Employing image-text analysis of qipao collars from the 1920s to the present, this study examines the evolving logic by which optical-illusion techniques mediate bodily discipline and gender narratives. Three key findings emerge: (1) In the 1920s, high mandarin collars enacted strong discipline by vertically elongating the neck to produce a paradigm of modesty; (2) In the 1930s, lace-trimmed low collars achieved “elegant exposure” through chiaroscuro illusions, shifting discipline from coercion to inducement; and (3) In Gen-Z deconstructed collars, asymmetric cuts and layered fabrics weaken bodily boundaries, facilitating a paradigm shift from “correcting the body” to “reconstructing identity.” As disciplinary intensity declines, gender narratives evolve from passive ascription through strategic negotiation to active reconstruction, while simultaneously confronting receding under global Orientalism. The study proposes the concept of ethical illusion, advocating transparent technical pathways that return semiotic authority to wearers, thereby offering new directions for gender-equal practices in contemporary traditional dress.