Mood For Love https://youtu.be/6AhuX3cSOEs
Leanne Dunic, pg 35 excerpt from One and Half of You. Copyright © 2021. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
Source: One and Half of You (Talonbooks, 2021)