A complete Hanfu garment is assembled from several pieces of clothing into an attire:

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

Yi (衣): Any open cross-collar garment, and worn by both sexes
Pao (袍): Any closed full-body garment, worn only by men in Hanfu
Ru (襦): Open cross-collar shirt
Shan (衫): Open cross-collar shirt or jacket that is worn over the yi
Qun (裙) or chang (裳): Skirt for women and men
Ku (褲): Trousers or pants
People are also able to accessorize with tassels and jade pendants or various
ornaments hung from the belt or sash, known as pei (珮).
Hats and headwear[edit]
Phoenix Crown of the Empress
On top of the garments, hats (for men) or hairpieces (for women) may be worn. One
can often tell the profession or social rank of someone by what they wear on their
heads. The typical types of male headwear are called jin (巾) for soft caps, mao (帽)
for a stiff hats and guan (冠) for formal headdress. Officials and academics have a
separate set of hats for them, typically the putou (幞頭), the wushamao (烏紗帽), the
si-fang pingding jin (四方平定巾; or simply, fangjin: 方巾) and the Zhuangzi jin
(莊子巾). A typical hairpiece for women is a ji (笄) but there are more elaborate
hairpieces.
Man's Headwear
Mianguan
view
Woman's Headwear
Phoenix crown
view
Tongtianguan
Huasheng
Pibian
Bian
Jinxianguan
Longguan
Putou
Zhangokfutou
Wushamao
Yishanguan
Pashou
Patou
Zhuzi jin
Zhouzi jin
Zhuangzi jin
Fujin
Li
Zi
Style[edit]
Another type of Han Chinese Shenyi (深衣) commonly worn from the pre-Shang
periods to the Ming Dynasty. This form is known as the zhiju (直裾) and worn
primarily by men
Han-Chinese clothing had changed and evolved with the fashion of the days since its
commonly assumed beginnings in the Shang dynasty. Many of the earlier designs are
more gender-neutral and simple in cuttings. Later garments incorporate multiple
pieces with men commonly wearing pants and women commonly wearing skirts.
Clothing for women usually accentuates the body's natural curves through wrapping
of upper garment lapels or binding with sashes at the waist.
Each dynasty has their own styles of Hanfu as they evolved and only few styles are
'fossilized'.
Informal wear[edit]
Girls wearing informal wear
Types include tops (yi) and bottoms (divided further into pants and skirts for both
genders, with terminologies chang or qun), and one-piece robes that wrap around the
body once or several times (shenyi).






Zhongyi (中衣) or zhongdan (中單): inner garments, mostly white cotton or
silk
Shanqun (衫裙): a short coat with a long skirt
Ruqun (襦裙): a top garment with a separate lower garment or skirt
Kuzhe (褲褶): a short coat with trousers
Zhiduo/zhishen (直裰/直身): a Ming Dynasty style robe, similar to a zhiju
shenyi but with vents at the side and 'stitched sleeves' (i.e. the sleeve cuff is
closed save a small opening for the hand to go through)
Daopao/Fusha (道袍/彿裟): Taoist/Buddhist priests' full dress ceremonial
robes
Two traditional forms of ruqun (襦裙), a type of Han Chinese clothing worn primarily
by women. Cuffs and sleeves on the upper garment may be tighter or looser
depending on style. A short skirt or weighted braid (with weight provided by a jade or
gold pendant) is sometimes worn to improve aesthetics or comfort of the basic ruqun.
A typical set of Hanfu can consist of two or three layers. The first layer of clothing is
mostly the zhongyi (中衣) which is typically the inner garment much like a Western
T-shirt and pants. The next layer is the main layer of clothing which is mostly closed
at the front. There can be an optional third layer which is often an overcoat called a
zhaoshan which is open at the front. More complicated sets of Hanfu can have many
more layers.
For footwear, white socks and black cloth shoes (with white soles) are the norm, but
in the past, shoes may have a front face panel attached to the tip of the shoes. Daoists,
Buddhists and Confucians may have white stripe chevrons.
Semi-formal wear[edit]
A piece of Hanfu can be "made semi-formal" by the addition of the following
appropriate items:




Chang (裳): a pleated skirt
Bixi (蔽膝): long front cloth panel attached from the waist belt
Zhaoshan (罩衫): long open fronted coat
Guan (冠) or any formal hats
Generally, this form of wear is suitable for meeting guests or going to meetings and
other special cultural days. This form of dress is often worn by the nobility or the
upper-class as they are often expensive pieces of clothing, usually made of silks and
damasks. The coat sleeves are often deeper than the shenyi to create a more
voluminous appearance.
Formal wear[edit]
Yuanlingshan
In addition to informal and semi-formal wear, there is a form of dress that is worn
only at confucian rituals (like important sacrifices or religious activities) or by special
people who are entitled to wear them (such as officials and emperors). Formal wear
are usually long wear with long sleeves except Xuanduan.
Formal garments may include:


Xuanduan (玄端): a very formal dark robe; equivalent to the Western white tie
Shenyi (深衣): a long full body garment



Yuanlingshan (圓領衫), lanshan (襴衫) or panlingpao (盤領袍): closed,
round-collared robe; mostly used for official or academical dress
Style
Xuanduan
Shenyi
Quju (曲裾): diagonal body wrapping
Zhiju (直裾): straight lapels
views
Yuanlingishan
The most formal Hanfu that a civilian can wear is the xuanduan (sometimes called
yuanduan 元端[2]), which consists of a black or dark blue top garment that runs to the
knees with long sleeve (often with white piping), a bottom red chang, a red bixi
(which can have a motif and/or be edged in black), an optional white belt with two
white streamers hanging from the side or slightly to the front called peishou (佩綬),
and a long black guan. Additionally, wearers may carry a long jade gui (圭) or
wooden hu (笏) tablet (used when greeting royalty). This form of dress is mostly used
in sacrificial ceremonies such as Ji Tian (祭天) and Ji Zu (祭祖), etc., but is also
appropriate for state occasions. The xuanduan is basically a simplified version of full
court dress of the officials and the nobility.
Men and women in xuanduan formal wear at a Confucian ceremony in China
Those in the religious orders wear a plain middle layer garment followed by a highly
decorated cloak or coat. Taoists have a 'scarlet gown' (絳袍)[3] which is made of a
large cloak sewn at the hem to create very long deep sleeves used in very formal
rituals. They are often scarlet or crimson in color with wide edging and embroidered
with intricate symbols and motifs such as the eight trigrams and the yin and yang Taiji
symbol. Buddhist have a cloak with gold lines on a scarlet background creating a
brickwork pattern which is wrapped around over the left shoulder and secured at the
right side of the body with cords. There may be further decorations, especially for
high priests.[4]
Those in academia or officialdom have distinctive gowns (known as shangfu 常服 in
court dress terms). This varies over the ages but they are typically round collared
gowns closed at the front. The most distinct feature is the headwear which has 'wings'
attached. Only those who passed the civil examinations are entitled to wear them, but
a variation of it can be worn by ordinary scholars and laymen and even for a groom at
a wedding (but with no hat).
Court dress[edit]
The Emperor's Mianfu
The Emperor in his
court
The Empress's Diyi
Diyi
Emperor's Yellow Pao
Chaofu
Highest rank official's
Gongfu
Official's Gongfu
Lower rank official's
Gongfu
Official dressed with
different colored Gongfu
Officials
Court dress
Court dress is the dress worn at very formal occasions and ceremonies that are in the
presence of a monarch (such as an enthronement ceremony). The entire ensemble of
clothing can consist of many complex layers and look very elaborate. Court dress is
similar to the xuanduan in components but have additional adornments and elaborate
headwear. They are often brightly colored with vermillion and blue. There are various
versions of court dress that are worn for certain occasions.
Court dress refers to:
official dress
Romanization Hanzi
Definition
Mianfu
冕服 religious court dress of emperor, officials or nobility
Bianfu
弁服 ceremonial military dress of emperor, officials or nobility
Chaofu
朝服 a red ceremonial court dress of emperor, officials or nobility
Gongfu
公服 formal court dress according to ranks
Changfu
常服 everyday court dress
The practical use of court dress is now obsolete in the modern age since there is no
reigning monarch in China anymore.
Specific Style[edit]
Nicolas Trigault, a Flemish Jesuit, in Ming style Confucian-scholar costume, by Peter
Paul Rubens.
Historically, Han Clothing has influenced many of its neighbouring cultural costumes,
such as Japanese kimono, yukata,[5][6] Korean Hanbok and the Vietnamese áo tứ
thân.[7][8] Elements of Hanfu have also been influenced by neighbouring cultural
costumes, especially by the nomadic peoples to the north, and Central Asian cultures
to the west by way of the Silk Road.[9][10]
Tang Dynasty Hanfu[edit]
The Tang Dynasty represents a golden age in China's history, where the arts, sciences
and economy were thriving. Female dress and personal adornments in particular
reflected the new visions of this era, which saw unprecedented trade and interaction
with cultures and philosophies alien to Chinese borders. Although it still continues the
clothing of its predecessors such as Han and Sui dynasties, fashion during the Tang
was also influenced by its cosmopolitan culture and arts. Where previously Chinese
women had been restricted by the old Confucian code to closely wrapped, concealing
outfits, female dress in the Tang Dynasty gradually became more relaxed, less
constricting and even more revealing.[11] The Tang Dynasty also saw the ready
acceptance and syncretisation with Chinese practice, of elements of foreign culture by
the Han Chinese. The foreign influences prevalent during Tang China included
cultures from Gandhara, Turkistan, Persia and Greece. The stylistic influences of
these cultures were fused into Tang-style clothing without any one particular culture
having especial prominence.[12]
Song Dynasty Hanfu[edit]
Some features of Tang Clothing carried into the Song Dynasty Such as court customs.
Song court customs often use red color for their garments with black leather shoe and
hats. Collar edges and sleeve edges of all clothes that have been excavated were
decorated with laces or embroidered patterns. Such clothes were decorated with
patterns of peony, camellia, plum blossom, and lily, etc. Song Empress often had
three to five distinctive Jewelry-like marks on their face (Two side of the cheek, other
two next to the eyebrows and one on the forehead). Although some of Song clothing
have similarities with previous dynasties, some unique characteristics separate it from
the rest. Many of Song Clothing goes into Yuan and Ming.[13]
Ming Dynasty Hanfu[edit]
Ordinary people's dressing
Ming Dynasty also brought many changes to its clothing as many dynasties do. They
implemented metal buttons and the collar changed from the symmetrical type of the
Song Dynasty (960-1279) to the main circular type. Compared with the costume of
the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the proportion of the upper outer garment to lower skirt
in the Ming Dynasty was significantly inverted. Since the upper outer garment was
shorter and the lower garment was longer, the jacket gradually became longer to
shorten the length of the exposed skirt. Young ladies in the mid Ming Dynasty usually
preferred to dress in these waistcoats. The waistcoats in the Qing Dynasty were
transformed from those of the Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, Confucian
codes and ideals was popularized and it has significant effect on clothing.[14]
Ethnic identity[edit]
According to Tang Dynasty scholar Kong Yingda's official commentary to Zuo Zhuan
and Shang Shu, Chinese clothing plays an important role in the Chinese ethnic
identity. It says, "In China, there is the grandeur of rites and social conduct; that is
why it is called Xia (夏). There is the beauty of dress and decoration; this is called
Hua (華).[15]" The words Hua and Xia combine to form the word Huaxia (華夏),
which is a name that is often used to represent the Chinese civilization.[16][17]
Gallery[edit]

A female servant and male advisor in Chinese silk robes, ceramic figurines
from the Western Han Period (202 BC – 9 AD)

A Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) pottery statuette of a female dancer

Yuanlingshan robes of a Tang emperor

Court ladies of the Tang from Li Xianhui's tomb, Qianling Mausoleum, dated
706.

A painting of Tang Dynasty women playing with a dog, by artist Zhou Fang,
8th century.

Tang Dynasty Styled Hanfu

A Song Dynasty empress, wife of Emperor Zhenzong of Song

Imperial Portrait of the empress and wife to Emperor Qinzong of (1100–1161)
of the Song Dynasty in China.

A Ming Dynasty portrait of an Empress

A Ming Dynasty portrait of a noblewoman wearing yuanlingshan, xiapei and
phoenix crown

Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi dressed in Ming Dynasty Hanfu.

Taoist priest in red colored gown

A 1940s embroidered Han infant hat (繡帽; xiùmào) with double tigers, in the
collection of the The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
[hide]
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v
t
e
Types of Hanfu
Hanfu

Diyi

Daxiushan

Ruqun

Zhiduo

Banbi

Beizi
Headwear
Other

Chang-ao

Daopao
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Shenyi

Yuanlingshan
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Panling Lanshan

Pien Fu
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Tang official headwear
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Song official headwear
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Ming official headwear
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Phoenix crown
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Mandarin square
List of Hanfu
See also[edit]
China portal
Fashion portal
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Hanfu movement
List of Han Chinese clothing
Culture of China
Chinese academic dress
Guan Li
Mandarin square
Notes[edit]
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
^ 《漢書》云：『後數來朝賀，樂漢衣服制度。』
^ Xu, Zhongguo Gudai Lisu Cidian, p. 7.
^ Daoist Headdresses and Dress - Scarlet Robe
^ High Priest of the Shaolin Monastery
^ Stevens, Rebecca (1996). The kimono inspiration: art and art-to-wear in America.
Pomegranate. pp. 131–142. ISBN 0-87654-598-3.
^ Dalby, Liza (2001). Kimono: Fashioning Culture. Washington, USA: University of
Washington Press. pp. 25–32. ISBN 0-295-98155-5.
^ 《大南實錄・正編・第一紀・世祖實錄》，越南阮朝，國史館
^ 《大南实录・正编・第一纪・卷五十四・嘉隆十五年七月条》，越南阮朝，國史館
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
^ Finnane, Antonia (2008), Changing clothes in China: fashion, history, nation, Columbia
University Press, pp. 44–46, ISBN 0-231-14350-8
^ Kim, Sohyun. A Study on the Costume of Khotan, The Korean Society of Costume, v. 34,
169-183. 1997.
^ Costume in the Tang Dynasty chinaculture.org retrieved 2010-01-07
^ Yoon, Ji-Won (2006). Research of the Foreign Dancing Costumes: From Han to Sui-Tang
Dynasty 56. The Korean Society of Costume. pp. 57–72.
^ Costume in the Song Dynasty chinaculture.org retrieved 2010-01-07
^ Costume in the Ming Dynasty chinaculture.org retrieved 2010-01-07
^ 孔穎達
《春秋左傳正義‧定公‧卷五十六‧傳十年》注疏云：『中國有禮儀之大，故稱夏；有服
章之美，謂之華。』
^ 孔穎達 《尚書正義》注疏云：『冕服華章曰華，大國曰夏。華夏，謂中國也。』
^
《唐律名例疏義釋義》有言：『中華者，中國也，親被正教，自屬中國，衣冠威儀，
習俗孝悌，居身禮義，故謂之中華。』
References[edit]






Zhou Xibao (1984), 【中國古代服飾史】 Zhongguo Gudai Fushi Shi
(History of Ancient Chinese Costume), Beijing: Zhongguo Xiju.
Zhou, Xun; Gao, Chunming; The Chinese Costumes Research Group (1984),
5000 Years of Chinese Costume, Hong Kong: The Commercial Press. ISBN
962-07-5021-7
許嘉璐 Xu Jialu (1991), 【中國古代禮俗辭典】 Zhongguo Gudai Lisu
Cidian (Dictionary of Rituals and Customs of Ancient China).
沈從文 Shen Congwen (1999, 2006), 【中國古代服飾研究】 Zhongguo
Gudai Fushi Yanjiu (Researches on Ancient Chinese Costumes), Shanghai:
Shanghai Century Publishing Group. ISBN 7-80678-329-6
黃能馥, 陳娟娟 Huang Nengfu and Chen Juanjuan (1999),
【中華歷代服飾藝術】 Zhonghua Lidai Fushi Yishu (The Art of Chinese
Clothing Through the Ages), Beijing.
華梅 Hua, Mei (2004), 【古代服飾】 Gudai Fushi (Ancient Costume),
Beijing: Wenmu Chubanshe. ISBN 7-5010-1472-8
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Chinese Culture >> Ancient Chinese Clothing
A clatter and crash of drums and gongs sound at a theater of Chinese Opera
in Taipei as a young warrior appears on stage in traditional
Chinese costume. From his head ascend two tall plumes,
tracing in the air each movement and gesture he makes.
Some might think these plumes are simply ornamental, but
in fact they originate in the battle wear of the Warring
States period (475-221 B.C.). Two feathers of a ho bird (a
kind of pheasant good at fighting) were inserted into the
headwear of warriors of this period to symbolize a bold and
warlike spirit, that that of the ho. An outstanding
characteristic of traditional Chinese clothing is not only an
external expression of elegance, but also an inter
symbolism. Each and every piece of traditional clothing
communicates a vitality of its own. This combination of external form with
internal symbolism is clearly exemplified in the pair of fighting pheasant
feathers used in headwear.
Objects found in archaeological remains of China's Shantingtung culture,
which flourished over 18,000 years ago, such as bone sewing needles, and
stone beads and shells with holes bored in them, attest to the existence of the
concept of ornamentation and the craft of sewing already in that age. Variety
and system in clothing were roughly established by the era of the Yellow
Emperor and the Emperors Yao and Shaun (about 4,500 years ago).
Remains of woven silk and help articles and ancient ceramic figures further
demonstrate the sophistication and refinement of clothing in the Shang
dynasty (16th to 11th century B.C.).
The three main types of traditional Chinese clothing are the pien-fu, the
ch'ang-p'ao , or long robe, and the shen-i. The pien-fu is an ancient two-piece
ceremonial costume, including a tunic-like top extending
to the knees, and a skirt reaching to the ankles; one had
to wear a skirt on certain occasions in order to be
properly dressed. A pien is a cylindrical ceremonial cap.
Typical of these three types of clothing, besides their
wide cut and voluminous sleeves, were a design utilizing
mainly straight lines, and a loose fit forming natural
folds, regardless of whether the garment was allowed to
hang straight or was bound with a sash at the waist. All
types of traditional Chinese garments, whether tunic and
trousers or tunic and skirt, unitized a minimum number
of stitches for the amount of cloth used. And because of
their relatively plain design and structure, embroidered
edgings, decorated bands, draped cloth or silks, embellishment on the
shoulders, and sashes were often added as ornamentation. These decorative
bands, appliquéd borders, and richly varied embroidered designs came to be
one of the unique features of traditional Chinese dress.
Darker colors were favored over lighter ones in traditional Chinese clothing,
so the main color of ceremonial clothing tended to be dark, accented with
elaborate embroidered or woven tapestry designs rendered in bright colors.
Lighter colors were more frequently used by the common people in clothes for
everyday and around the house. The Chinese associate certain colors with
specific seasons, for example, green represents spring, red is for summer,
white for autumn, and black for winter. The Chinese can be said to have a
fully developed system of matching, coordinating, and contrasting colors and
shades of light and dark in apparel.
Fashion designers today in the Taiwan are finding new ways to freely
combine modern fashion aesthetics and trends with traditional
Chinese symbols of good fortune. The great wealth of source
material has resulted in a plethora of eye-catching designs for
children's and young people's clothing, including guardian
deities, lions, the eight trigrams, and masks of Chinese opera
characters. Another more ancient source of printed, woven,
embroidered, and appliquéd design for clothes is Chinese
bronzes. Some of these distinctive and unusual designs include
dragons, phoenixes, clouds, and lightning. Motifs from
traditional Chinese painting, whether bold or refined, often find
their way into woven or printed fashion designs, creating a
beautiful and striking look.
Traditional Chinese macramé has broad applications in fashion; it may be
used to ornament borders, shoulders, bodices, pockets, seams, and
openings, as well as in belts, hair ornaments, and necklaces. Some
successful examples of combinations of modern and traditional fashion
elements are the modern bridal tiara, based on a Sung Dynasty design
originally worn over a coiled coiffure; the Hunan Province style embroidered
sash made in the traditional Chinese colors of pure red, blue, and green; and
traditional sachets and pendants.
The ch'i-p'ao is a traditional Manchu design still
popular today.
In modern Taiwan society, men are frequently seen at
social occasions wearing the dignified and refined
traditional Chinese long gown, Women often wear the
ch'i-p'ao, a modified form of a traditional Ch'ing Dynasty
fashion, on formal occasions. There are endless
variations of height, length, width, and ornamentation in
the collar, sleeves, skirt length, and basic cut of this
elegant and very feminine Oriental fashion. From these
examples, it can be seen how traditional Chinese dress is
the spring of modern fashion.
In the wax museum of the Chinese Culture and Movie
Center in Taipei, and at the Museum of Costume and
Adornment of Shih Chien Home Economics College, you
can see comprehensive and carefully researched
collections of traditional Chinese men's and women's
fashions from over the ages. A visit to one of these
collections is both enjoyable and educational.
The people of Taiwan not only incorporate traditional
Chinese dress into modern life; they have taken the silk
making, spinning, and weaving techniques developed by
the ancient Chinese a step further, and created modern
textile industries around them. Through these industries,
Taiwan residents can enjoy beautiful fashions with
traditional features and modern chic.
Traditional Chinese Clothing
By Globerover on March 29, 2010 in China, Chinese Clothing
Interested in traditional Chinese clothing? Find out about the traditional dress
sense of the people of China in our information guide.
The traditional clothing of the people of China truly reflects the kind of lifestyle they
were used to living back then. As outwardly expressive as traditional Chinese clothing
is it is full of innate symbolism as well. This is one of the things that set traditional
Chinese clothing apart.
Everything from the pheasant feathers on the head gear of warriors to the foot binding
bandages on the feet of young Chinese girls has some sort of symbolism attached with
it.
Early Chinese Clothing
Archaeologists have been able to unearth amazing discoveries regarding traditional
Chinese clothing. Their findings show that the Chinese were into making use of
ornaments to decorate their dresses as far back as 4,500 years ago. This was the time
period of the Yellow Emperor according to Chinese history and it was during this
time that a certain level of consistency started to develop in traditional Chinese
clothing.
Many clothing articles from this time period reveal the progress that was being made
in the clothing of the Chinese people. Silk woven garments and hemp articles
belonging to the Shang Dynasty have also been discovered.
Popular traditional Chinese dresses
Pien Fu
The most popular traditional Chinese dress is by far the Pien Fu. This is a unique two
piece costume which was considered to be a ceremonial suit. It had a tunic for a top
that extended all the way to the knees. This was worn on top of a skirt that reached the
length of the ankles. The skirt under the tunic was reserved for formal occasions. The
Pien Fu dress would not be complete without the Pien which was a cylinder shaped
hat.
Sheni
This unique dress was a sort of modification of the Pien Fu. It was a two section dress
that consisted of a tunic as well as a skirt. The unique thing about this dress was that
both these items were stitched together to become one long suit. Hence in its
appearance it looked a lot like the traditional Chinese long rope.
The cuts and folds on the Sheni take definite inspiration from the Pien Fu. The
draping of the dress using excessive clothing is also another element taken from the
Pien Fu traditional Chinese dress. The Sheni became extremely popular with the
Chinese masses and it also established its prominence in the government offices as
well as amongst the scholars.
Chang Pao
This was perhaps the simplest of all traditional Chinese clothing. In its essence the
Chang Pao dress was a fusion of the above mentioned two traditional Chinese dresses.
It was a one piece suit that started from the height of the shoulders and extended down
to the wearer’s ankles.
There are a couple of things that were common amongst the different kinds of
traditional Chinese dresses. One was the fact that the locals usually preferred to wear
dark colors. Secondly all traditional Chinese clothing made use of excessive draping,
voluminous sleeves and had a wide loose fit.
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Tradition
An outstanding characteristic of traditional Chinese clothing is not
only an external expression of elegance, but also an internal
symbolism. Each and every piece of traditional clothing
communicates a vitality of its own. This combination of external form
with internal symbolism is clearly exemplified in the pair of fighting
pheasant feathers used in head wear originating in the battle wear of
the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). Two feathers of a ho bird
(a type pheasant good at fighting) were inserted into the head wear
of warriors of this period to symbolize a bold and warlike spirit.
Archaeological findings of 18,000 year-old artifacts such as bone
sewing needles and stone beads and shells with holes bored in them
attest to the existence of ornamentation and of sewing extremely
early in Chinese civilization. Variety and consistency in clothing were
roughly established by the era of the Yellow Emperor and the
Emperors Yao and Shun (about 4,500 years ago). Remains of woven
silk and hemp articles and ancient ceramic figures further
demonstrate the sophistication and refinement of clothing in the
Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th
century B.C.).
The three main types of
traditional Chinese clothing
are the pien-fu, the ch'angp'ao, and the shen-i. The
pien-fu is an ancient twopiece ceremonial costume of
a tunic-like top extending to
the knees and a skirt or
trousers extending to the
ankles. The ch'ang-p'ao is a
one-piece garment extending
from the shoulders all the way
to the heels. The shen-i is a
cross between the pien-fu and
the ch'ang-p'ao; it consists of
a tunic and a skirt or trousers
like the pien-fu, but the tunic
and the skirt are sewed
together and essentially one
piece like the ch'ang-p'ao.
Consequently, the shen-i was
a Traditional Dress
the most widely worn of the
three types. Typical of these three types of clothing were wide and
voluminous sleeves and a very loose fit. Tunic and trousers or tunic
and skirt, utilized a very minimum number of stitches for the amount
of cloth used. So because of their relatively plain design and
structure, embroidered edgings, decorated bands, draped cloth or
silks, patterns on the shoulders, and sashes were often added as
ornamentation. These varied designs came to be one of the unique
features of traditional Chinese dress.
Darker colors were favored over lighter ones in traditional Chinese
clothing, so the main color of ceremonial clothing tended to be dark
while bright, elaborate tapestry designs accented. Lighter colored
clothing was worn more frequently by the common people for
everyday and around the house use. The Chinese associate certain
colors with specific seasons: green represents spring, red symbolizes
summer, white represents autumn, and black symbolizes winter. The
Chinese are said to have a fully developed system of matching,
coordinating, and contrasting colors and shades of light and dark in
apparel.
Today
Today, Fashion designers use a mixture of traditional and modern
ideas to create new fashions. These new fashions also incorporate
age-old motifs such as guardian deities, lions, and masks of Chinese
opera characters. Chinese bronze is another source of printed,
woven, embroidered, and applied design for clothes. Some of the
distinctive designs include dragons, phoenixes, clouds, and lightning.
Motifs from traditional Chinese painting also end up in woven or
printed fashion designs.
In modern society, men are
seen at social occasions
wearing the dignified and
refined traditional Chinese
long gown, and women
often wear the ch'i-p'ao, a
modified form of a traditional
Ching Dynasty fashion, on
formal occasions. The
variations of height, length,
width, and ornamentation of
the collar, sleeves, skirt, and
basic cut of this Oriental
fashion are limitless.
Many accessories such as
macramé are used to
decorate shoulders,
bodices, pockets, seams,
Traditional Garments
and openings of clothing, as
well as belts, hair ornaments, and necklaces. Some successful
examples of combinations of modern and traditional fashion elements
are the modern bridal tiara, based on a Sung Dynasty design and the
Hunan Province style of embroidered sash made in the traditional
colors of pure red, blue, and green. From these examples, it can be
seen how traditional Chinese dress is the foundation of modern
fashion. However, the Chinese have also adopted many Western
styles of clothing such as business suits and jeans.