History Of Chinese History Of Chinese ClothingClothing

Teacher: Teacher: 趙琪芬趙琪芬 (Laura Chao, Grade (Laura Chao, Grade 11 English) 11 English) Students: Students: 廖元秀廖元秀 蔡伯榮蔡伯榮 劉懿庭劉懿庭 許婷姿許婷姿

Da Zhi Senior High School

ForewordForeword Chinese clothing has a long-Chinese clothing has a long-term history. For the ancient term history. For the ancient Chinese, the purpose of clothes was Chinese, the purpose of clothes was not just for protecting and not just for protecting and covering the body, but for showing covering the body, but for showing profound meanings which prevailed profound meanings which prevailed in society. Thus, observing the in society. Thus, observing the development of clothes gives us a development of clothes gives us a chance to understand their society, chance to understand their society, economy, culture, and even their economy, culture, and even their mentality. mentality.

先秦先秦 Pre-Qin Pre-Qin During the Shang During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and Zhou Dynasties, people wore a suit of people wore a suit of clothes, which consisted clothes, which consisted of a long top part with of a long top part with a belt around the waist a belt around the waist and a lower part. The and a lower part. The top part came in five top part came in five primary colors: blue, primary colors: blue, red, yellow, white and red, yellow, white and black. It had short black. It had short sleeves with a hem that sleeves with a hem that dangled to the knees. dangled to the knees. Also, the hems of the Also, the hems of the neck and sleeves would neck and sleeves would be beautifully be beautifully embroidered. embroidered.

During war During war time, more time, more convenient clothes convenient clothes were needed, so a were needed, so a new type of clothing new type of clothing came into being. The came into being. The long top part was long top part was replaced with a replaced with a short form. The short form. The people began to wear people began to wear trousers and boots, trousers and boots, which made it easier which made it easier to move in combat. to move in combat. This new type of This new type of clothing was popular clothing was popular at that time.at that time.

漢朝漢朝 Han Dynasty Han Dynasty People in the People in the Western Han Dynasty Western Han Dynasty used four seasons and used four seasons and solar terms to solar terms to determine the colors determine the colors of their clothing. For of their clothing. For instance, when spring instance, when spring came, they dressed in came, they dressed in blue. Women in the Han blue. Women in the Han Dynasty dressed Dynasty dressed themselves in an themselves in an outfit that consisted outfit that consisted of a blouse and a of a blouse and a skirt.skirt.

The Han The Han Dynasty was powerful Dynasty was powerful and its economy was and its economy was steady, so its people steady, so its people had higher demands in had higher demands in make-up and clothing. make-up and clothing. Meanwhile, the famous Meanwhile, the famous Silk Road started and Silk Road started and promoted the promoted the interchange between interchange between Chinese and Western Chinese and Western cultures. Therefore, cultures. Therefore, silk spread around silk spread around the world through the the world through the Silk Road, and the Silk Road, and the western style in western style in clothing also began clothing also began to affect the to affect the Chinese. Through this Chinese. Through this assimilation, new assimilation, new trends emerged.trends emerged.

魏晉南北朝魏晉南北朝Wei, Jin, Northern and Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynastiesSouthern dynasties

The Wei, Jin, The Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Northern and Southern Dynasties were not Dynasties were not stable. In fact, the stable. In fact, the society was in great society was in great turmoil. Therefore, turmoil. Therefore, the intellectuals the intellectuals avoided politics but avoided politics but resorted to the resorted to the philosophies of Taoism philosophies of Taoism and Buddhism, which and Buddhism, which affected their affected their clothing. They clothing. They preferred to wear preferred to wear loose clothes, mainly loose clothes, mainly in white. in white.

During this During this period, men period, men liked to wear liked to wear head decorations head decorations in light color. in light color. As for the As for the intellectuals, intellectuals, they would use they would use square-shaped square-shaped cloth to fix and cloth to fix and cover their cover their hairstyle at the hairstyle at the same time.same time.

Women’s Women’s clothing followed clothing followed a similar trend. a similar trend. They especially They especially liked to wear liked to wear dresses with loose dresses with loose belts around the belts around the waist and pieces waist and pieces of triangle-shaped of triangle-shaped cloth on the back cloth on the back of the skirt. They of the skirt. They wanted to create wanted to create the image of a the image of a bird flying when bird flying when they walked. they walked.

It was until the Northern It was until the Northern and Southern dynasties that and Southern dynasties that women’s clothes, which were women’s clothes, which were influenced by the Northern influenced by the Northern Chinese, became more light and Chinese, became more light and convenient than the clothing of convenient than the clothing of Han dynasty.Han dynasty.

隋唐隋唐 Tang Dynasty Tang Dynasty

The Tang The Tang Dynasty was a Dynasty was a great era where great era where the frequent the frequent interchange of interchange of cultures between cultures between the East and the the East and the West happened, West happened, which transformed which transformed the traditional the traditional clothes into a clothes into a brand-new trend. brand-new trend.

With the With the development of textile, development of textile, more slight and soft more slight and soft cloth had been invented cloth had been invented and thus gave more and thus gave more change in clothes. The change in clothes. The characteristic of this characteristic of this era is low-cup, narrow era is low-cup, narrow sleeve, cape, clothes of sleeve, cape, clothes of women disguise as men, women disguise as men, high-waist, tight-high-waist, tight-clothes, Ming-Yi(clothes, Ming-Yi(明衣明衣 ), ), the clothes of other the clothes of other nationality (nationality (胡服胡服 ). ).

Women Women usually wore dresses usually wore dresses with a belt fastened with a belt fastened above the breast. above the breast. The colors of The colors of dresses mostly came dresses mostly came in red, purple, in red, purple, yellow and green. yellow and green. The dress would The dress would contain a low-cut contain a low-cut bodice with a cape bodice with a cape behind. Besides, behind. Besides, women would put on women would put on an additional dress an additional dress made of transparent made of transparent silk. The kind of silk. The kind of dress used to be dress used to be underwear before the underwear before the Tang dynasty.Tang dynasty.

宋朝宋朝 Song Dynasty Song Dynasty This was the This was the time for the emergence time for the emergence of li xue, a school of of li xue, a school of Confucianism in Confucianism in idealistic philosophy. idealistic philosophy. Affected by the Affected by the thoughts, the clothes thoughts, the clothes of Song dynasty were of Song dynasty were usually plain. usually plain.

Most of Most of vestments were big vestments were big sleeve. They used sleeve. They used different colors of different colors of clothes to tell their clothes to tell their status.status.

Women’s Women’s clothes of Song clothes of Song dynasty were very dynasty were very similar to those of similar to those of Han dynasty. They Han dynasty. They were long dresses were long dresses with narrow sleeves. with narrow sleeves. Additionally, women Additionally, women would put on a long-would put on a long-sleeved.sleeved.

Apart from Apart from dresses, women in dresses, women in Song dynasty wore Song dynasty wore pants as well. There pants as well. There was a special custom was a special custom of foot-binding at of foot-binding at that time. The Song that time. The Song people considered people considered foot-binding a foot-binding a symbol of beauty and symbol of beauty and elegance. Therefore, elegance. Therefore, women would wear women would wear pants shorter than pants shorter than their legs to expose their legs to expose their bound feet to their bound feet to catch people’s eyes.catch people’s eyes.

元朝元朝 Yuan DynastyYuan Dynasty The Yuan Dynasty was The Yuan Dynasty was influenced by the Han influenced by the Han nationality. Clothing nationality. Clothing had become more and more had become more and more gorgeous and featured on gorgeous and featured on robe. Because of Mongol robe. Because of Mongol nationality’s custom, nationality’s custom, men in that time liked men in that time liked to grow plaited hair and to grow plaited hair and wear earring. They wore wear earring. They wore a wide-brimmed rain hat a wide-brimmed rain hat in summer, while wore in summer, while wore fur coat, leather boot fur coat, leather boot and leather hat in and leather hat in winter. Many of winter. Many of mandarin’s clothes were mandarin’s clothes were robe had narrow sleeves. robe had narrow sleeves.

Women of Mongol Women of Mongol clothes were similar to clothes were similar to men’s, but their colors men’s, but their colors were different. Plenty of were different. Plenty of women’s clothes were women’s clothes were 左衽左衽 and had tight and narrow and had tight and narrow sleeves. When women wore a sleeves. When women wore a robe, they also wore robe, they also wore pants, and used a band to pants, and used a band to tie on waist. Instead, tie on waist. Instead, women of Han nationality women of Han nationality featured on featured on 襦裙襦裙 . Their . Their clothes were clothes were 右衽右衽 and and loose or narrow sleeves. loose or narrow sleeves. They wore long pants in They wore long pants in the pleated skirt and wore the pleated skirt and wore shallow-bottom shoes. The shallow-bottom shoes. The rich women of Mongol rich women of Mongol nationality had a special-nationality had a special-shaped hat which was tall shaped hat which was tall and long.and long.

明朝明朝 Ming Dynasty Ming Dynasty

Men in Min Men in Min Dynasty wore long Dynasty wore long robes. robes.

Women in Min Dynasty wore shirt(衫 ) , coat, 霞披 (a kind of plaid) and skirt. Their clothes were feat body. They just could wear light color but couldn’t wear deep red and yellow. However, clothes of ladies were fit and slemder, such as long coat and long skirt. They would wear pleated skirt, long vest and shawl.

清朝清朝 Qing Dynasty Qing Dynasty

The trait of The trait of clothing of Qing Dynasty clothing of Qing Dynasty were retaining and were retaining and absorbing Han absorbing Han nationality and Manchu’s nationality and Manchu’s custom. Men of Qing custom. Men of Qing Dynasty’s mainly clothes Dynasty’s mainly clothes were robe, jacket(were robe, jacket(馬褂馬褂 ) ) and vest(and vest(馬甲馬甲 ) . Because ) . Because Manchu liked riding-Manchu liked riding-shoot, their sleeves of shoot, their sleeves of robe were looked like a robe were looked like a horse’s hoof. horse’s hoof. 褂褂 had had been wore out of the been wore out of the robe, whether men or robe, whether men or women could wear it. On women could wear it. On the vest(the vest(馬甲馬甲 ) were much ) were much adornment of colorful adornment of colorful embroider.embroider.

Women of Qing Women of Qing Dynasty liked the Dynasty liked the slender figure. They slender figure. They often wore a often wore a cheongsam, combed the cheongsam, combed the chignon on hair flat, chignon on hair flat, fashioned put an fashioned put an upright board which upright board which artificial flowers artificial flowers were sewed on and were sewed on and wore tall-bottomed wore tall-bottomed shoes. The rich women shoes. The rich women of Qing Dynasty would of Qing Dynasty would inlay jadeite coral, inlay jadeite coral, pearls or white jade pearls or white jade on the adornment on the adornment which was inserted on which was inserted on the chignon and wore the chignon and wore nail coats made of nail coats made of jewel to protect jewel to protect their fingernail. their fingernail.

NowadaysNowadays 近代近代 When the Xin-When the Xin-Hai(Hai(辛亥辛亥 ) revolution ) revolution happened in 1911, three happened in 1911, three demands came from the demands came from the people: abolishing the people: abolishing the monarchy, cutting off monarchy, cutting off the braid, changing the the braid, changing the traditional clothes into traditional clothes into the new ones. During the new ones. During that time, men began to that time, men began to wear unlined upper wear unlined upper garments and jackets. garments and jackets. The young people usually The young people usually wore western-style wore western-style clothes. Zhong-Shan(clothes. Zhong-Shan(中中山山 ) style clothes also ) style clothes also became a trend for the became a trend for the Chinese during the Chinese during the reformation.reformation.

Zhong-Shan(Zhong-Shan(中山中山 ) style ) style clothes appeared after the clothes appeared after the Xin-Hai revolution. This Xin-Hai revolution. This new style combines the new style combines the traditional traditional characteristics with the characteristics with the western clothes. It western clothes. It features a chink and a features a chink and a waistband on the backside. waistband on the backside. Besides, there are always Besides, there are always nine buttons on the front nine buttons on the front part of the garment, and part of the garment, and folds on the pockets. The folds on the pockets. The Zhong-Shan(Zhong-Shan(中山中山 ) style has ) style has its special politically its special politically symbolic meaning. The five symbolic meaning. The five pockets, one of which is pockets, one of which is inside the garment, inside the garment, represent the five represent the five constitutional principles constitutional principles by Dr. Sun Ye-Shan (by Dr. Sun Ye-Shan (孫逸孫逸仙仙 )) 。。

Other DecorationsOther Decorations

1. Foot-binding1. Foot-binding2. 2. 花鈿花鈿 Dang Dang

Foot-bindingFoot-binding 纏足纏足 Foot-binding was a special kind of Foot-binding was a special kind of Chinese custom prevailing in the early Chinese custom prevailing in the early 20th century. At that time, women had to 20th century. At that time, women had to use a long piece of cloth to tie their use a long piece of cloth to tie their feet since childhood. They wanted to stop feet since childhood. They wanted to stop the growing of the feet, for smaller feet the growing of the feet, for smaller feet were thought more attractive to men. were thought more attractive to men. Women with bound-feet could not walk Women with bound-feet could not walk properly, but had to walk on their heels. properly, but had to walk on their heels. After the end of the Chin Dynasty, more After the end of the Chin Dynasty, more and more people started to consider the and more people started to consider the food-binding a kind of repression for food-binding a kind of repression for women, and then the old custom has been women, and then the old custom has been banned legally now.banned legally now.

花鈿花鈿 DangDang

Dang ( 鈿 ) is also a kind of ornament worn on the forehead by women as a decoration. Due to its various components, Dang is colorful. For example, a golden one is usually made of foil. Besides, the pictures on Dang may determine its color as well. There is a popular one, named Zui Dang (翠鈿 ). It got its name from the picture with bird’s feather made of green emerald.

The special glue used to paste The special glue used to paste the Dang was called Ho-Chiao(the Dang was called Ho-Chiao(呵膠呵膠 ). ). Legend has it that the special glue Legend has it that the special glue is made of fish pneumatocysts. When is made of fish pneumatocysts. When women wanted to peel the Dang off, women wanted to peel the Dang off, first, they should blow it on, and first, they should blow it on, and apply a little saliva on it, and apply a little saliva on it, and then the glue may dissolve. then the glue may dissolve. Otherwise, they could use hot water Otherwise, they could use hot water to pat on their forehead, and then to pat on their forehead, and then the glue could come off.the glue could come off.

ReferencesReferences

http://hk.cl2000.com/?/fashion/http://hk.cl2000.com/?/fashion/culture/wen1.shtmlculture/wen1.shtml

http://hk.cl2000.com/?/fashion/http://hk.cl2000.com/?/fashion/culture/wen1_9.shtmlculture/wen1_9.shtml

http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/culture/http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/culture/chinese/cul_chculture/vod29html/chinese/cul_chculture/vod29html/vod29_09.htmvod29_09.htm

http://hk.geocities.com/vinnelung/http://hk.geocities.com/vinnelung/