Long before the Western white wedding gown, Chinese brides tied the knot in a traditional wedding costume called the Qun Kua. It’s a two-piece loose jacket and skirt that is heavily embellished with pearls, colorful thread and sequins. In 90s, it was once deemed as old-fashioned and no bride wore it for her wedding until a Hong Kong singer named Miriam Yeung brought back the tradition when she appeared in a Gold Silver threaded Kua in her big day in 2009. And nowadays, many modern brides tend to carry on this tradition and Qun Kua has become a popular choice for Singaporean Chinese brides for her special day. At The Gown Warehouse, we have compiled all the information you need to know about Qun Kua and where to buy or rent one.
- The history
Symbolizing luck and happiness for auspicious occasions, Qun Kua is said to originate from Guangdong, China. The first Qun Kua could not be clearly traced back since some records say the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) while others state the Qing (or Manchu) dynasty (1644-1912).
Nowadays Kua is stilled embellished but has been modernized with a slimmer, curvier cut, sometimes scalloped hems in the jackets, making it more feminine. There are three styles of Kua: those with embroidered motifs, another with beaded motifs and the other combines both mentioned motifs.
The embroidered Kua is divided into two types: flat and three-dimension embroidery. The flat embroidery gives the brides a touch of modern feel while three-dimension embroidery takes the tailors more time to finish and surely costs more.
The beaded Kua gained the popularity in the 80s as the embroidered Kuas were thought to be old-fashioned. It has clear beads sewn on its motifs; therefore, it has a tendency to look more red than its silvery or golden cousins.
The embroidery-and-bead Kua is the happy compromise of these two mentioned types. And the design will be the deciding factor where and whether the motifs are beaded or embroidered.
- The meaning
Depending on the motif featuring, each Kua will have a unique meaning and symbolize different things for a couple.
The most popular motif is the dragon and phoenix since they represent a happy, successful marriage and the perfect balance between yin and yang forces.
The peony or lotus flower suggests beauty, prosperity and fertility while other animals like bats, gold fish, butterflies or birds stand for a good pairing, wealth and luck.
After all, those are what every couple wishes for their marriage and who can deny the suitability of the Kua for this occasion?
- Where to shop
With a passion to preserve and traditions and culture, The Gown Warehouse offers a large variety of Kua for brides-to-be to choose from. Our Kuas are all handmade from finest materials by established tailors with a slimmer and curvier cut for a flattering effect. Be it gold and silver threads embroidered or sequins beaded, every piece of our Kua is a work of art itself. Our gowns are also available in sizes to suit the very petite to the plus-size brides. Visit The Gown Warehouse today and we assure that you will be the star on your wedding day!
