An advertisement shows that flat-chested women were considered beautiful(1912-1949).[Photo/ifeng.com]

During the early 1910s to the late 1920s,women were not allowed to reveal their bodies and traditional dress code still dominated the society. Even during sleep, they wore long vest stretching down to their knees to avoid exposing bare skin. At the time, breast-binding clothing was often practiced by the women because a flat chest was considered aesthetic. However, with the Western fashion blowing into China, more women began wearing revealing clothes and started showing their bodies and a so-called "breast liberation" took off.