In China, women had different kinds of clothes in ancient times. Those clothes changed with the dynasty. For examples, in the 1920s, the Cheongsam was fashionable among socialites and upperclass women; [1] during the 1960s, very austere clothing styles were prevalent; today, a wide variety of fashions are worn. Different provinces and regions of China also have different clothing styles.
In Qin and Han dynasties, women usually wore loose clothes with long, large, sleeves. Under the long skirt was a pair of high-heeled clogs, usually with some embroidery on them. There was usually a scarf called Jinguo (巾帼) wrapped on the arm of a noble woman, while ordinary or poor women had no decoration on their arms. As time passed by, the coat tended to be shorter and the skirt became longer. Noble women even needed maids’ help to lift up the skirts, to avoid the skirts being stained by the ground.
In Sui and Tang dynasties, women's clothes had a trend of being more open. Small-sleeved coats, usually made of yarn, skirts that were still long, wide and long scarves were what was often worn. They could bare the part of their body above their chests. This sort of cloth could show the beauty of the women better. Another kind of clothes that were popular at that time were things with big sleeves, short breasted shirts and long and light skirts.
The attire of women during the Song dynasty (960 - 1279) was distinguished from men's clothing by being fastened on the left, not on the right. Women wore long dresses or blouses that came down almost to the ankle. They also wore skirts and jackets with short or long sleeves. When strolling about outside and along the road, women of wealth chose to wear square purple scarves around their shoulders. [2]
Banbi (半臂, lit. "half arm") also known as Banxiu (半袖), is a form of waistcoat or outerwear that was worn over ruqun , and had half-length sleeves. The style of its collar varied, but it could be secured at the front either with ties or a metal button. According to Chinese records, the banbi clothing style was invented from the short jacket (短襦) that the Chinese wear. It was first designated as a waistcoat for palace maids, but soon became popular amongst the commoners. [3] In the "Legend of Huo Xiao Yu" (崔小玉传), written during the Tang dynasty, the main female character Huo Xiaoyu wears this style most of the time. [3] [4]
A beizi (褙子) is an item of traditional Chinese attire common to both men and women, similar to a cloak. Most popular during the Ming dynasty, beizi also known as banbi during the Tang dynasty is believed to have been adopted from Central Asia during the Tang dynasty through the Silk Road, when cultural exchange was frequent. [5] [6]
However, it is also believed to have been derived from banbi during the Song dynasty, where the sleeves and the garment lengthened. [7]
Chang-ao (Chinese :長襖) is a traditional Chinese style of attire for women. It is a form of formal wear, and is often perceived as a longer version of ruqun. However, it was actually developed from zhiduo during the Ming dynasty, and is worn over a skirt. It is wide-sleeved, shorter than zhiduo, and has no side panels (暗擺) at the side slits (thus showing the skirt worn underneath). There is often an optional detachable protective huling (護領, lit. "protect collar") sewn to the collar. The huling can be white or any other (often dark) colours. The collar is of the same colour as the clothing.
Daxiushan (大袖衫), translated as "Large Sleeve Gown", is a traditional Chinese attire for women and was most popular during the Tang dynasty amongst the royal family. After the golden age of the Tang dynasty ended, the influence of Hufu (胡服), or clothing styles from Central and Western Asia, gradually weakened and Tang royal women's clothing styles began to make its transformation. [8]
It was not until the Mid-Late Tang period (中晚唐时期) that the distinctions between Royal women's clothing and other styles became increasingly obvious. The width had increased more than four feet and its sleeve is often wider than 1.3 metres. It features a distinctive rode that covers from the ground to just above the chest with a knot wrapped around the waist, a light and sometimes see-through outer coat that ties together at the bottom and often goes along with a long scarf wrapped around the arm. The clothing often only covered half of women's breast, and so it was restricted to people of a certain status, like a princess or gējī. It has come to be known as Da-Xiu-Shan but has been called Dian-Chai-Li-Yi (钿钗礼衣) at various times. The clothing was mainly worn for special ceremonial occasions and had different variations, which were mainly the result of different collar formations (e.g., parallel or cross collar or those with no collar). [9] [10]
Diyi (翟衣) is the traditional Chinese attire worn by empresses and crown princesses (the wife of the crown prince) in the Ming dynasty. It was a formal wear meant only for ceremonial purposes. It was a form of shenyi, and was embroidered with long-tailed pheasants (翟, Di) and circular flowers (小輪花). It was worn with a phoenix crown (without the dangling strings of pearls by the sides). Diyi was worn by empresses and other royal noblewomen (differed according during different dynasties) since the Zhou dynasty, under various names like huiyi (褘衣) in Zhou and Song dynasty, and miaofu (庙服) in Han dynasty. [11]
Lotus shoes (蓮履 / 莲履, lianlǚ) were footwear that were worn by women in China who had bound feet. The shoes were cone or sheath-shaped, intended to resemble a lotus bud. They were delicately constructed from cotton or silk, and small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. [12] Some designs had heels or wedge-shaped soles. They were made in different styles and colors, and were typically ornately decorated, with embroidered designs of animals or flowers that could continue on the sole of the shoe. [13] Some designs only fit over the tip of the foot, giving the illusion of a small bound foot when worn under a long skirt. [14] Though foot binding is no longer practised, many lotus shoes survive as artefacts in museums or private collections. [15]
A Phoenix crown (kao) was a Chinese traditional headgear for women. It was worn by noblewomen in the Ming dynasty on ceremonies or official occasions. It was also the traditional headwear for brides. It was adorned with gold dragons, phoenixes made with kingfisher feathers, beaded pheasants, pearls and gemstones. The number of pearls used ranged from 3426 to 5449 pieces, while the number of gemstones used ranged from 95 to 128 pieces. These pearls, gemstones and kingfisher feathers are made into ornamental flowers, leaves, clouds, and bobin (博鬢, the 'wings' at the side/back of the crown). The weight of the entire crown ranged from 2 to 3 kilograms. [16]
Ruqun (襦裙) is an item of traditional Chinese attire ( Hanfu ) primarily for women. It consists of a blouse (襦, ru) and a wrap-around skirt (裙, qun). It has a long history, and has been worn by women since the Warring States period. Generally, the blouse was tucked into the skirt. The popularity of ruqun declined during the Han dynasty, but increased again during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the skirts were tied higher and higher up the waist, until they were eventually tied above the breasts, and worn with short blouses. In addition to the normal crossed-collar blouses, parallel/straight-collar (對襟) blouses were also worn in this period, thus exposing the cleavage of the breasts. During the Song dynasty, the skirts were eventually lowered from the breast level back to the normal waistline. [17]
By the Ming dynasty, ruqun became the most common form of attire for women. The sleeves of the blouse were mostly curved with a narrow sleeve cuff (琵琶袖, pipa sleeve). There is often an optional detachable protective huling (護領, lit. "protect collar") sewn to the collar. The huling can be white or any other dark colour. The collar is of the same colour as the clothing. Towards the start of the Qing dynasty, the skirt was mostly baizhequn (百摺裙, lit. "hundred pleats skirt") or mamianqun (馬面裙, lit. "horse face skirt"). [17]
Yuanlingshan (圓領衫) was the most common form of attire for both male and female officials and nobles during the Ming dynasty. The difference between civilian's and officials'/nobles' yuanlingshan is that officials'/nobles' yuanlingshan had a mandarin square (補子) on it. The sleeves of the yuanlingshan were mostly curved with a narrow sleeve cuff (琵琶袖, pipa sleeve). It had a round collar and side slits. Officials'/nobles' yuanlingshan were also wedding attire for commoners. The groom wears a wusha hat (烏紗帽) and the yuanlingshan of a 9th rank official robe. The bride wears a phoenix crown (鳳冠) and a red yuanlingshan with the xiapei (霞帔) of a noblewoman.[ citation needed ]
The cheongsam is a body-hugging (modified in Shanghai) one-piece Chinese dress for women; the male version is the changshan. It is known in Mandarin Chinese as the qípáo ( 旗袍 ; Wade-Giles ch'i-p'ao), and is also known in English as a mandarin gown. The stylish and often tight-fitting cheongsam or qipao (chipao) that is most often associated with today was created in the 1920s in Shanghai and was made fashionable by socialites and upperclass women. [1]
In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, the Lenin suit, also known as Lenin jacket or outfit (Chinese: 列宁装; pinyin: lièníng zhuāng), became a popular item of clothing amongst Chinese women. [18] Named after Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, the Lenin suit had a double-breasted design and came in several varieties, making it both respectable in appearance and fairly versatile. [19] [20]
Another well-known item of clothing for women in this era was the bulaji, a dress that was Soviet-inspired both in name and style. [21]
The dual-purpose jacket was one of the most common and recognisable styles for Chinese women in the 1950s and 1960s, alongside the Lenin jacket, military-style clothing and work clothing. [22] These styles had socialist and labour connotations and thus were regarded as safe options to wear, given that clothing seen as ‘bourgeois’ or ‘anti-revolutionary’, such as Western styles and cheongsam, were heavily criticised. [23] [24] [25]
During the Cultural Revolution, almost anything seen as part of traditional culture would lead to problems with the Communist Red Guards. Items that attracted dangerous attention if seen in public included jeans, high heels, Western-style coats, ties, jewelry, cheongsams, and long hair. [26] These items were regarded as symbols of the bourgeois lifestyle, which represented wealth. Citizens had to avoid them or suffer serious consequences such as torture or beatings by the guards. [26] [27] A number of these items were thrown into the streets to embarrass the citizens. [28]
A notable case is that of Wang Guangmei, politician and wife of Liu Shaoqi, who was condemned during the Cultural Revolution for wearing ‘bourgeois’ clothing - cheongsam, high heels and pearls - during a state visit to Indonesia in 1963. [29] [30] [31] She was subsequently interrogated during a struggle session at Tsinghua University in 1967 and sentenced to twelve years in prison. [32]
Following the relaxation of communist clothing standards in the late 70s, the way the Chinese dressed and the fashion trends of the country changed drastically. Contemporary urban clothing seems to have developed a focus on brand names. In major urban centers, especially Shanghai, an increasingly western look is preferred, and there is an emphasis on formal wear over casual wear for adults on the streets. Teenagers prefer brand names and western clothing. Children usually wear clothes decorated with cartoon characters. However, there is also an effort to revive traditional clothing forms such as the hanfu by the hanfu movement. At an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shanghai in 2001, the host presented silk-embroidered tangzhuang jackets as the Chinese traditional national costume.
As smartphones and tablet computers have become increasingly popular, they are some of the most popular ways people gain access to fashion information, along with the Internet and fashion magazines. As for buying clothing, brick-and-mortar stores are still the predominant choice, taking up more than half of the market share.[ citation needed ]
Changshan, also known as changpao, and dagua, is a form of paofu, Chinese robe, which was derived from the Qing dynasty qizhuang, the traditional dress of the Manchu people, which were worn by Manchu men. The changshan was actually developed by the Han Chinese through the modification of their own Ming dynasty's Hanfu by adopting some Manchu men's clothing elements in one of their Hanfuchangshan. In function, the changshan is considered the male equivalent of the women's cheongsam. The changshan was often worn by men with a magua, also commonly translated as "riding jacket" in English language.
Chinese clothing, including traditional Hanfu, ethnic minority garments, and modern adaptations of indigenous styles, is a vital aspect of Chinese culture and civilization. For thousands of years, Chinese clothing has evolved with dynastic traditions, foreign influences, and cultural exchanges, adapting to the needs of each era. Each dynasty maintained specific styles, colors, and forms that reflected social class distinctions and regional diversity. Beyond its practical functions—such as protection from weather and modesty—clothing also served as a cultural marker, distinguishing social roles, rank, and relationships. Ancient Chinese attire reflected the social and political structures of its time, while also showcasing textile, dyeing, and embroidery techniques. It stands as a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of the Chinese people, as well as the rich intercultural exchanges that shaped its development across centuries.
Beizi, also known as beizi and chuozi, is an item worn in traditional Chinese attire common to both men and women; it is typically a large loose outer coat with loose and long sleeves. It was most popular during the Song dynasty, Ming dynasty, and from the early Qing to the Mid-Qing dynasty. The beizi originated in the Song dynasty. In the Ming dynasty, the beizi was referred as pifeng. When worn by men, it is sometimes referred as changyi, hechang, or dachang when it features large sleeves and knotted ties at the front as a garment closure.
Ruqun is a set of attire in Hanfu which consists of a short jacket typically called ru worn under a long Chinese skirt called qun. However, when use as a general term, ruqun can broadly describe a set of attire which consists of a separated upper garment and a wrap-around lower skirt, or yichang, in which yi means the "upper garment" and the chang means the "lower garment". In a broad sense, ruqun can include the shanqun and aoqun in its definition.
Chang-ao, lit. translated as "long jacket" or "long ao", is a historical long-length, Chinese upper garment called ao (袄), which was worn by women. It is also known as da ao (大袄) and chang ru which appears to be the precursor of the ao.
Banbi, also known as banxiu and sometimes referred as beizi or half-beizi before the term beizi eventually came to refer to a long-sleeved beizi in the Song dynasty, and referred as dahu in the Yuan dynasty, is an upper garment item in Hanfu. The banbi is in the form of a waistcoat or outerwear with short sleeves, which could either be worn over or under a long-sleeved ruqun. The style of its collar varies; it can also be secured at the front either with ties or a metal button.
A yuanlingshan is a type of round-collared upper garment in the traditional Chinese style of clothing known as Hanfu; it is also referred to as a yuanlingpao or a panlingpao when used as a robe. The yuanlingshan and yuanlingpao were both developed under the influence of ancient Chinese clothing, known as Hufu, originating from the Donghu people during the early Han dynasty and later by the Wuhu, including the Xianbei people, during the Six Dynasties period. The yuanlingpao is an article of formal attire primarily worn by men, although in certain dynasties, such as the Tang dynasty, it was also fashionable for women to wear. In the Tang dynasty, the yuanlingpao could be transformed into the fanlingpao using buttons.
Diyi, also called known as huiyi and miaofu, is the historical Chinese attire worn by the empresses of the Song dynasty and by the empresses and crown princesses in the Ming Dynasty. The diyi also had different names based on its colour, such as yudi, quedi, and weidi. It is a formal wear meant only for ceremonial purposes. It is a form of shenyi, and is embroidered with long-tail pheasants and circular flowers. It is worn with guan known as fengguan which is typically characterized by the absence of dangling string of pearls by the sides. It was first recorded as Huiyi in the Zhou dynasty.
Daxiushan, also referred as dianchailiyi, dashan, daxiu, is a form of shan, a traditional Chinese upper garment, with broad sleeves in Hanfu. It was most popular during the Tang dynasty, particularly among the members of royalty. The daxiushan was mainly worn for special ceremonial occasions and had different variations, mainly the result of different collar formations. The daxiushan could be worn under a skirt or as an outerwear. After the Tang dynasty, it continued to be worn in the Song and Ming dynasties.
Hanfu, are the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese since the 2nd millennium BCE. There are several representative styles of hanfu, such as the ruqun, the aoqun, the beizi and the shenyi, and the shanku.
Zaju chuishao fu, also called Guiyi, and sometimes referred as "Swallow-tailed Hems and Flying Ribbons clothing" or "swallow tail" clothing for short in English, is a form of set of attire in hanfu which was worn by Chinese women. The zaju chuishao fu can be traced back to the pre-Han period and appears to have originated the sandi of the Zhou dynasty; it then became popular during the Han, Cao Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern dynasties. It was a common form of aristocratic costumes in the Han and Wei dynasties and was also a style of formal attire for elite women. The zaju chuishao fu can be further divided into two categories of clothing style based on its cut and construction: the guipao, and the guichang.
Qixiong ruqun, which can also be referred as Qixiong shanqun, also known as "chest-high ruqun", is a set of attire in hanfu, the traditional Chinese clothing worn by the Han Chinese. The qixiong ruqun is a unique style of ruqun, which is characterized with a high waistline qun, Chinese skirt. The qun used in the qixiong ruqun is generally tied above the bust level. It was worn by women during the Southern dynasties, Sui dynasty, Tang dynasty and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The style was also revived in the early and middle Ming dynasty.
The fashion in the Yuan dynasty of Mongol (1271–1368) showed cultural diversity with the coexistence of various ethnic clothing, such as Mongol clothing, Han clothing and Korean clothing. The Mongol dress was the clothing of elite for both genders. Mongol attire worn in the 13th-14th century was different from the Han clothing from the Tang and Song dynasties. The Yuan dynasty court clothing also allowed the mixed of Mongol and Han style, and the official dress code of the Yuan dynasty also became a mixture of Han and Mongol clothing styles. After the founding of the Yuan dynasty, the Mongols strongly influenced the lifestyle and customs of the Han people.
Paofu, also known as pao for short, is a form of a long, one-piece robe in Hanfu, which is characterized by the natural integration of the upper and lower part of the robe which is cut from a single fabric. The term is often used to refer to the jiaolingpao and the yuanlingpao. The jiaolingpao was worn since the Zhou dynasty and became prominent in the Han dynasty. The jiaolingpao was a unisex, one-piece robe; while it was worn mainly by men, women could also wear it. It initially looked similar to the ancient shenyi; however, these two robes are structurally different from each other. With time, the ancient shenyi disappeared while the paofu evolved gaining different features in each succeeding dynasties; the paofu continues to be worn even in present day. The term paofu refers to the "long robe" worn by ancient Chinese, and can include several form of Chinese robes of various origins and cuts, including Changshan,Qipao, Shenyi,Tieli, Zhisun, Yesa.
Shanku is a generic term which refers to a two-piece set of attire in Hanfu, which is typically composed of a youren yi, a Chinese upper garment which typically overlaps and closes on the right side which could be called shan, ru, ao, and a pair of long trousers ku. As a form of daily attire, the shanku was mainly worn by people from lower social status in China, such as labourers, shopkeepers, or retainers from wealthy household. The shanku was originally worn by both genders. Up until the mid-20th century, it was popular in China and outside of China where it was worn by overseas Chinese in countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Suriname, etc. It is still worn in present-day China and can be found in rural areas.
Hufu, also referred as Hu clothing, nomadic dress, 'barbarian' clothing or dress, or foreign dress, is a generic term which refers to any clothing which was worn in ancient China and its surrounding regions by non-Han Chinese people. This term is also used to refer to clothing of foreign origins in ancient China. The introduction of Hufu-style garments and attire in China occurred by the time of King Wuling of Zhao.
Ru, sometimes referred to as shan, ao, and yi, is a form of traditional Chinese upper garment, or coat, or jacket, which typically has a right closure; however, they may also have a front central opening. It is traditional everyday wear for women of the Han Chinese ethnic group. It can be worn in combination with a skirt in a style called ruqun, or a pair of trousers in a style called shanku.
Tanling ruqun, also known as Tan collar ruqun and U-collar ruqun, is a type of Hanfu which was developed under the influence of Hufu ; it is a form a kind of ruqun which typically consists of three parts, featuring a low-cut low-cut U-shaped collar upper inner garment with long sleeves, a U-shaped collar banbi upper outer garment with short sleeves, a long high-waisted skirt. It can also be adorned with a shawl, called pipo. It was a popular form of clothing attire in the Sui and Tang dynasty. In the 21st century, the Tanling ruqun re-appeared as a result of the Hanfu movement. The 21st century Tanling ruqun was developed by reproducing the original patterns of the historical tanling ruqun while being aligned with modern aesthetics.
Garment collars in hanfu are diverse and come in several shapes, including jiaoling, duijin, yuanling, liling, fangling, tanling. Some forms of collars were indigenous to China while others had been adopted from the Hufu of other non-Han Chinese ethnic minorities and/or from the clothing worn by foreigners.
Hezi, also known as moxiong (抹胸) in the Song dynasty, waxiong (袜胸), lanqun (襕裙), and Hehuan lanqun (合欢襕裙), is a type of ancient Chinese corset-like garment item, which is typically used as an undergarment or decorative over-garment accessory in hanfu. It originated from the Tang dynasty and its origin is attributed to the Tang dynasty imperial consort, Yang Guifei. The hezi was also used as an garment accessory in the qixiong ruqun; this Tang dynasty-style attire combination is sometimes referred as heziqun. The hezi became popular from the Tang to Ming dynasties. This garment item accessory bears resemblance to the Qing dynasty dudou but do not have the same construction and design. The Tang dynasty hezi and the Song dynasty moxiong are both garment items in hanfu which was revived in the 21st century following the Hanfu movement.
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