Chinese-Clothing

HistoryOfChineseClothingForewordChineseclothinghasalong-termhistory.FortheancientChinese,thepurposeofclotheswasnotjustforprotectingandcoveringthebody,butforshowingprofoundmeaningswhichprevailedinsociety.Thus,observingthedevelopmentofclothesgivesusachancetounderstandtheirsociety,economy,culture,andeventheirmentality.先秦Pre-QinDuringtheShangandZhouDynasties,peopleworeasuitofclothes,whichconsistedofalongtoppartwithabeltaroundthewaistandalowerpart.Thetoppartcameinfiveprimarycolors:blue,red,yellow,whiteandblack.Ithadshortsleeveswithahemthatdangledtotheknees.Also,thehemsoftheneckandsleeveswouldbebeautifullyembroidered.DuringtheShangandZhouDynasties,whataretheprimaryfivecolors?Duringwartime,moreconvenientclotheswereneeded,soanewtypeofclothingcameintobeing.Thelongtoppartwasreplacedwithashortform.Thepeoplebegantoweartrousersandboots,whichmadeiteasiertomoveincombat.Thisnewtypeofclothingwaspopularatthattime.Duringwartime,whypeoplebegantoweartrousersandboots?汉朝HanDynastyPeopleintheWesternHanDynastyusedfourseasonsandsolartermstodeterminethecolorsoftheirclothing.Forinstance,whenspringcame,theydressedinblue.WomenintheHanDynastydressedthemselvesinanoutfitthatconsistedofablouseandaskirt.Whenspringcame,whatcolorwerethepeopleintheWesternHanDynastydressed?TheHanDynastywaspowerfulanditseconomywassteady,soitspeoplehadhigherdemandsinmake-upandclothing.Meanwhile,thefamousSilkRoadstartedandpromotedtheinterchangebetweenChineseandWesterncultures.Therefore,silkspreadaroundtheworldthroughtheSilkRoad,andthewesternstyleinclothingalsobegantoaffecttheChinese.Throughthisassimilation,newtrendsemerged.WhatisSilkRoad?Whendiditstart?魏晋南北朝Wei,Jin,NorthernandSoutherndynastiesTheWei,Jin,NorthernandSouthernDynastieswerenotstable.Infact,thesocietywasingreatturmoil.Therefore,theintellectualsavoidedpoliticsbutresortedtothephilosophiesofTaoismandBuddhism,whichaffectedtheirclothing.Theypreferredtowearlooseclothes,mainlyinwhite.WhatcolordidthepeopleinWei,Jin,NorthernandSouthernDynastiesdressthemselves?Duringthisperiod,menlikedtowearheaddecorationsinlightcolor.Asfortheintellectuals,theywouldusesquare-shapedclothtofixandcovertheirhairstyleatthesametime.Women’sclothingfollowedasimilartrend.Theyespeciallylikedtoweardresseswithloosebeltsaroundthewaistandpiecesoftriangle-shapedclothonthebackoftheskirt.Theywantedtocreatetheimageofabirdflyingwhentheywalked.ItwasuntiltheNorthernandSoutherndynastiesthatwomen’sclothes,whichwereinfluencedbytheNorthernChinese,becamemorelightandconvenientthantheclothingofHandynasty.隋唐TangDynastyTheTangDynastywasagreaterawherethefrequentinterchangeofculturesbetweentheEastandtheWesthappened,whichtransformedthetraditionalclothesintoabrand-newtrend.Withthedevelopmentoftextile,moreslightandsoftclothhadbeeninventedandthusgavemorechangeinclothes.Thecharacteristicofthiseraislow-cup,narrowsleeve,cape,clothesofwomendisguiseasmen,high-waist,tight-clothes,Ming-Yi(明衣),theclothesofothernationality(胡服).WhatcharacteristicsoftheclothinginTangDynasty?Womenusuallyworedresseswithabeltfastenedabovethebreast.Thecolorsofdressesmostlycameinred,purple,yellowandgreen.Thedresswouldcontainalow-cutbodicewithacapebehind.Besides,womenwouldputonanadditionaldressmadeoftransparentsilk.ThekindofdressusedtobeunderwearbeforetheTangdynasty.宋朝SongDynastyThiswasthetimefortheemergenceoflixue,aschoolofConfucianisminidealisticphilosophy.Affectedbythethoughts,theclothesofSongdynastywereusuallyplain.Mostofvestmentswerebigsleeve.Theyuseddifferentcolorsofclothestotelltheirstatus.Women’sclothesofSongdynastywereverysimilartothoseofHandynasty.Theywerelongdresseswithnarrowsleeves.Additionally,womenwouldputonalong-sleeved.元朝YuanDynastyTheYuanDynastywasinfluencedbytheHannationality.Clothinghadbecomemoreandmoregorgeousandfeaturedonrobe.BecauseofMongolnationality’scustom,meninthattimelikedtogrowplaitedhairandwearearring.Theyworeawide-brimmedrainhatinsummer,whileworefurcoat,leatherbootandleatherhatinwinter.Manyofmandarin’sclotheswererobehadnarrowsleeves.WomenofMongolclothesweresimilartomen’s,buttheircolorsweredifferent.Plentyofwomen’sclotheswere左衽andhadtightandnarrowsleeves.Whenwomenworearobe,theyalsoworepants,andusedabandtotieonwaist.Instead,womenofHannationalityfeaturedon襦裙.Theirclotheswere右衽andlooseornarrowsleeves.Theyworelongpantsinthepleatedskirtandworeshallow-bottomshoes.TherichwomenofMongolnationalityhadaspecial-shapedhatwhichwastallandlong.明朝MingDynastyMeninMinDynastyworelongrobes.WomeninMinDynastyworeshirt(衫),coat,霞披(akindofplaid)andskirt.Theirclotheswerefeatbody.Theyjustcouldwearlightcolorbutcouldn’tweardeepredandyellow.However,clothesofladieswerefitandslender,suchaslongcoatandlongskirt.Theywouldwearpleatedskirt,longvestandshawl.清朝QingDynastyThetraitofclothingofQingDynastywereretainingandabsorbingHannationalityandManchu’scustom.MenofQingDynasty’smainlyclotheswererobe,jacket(馬褂)andvest(馬甲).BecauseManchulikedriding-shoot,theirsleevesofrobewerelookedlikeahorse’shoof.褂hadbeenworeoutoftherobe,whethermenorwomencouldwearit.Onthevest(馬甲)weremuchadornmentofcolorfulembroider.Whatwere