港人服裝近百年演變過程是怎樣的？ 透過十個人物的專訪，重組上世紀香港中式服裝文化與工藝的原本圖貌。 服裝必須經過將布帛剪裁、縫合才能成衣，製作工藝對服飾文化的影響至為重要。『香港中式服裝製作技藝』已於2014被列為香港非物質文化遺產，其中長衫及褂裙復於2018更列入代表作名錄內，正好確立此項傳統手工藝於本土文化的重要性。 上世紀五六十年代是中式服裝昌盛的黃金歲月，回顧昔日大部份港人都是穿手造中式服裝。 過去百年港人服裝究竟有怎樣的變遷？有關款式尚可在舊相片或粵語片中尋找到蹤影，但中裝文化及工藝的歷史紀錄就難找到有系統的記載。 感謝衞奕信勳爵文物信託基金，資助以1940至1970年間香港中式服裝為主題的口述歷史項目，透過文字和相片，將過去的服裝歲月印記及社會風貌重現讀者眼前。 本書特色 此次口述歷史共十位與中裝有密切關係的人仕參與，雖然人數不多，仍足具代表性：四位裁縫中，粤籍及江浙籍分佔二位；曾經以中式服裝作日常服的人士男女各三位；如果以出生地區分則廣東及江浙各有四人，而香港出生的有兩人，所有受訪人士居港都超過六十年或以上。 整個口述歷史的訪問以錄影及錄音進行，資料整理為九篇文章，傍附的二維碼提供錄影或錄音資訊，以傳精髓。 另外再把一些難以遺忘的片段輯成「倒後鏡」，讓讀者一同回味昔日有關中式服裝和香港社會點滴。
In this international city of Hong Kong, people follow Western-style fashion and are never slow in catching up with the trend. In the past, however, most people wore Chinese-style clothes that were handmade. It was starting from the l970's when western dress style became popular and clothes making became an industry that lesser people dress traditional Chinese costumes. What exactly has changed in the evolution process of the dress style of Hong Kong people in the past century? It is hard to find structured records on the development of Chinese traditional costumes in Hong Kong. While we can still find traces of the dress style of that time from old photographs or Cantonese films, records on the culture and craft of Chinese traditional costumes are scarce. Dress making must go through the process of fabric cutting and then stitching. The craft involved is particularly crucial.
"The Sewing Technique of Traditional Chinese Costumes in Hong Kong" has been inscribed onto the inventory of the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage, confirming the importance of this local traditional craftsmanship.
"Leaving a legacy" is a project aiming at furthering the culture and craft of local Chinese costumes. With funding from the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust, the project launched different programmes by phases. The present "Seaming the Past with the Present and Future" is launched after the success of the "Original Exhibition Hall" (visiting tailors' workshops) and "Salute to the Masters" (exhibition of Chinese costumes and cultural products). This programme organized oral history interviews around the theme of traditional Chinese costumes in the 1940s to 1970s with the aim of collating old memories into a book so that the bygone days could be brought back alive.
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