A 1916 picture featuring famous architect and writer Lin Huiyin (far right, 1904-55) with her cousins in their school uniforms in Beijing.

In recent years, school uniforms influenced by Korean fashion and preppy styles have become popular in China. There is also a bigger difference between boys' and girls' uniforms. Girls wear bow ties with blouses and plaid skirts while boys wear suits and ties.

The history of the Chinese school uniform can be traced back to the early 19th century, when the school uniform was influenced by Western fashion and traditional Chinese attire, such as the qipao, or cheongsam. It was also a symbol of modernity at the time.

In a picture taken in the 1910s at a private school in Beijing, girls wear qipao tops paired with Western-style pleated skirts.

The style was continued until the 1970s in Hong Kong, where girls still wear qipao-style dresses as their school uniforms.