7/30/2019 The History of Chinese Clothing

1/7

The History of Chinese Clothing

Each dynasty in China had its own memorable culture. The many facets of colour and design that emerged during a dynastysreign were marvellous and made every aspect of Chinese culture, including their wearing apparel, - highly acclaimed works ofart.

The costumes of ancient China were emblems of Chinese tradition, as well as an essential element in the history and culture ofeach dynasty. Costume maintained an important place in Chinese culture for more than three thousand years. The culture ofChina is ancient and well established, brilliant and resplendent. The costumes are likewise magnificent and colourful. There weremany dynasties throughout Chinas history, each having its own unique style of dress. And each style would change or disappearas its dynasty changed, declined, or was replaced. With the advent of each new dynasty and the progression of time, costumeswere revolutionised. The style was classical and conservative in the Qin and Han dynasties, luxurious and glamorous in the Tangdynasty, delicate and exquisite in the Song dynasty, graceful and magnificent in the Ming dynasty, and very intricate in the Qingdynasty. Stylised costumes first appeared in the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun periods. Chinese characters were inventedduring the ancient Yin Shang period. Although eighty percent of the characters were pictographic drawings, they were quitesufficient for writing and had special pronunciations. The inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells in the Shang dynasty, fromabout the 16th to 11th century B.C., show characters representing the social classes at the time, including wang (monarchs),chen (officials under a feudal ruler), mu (shepherds), nu (slaves), and yi (tribesmen). There were also words that related to dressand personal adornments, such as as yi (clothing), lu (shoes), huang shang (skirts), and mei (sleeves). Ornaments of varying

value, like jade pendants, jade rings, earrings, necklaces, combs, silk fabrics, burlaps, and copper decorations, have been foundon excavated statues. Valuable, exquisite items belonged to the aristocrats exclusively, not slaves or tribesmen. With thedevelopments and advances made regarding textiles, articles of clothing for different functions began to appear, such asdresses, skirts, crowns, footwear, hats, and stockings. Costume styles evolved from simple and practical to ornamental. This isreflected in the invention of twelve designs of symbols. Looking at the patterns and styles of clothes in history books suchas The Rites of the Zhou, Book of Rites and Rites, you can see that Chinese clothing evolved from nothing to very simple andfunctional styles, and then to styles that were quite complex. During the Ying Shang period, the etiquette, music, rituals, andclothing showed no evidence of any distinction among different social classes. Starting in the Western Zhou dynasty, however,class distinction became apparent, as evident in the differences in clothing and personal adornment. More and more variety inclothing also appeared, depending on the occasion. For example, paying respects to the gods and making obeisance to heavenand earth at the palace temples required special clothing. Special clothes were worn for grand ceremonies. There were armyuniforms, wedding ceremony outfits, bereavement clothes, and so on. Clothing at the time was still made in accordance with oldsystems and thus had dark tops and yellow bottoms, but official garb included four-inch-wide sashes made from silk or leatherthat were worn over the lapels. Other costumes included jade adornments on the waist belt linked together with silk ribbons. In

addition, clothing of different colours indicated different social classes. During the Warring States, the costume of the sevendukedoms of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qin, each developed changes accordingly. The so- called skirt around the frontof the body" style actually referred to loose-cut cloth with wide rims that was wrapped around the lower body. The ancientdesigners wrapped the cloth ingeniously from the front of the upper body to the back, making full use of horizontal and diagonallines to complement space and achieve both quietude in motion and motion in quietude. Materials were light and thin, and stifferbrocade was used to embroider the borders with wavy patterns that reflected the wisdom and intellect of the designers. TOP

Qin and Han Dynasties

During the Qin and Han dynasties, changes in the style of dress were dramatic. The Emperor Qin, who was influenced by theconcept of Yin and Yang as well as the theory of the Five Elements, believed that the Qin dynasty would subdue the Zhoudynasty like water extinguishes fire. Therefore, because the Zhou dynasty was "fire superior to gold, its colour being red," thefavourite colour of the Qin dynasty was black, since the colour black was associated with water. Thus, in the Qin dynasty, blackwas the superior colour to symbolise the power of water, so clothing and adornments were all of the colour black. During the twohundred years of the Western Han dynasty, the dark style continued for clothing and personal adornment. Its characteristicswere: cicada-like hats, red clothing, square sleeves, sloping necklines, jade hanging decorations, and red shoes. The generalterm for this style of clothing was Buddhist clothing and is basically a one -layer coat. Court dress was black in colour. As for theformal dress used in performing sacrificial rites, it was edged with red. The only way to tell a persons rank or position in societywas by the colour and quality of his clothing there was no difference in the style of the clothing worn by government officialsand ordinary people. There were two types of robes, classified according to the style of the front of the robe. One style had afront with a diagonal opening, where the material was wrapped on a diagonal from the collar to under one arm, and the other hada straight opening down the front. Because this style of clothing was long and loose, it was a popular style for men.

http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOP

7/30/2019 The History of Chinese Clothing

2/7

The Eastern Han dynasty started from 25 A.D. and ended in 200 A.D. During the period of the Guangwu emperor, red wasregarded as the most respectful colour, as it displayed the Han dynastys fire virtue. Until the second year of Yongping pe riod,red was still the popular colour, but a white inside layer had to be worn when performing sacrificial rites. This white layer wasedged with red, which matched the red socks and shoes. Government officials dressed in colours that were appropriate for theseasons, according to the theory of Five Elements. They held ceremonies to pray according to the four seasons. At thebeginning of spring, they would hold a ceremony in the eastern suburbs, and carriages and clothing would be a gray-greencolour. At the beginning of summer, the ceremony would be held in southern suburbs, and both carriages and costumes wouldbe red. At the beginning of autumn, carriages and dress would be yellow, and at the beginning of winter, everything would beblack. According to History of the Song Dynasty, The Han dynasty inherited the style of the Qin dynasty. There were thirteendifferent types of hats. Since the Wei-Jin dynasty people still used these hats, such as, law hats, high hats, hats for skilledcraftsmen, mountain-like hats, square hats, Jian-Hua hats, Que-Di hats, swordsmans hats, Que-Fei hats, Jin-Xian hats, andmany others. In the Han dynasty, a mans rank and status was indicated by the style of his crown. In the Han dynasty, a womanwore a short jacket and a long skirt, and a decorative belt hung down to the knee. A man always dressed in a short jacket,trousers in the style of calfs nose, with a short cloth skirt outside. This style was the same for everyone workers, farmers,businessmen, and scholars. During the Wei-Jin period, court dress was red, and casual clothing was purple. In the ancientbook History of the Wu Empire -- The Story of Lu Meng, it says, ask the people who wear white clothing to be businessmansservant. From this description, we can tell that white was the colour for ordinary people. During this period, the emphasis was onthe jacket and skirt. A coat was considered informal dress. Womens adornments were particular delicate, including goldenearrings, silver rings, and bracelets. There was a big difference in quality for womens accessories worn inside and outside the

imperial palace.

Left: A lady with a flowery hairpin; Tang dynastyCenter: Women colouring fabrics; Tang dynastyRight: A gentlewoman in a court-style costume; Tang dynasty

The Tang Dynasty

The Tang dynasty was the most thriving, prosperous, splendid, and glorious period of ancient Chinese culture and art. The styleof womens clothing during the Tang dynasty is the most outstanding in Chinas history. Tang dynasty attire had many differen tstyles, and was ever changing, which enabled the look of the Tang dynasty style to remain elegant, noble and poised, andforever unique and amazing. The costumes of the Tang dynasty are like exotic flowers in Chinese history. The quality of thematerial was particularly fine and delicate, and the decorations lustrous. The characteristics of Tang dynasty attire weredistinctive and natural, displaying the beauty, grace, and freedom of people from heaven. Hair was styled to cover the templesand frame the face, and gowns were low-cut with a high waistband. Womens outfits consisted of a shirt with short sleeves and along skirt; or a loose-sleeved shirt, long skirt, and a shawl. Hair was coiled high in a bun, with such names as gazing -gods bun,cloud bun, double handing-down bun and so on, the clothing were mainly short jacket or shirt, and long skirt with a shawl,half-length sleeve, phoenix was decorated at the toe of the silk shoes or shoes weaved by grass, coiling the hair in a flowerbun, so that one could put bamboo hat on the head. After the prosperous Tang dynasty, sleeves became looser and larger. I nthe Tang dynasty, there was the rule of the wide belt. This convention dictated that the quality and quantity of decoration s onthe belt be used to indicate the rank of government officials. For example, officials lower than the first rank wore a sword or knife,

officials and generals higher than the third rank wore jade belts, officials of the fourth and fifth rank wore gold belts, and the six-and seventh-ranking officials wore silver belts. In comparison, ordinary people could only wear a small bronze or iron knife.TOP

http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOP

7/30/2019 The History of Chinese Clothing

3/7

Left: A cross-collar slim robe with wide sleeves and a Dongpo scarf; Song dynastyCentre: A bright yellow robe with gilded wide sleeves; Southern Song dynastyRight: Precious Terrace Moon Tracing Chart with gentlewomen in vests and cloud bun hairstyles.

The Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty clothing can be divided into three categories of style. One was designed for the empress, the noble concubines,and females of all levels of government uses; another style called formal clothes was for ordinary people; and one style wascasual for daily use. The clothing designed for Song Dynasty government officials was extremely luxurious, and even commonpeople dressed very fastidiously. Not only were the fabrics elegant, but also the hair styles were very special. Some werebraided and hung down on the shoulder, while some were like cloud lights with delicate bands supporting the golden phoenix.People without much money used paper decorations in their hair, fragrance on the body, and wore shoes with embroideredflowers.TOP

The Yuan Dynasty

In the Yuan dynasty, Zhi Sun dresses were popular. All government officials wore them to attend feasts inside the palace.Musicians and bodyguards also wore them. This kind of clothing was worn by all classes of people, and could be made frommaterials of varying weight and quality. Emperor Zhi Suns winter and summer clothing had fifteen ranks (by Zhi level division).

The materials and colours were well coordinated, as were accessories like hats. The winter clothing of government officials hadnine ranks, while summer clothing had fourteen; they were made from materials of varying colour and quality. The bi jian was adouble-sided leather coat, worn by the both upper and lower classes, which was a little longer than the ma gua (a traditionalChinese gown worn by males). The Yuan dynasty Mongolians called it pan zi da wu, and it was a garment that was suitable forhorse back riding and hunting since it had no collar and sleeves and was shorter in the front than in back. Yuan Dynasty womenof the aristocracy had their own styles of dress. The aristocrats were Mongolians who wore leather coats and hats as theirnational attire. Clothing made of marten and sheepskin was very popular. Women wore mostly long, loose gowns with widesleeves and narrow cuffs. Because the gowns were so long, they dragged on the ground, so noblewomen had maids accompanythem to care for the clothing. The gowns, often made from red and gold embroidered brocades, silk, fur and long pieces ofwoven wool, had moon-shaped shoulders called the gold embroidered cloud shoulder jadeite tassel. The name alone suggestshow gorgeous the gowns must have been.TOP

Left: A scholar in a black straight-lined robe; Ming dynastyRight: Short top with long skirt tied with a silk waistband; Ming dynasty

The Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty female upper clothes were three collars with narrow sleeves. The body height was over three feet, revealingthe skirt only two to three inches, the so-called Flower hat, skirt clothes with big sleeves and round collars. The skirt installsoften used light coloured fabrics in early Ming Dynasty. At Chong Zhen time, white skirts were very popular. The skirt hem hadone to two inch embroidered edges. The early Ming Dynastys skirts were all 6 inches wide. At the end of Ming Dynasty, it

changed to 8 to 10 inches. Pleated skirts were extremely popular. The size of the pleats ranged from small and close to big andwide. Skirts were also highly decorated. One particular design was called the striped garland skirt or phoenix tail skirt. Eachstrip was made from a different piece of coloured satin, and each piece was embroidered with a flower-and-bird design in goldthread. One of these strips could be used as a sash. Ifseveral of these decorated strips or garlands were joined together at thewaistband, in the form of a skirt, they fluttered and danced in the breezehence the name phoenix tail skirt. Other popularpleated skirts were made from a whole piece of silk and hand sewn into close pleats. One kind of skirt had twenty-four pleats andwas named the jade skirt. The Ming dynasty also had one special kind of cape. Because of its beautiful shape, it was called pink cloud cape. Males typically wore a robe having a square towel and circle collar . This garment characteristically had widesleeves, black edges, a round blue collar, and a black ribbon soft turban hanging belt. Labourers were the only ones who worecloth pants, which were black. They also wore long black cloth handkerchiefs and coats with wide hems. The official's costumes

http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOP

7/30/2019 The History of Chinese Clothing

4/7

were cloud satin round collar gowns. There were also cloud satin coat dress style. This style of robe hung one inch above theground. Sleeves were also long enough to cover the hands, and the sleeves themselves were each one foot wide. Bright redshoes were the typical fashion.TOP

Left: An embroidered red satin robe for women; Qing dynastyCenter: A purple satin robe with double sleeves; Qing dynastyRight: A blue satin imperial with golden dragons; Qing dynasty

The Qing Dynasty

Manchurian-style clothing with short narrow sleeves was the popular mode of dress in the Qing dynasty. The style was slenderand rectangular in form. The saddle-shaped collar was large enough to cover a persons cheeks and protect the face. The entiregarment, which was not lined, was cut straight from top to bottom and did not have waist. Plate buttons were placed on the front-right side as decoration. There were two to three false sleeves, and the sleeves were long enough to cover the hands. Garments

were often decorated with embroidered designs, and clothes covering clothes add on the vest and long robe. The box-like look ofQing dynasty clothing presented a solemn, slightly arrogant image that commanded respect. It was quite unique. The Qi robe(Chinese cheongsam dress) and the short clothes have the shape of a pi pa (a Chinese musical instrument) front, big front andparallel front, etc. The sides of the garment, as well as the collar and sleeves, were decorated with inlays and embroidery. Thematching skirts and pants were highly decorated in a variety of ways, including dye printing and embroidery. Qing Dynastywomen had separate clothes for formal, casual, and business occasions. Business dress was for empresses and other nobilityup to 7 Pin (level). Formal clothes were worn at events like weddings or to funerals. Inside the palace, the clothes were decidedaccording to the females Pin. The style of casual clothes varied, depending on their function. TOP

Conclusion

From the very brief picture of ancient Chinese attire presented here, it is easy to see that one outstanding feature of thesehistoric dynasties was the strict system of full dress. It demonstrates that the ancients were careful about maintaining their

standards and their responsibilities in society, regardless of whether they were sovereigns, officials, or civilians. Each class hadtheir own integrity. The ancient peoples world-view and way of thinking manifested in the way they dressed. A description in Yi-Xi Ci (Book of Changes Commentary) explains the relationship as follows: Clothes appeared in the time of Yellow EmperorYao Shun, and thus ended the prehistoric state in which people wrapped their bodies with animal skins. People dressedaccording to this clothing style, bowing to ancestors and offering sacrifice to heaven and earth, having realised their control overthe world. Qian kun refers to heaven and earth. People learnt from observation that in the morning before daybreak, the sky wasblack in colour (which was called xuan), so their top clothing was black in colour, as it should resemble heaven. The earth wasyellow, so bottom clothing was coloured yellow to be like the earth. In this way, they expressed their adoration of heaven andearth. It is clear from their attire that these ancient people did believe in God, respected heaven, and upheld Gods will. A s animportant part of ancient Chinese culture, ancient attire also embodied the harmonious relationship between people and nature.In fact, ancient peoples way of thinkingthat man is an integral part of naturewas based on their faith in God and theiradherence to high moral standards. And it was exactly because of their kindness and gracious morality that God bestowedwisdom and magnificence on them, enabling them to develop a glorious life style and living environment. The costumes of thedifferent dynasties all had their own distinctive features and appeared to have no close connection to each other. Theyrepresented the culture of the different dynasties and the wisdom that humans were endowed with during the different timeperiods. The attire of each dynasty vividly reflected and represented the life style, social status, ideology, and mentality of thattime. This could be a result of the different characteristics that each dynasty possessed, as people of different dynasties camefrom different heavenly kingdoms. When being reincarnated in China, they brought to the human world the cultures of their ownparadises, thus making Chinese culture bright and colourful, as well as rich and varied.

While pondering these beautiful, fascinating wardrobes of the ancients, one feels a part of their past, and it is easy to realise thebroad and profound inner nature of Chinese people. One cannot help but be awed by these magnificent masterpieces that can

http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOP

7/30/2019 The History of Chinese Clothing

5/7

only be found in the heavens and that have come to the human world by predestined relationships throughout the ages.(FromClear Harmony )TOP

A Tradition of Elegance and symbolism

An outstanding characteristic of traditional Chinese clothing is not only an external expression of elegance, but also an int ernalsymbolism. Each and every piece of traditional clothing communicates a vitality of its own. This combination of external form withinternal symbolism is clearly exemplified in the pair of fighting pheasant feathers used in head wear originating in the battle wearof the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). Two feathers of a ho bird (a type pheasant good at fighting) were inserted into thehead 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 inthem attest to the existence of ornamentation and of sewing extremely early in Chinese civilization. Variety and consistency inclothing 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 ofclothing 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, and the shen-i. The pien-fu is an ancienttwo-piece ceremonial costume of a tunic-like top extending to the knees and a skirt or trousers extending to the ankles. Thech'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 thepien-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 sewedtogether and essentially one piece like the ch'ang-p'ao. Consequently, the shen-i was 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 andskirt, utilized a very minimum number of stitches for the amount of cloth used. So because of their relatively plain design andstructure, embroidered edgings, decorated bands, draped cloth or silks, patterns on the shoulders, and sashes were often addedas 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 bedark while bright, elaborate tapestry designs accented. Lighter colored clothing was worn more frequently by the common peoplefor 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 developedsystem of matching, coordinating, and contrasting colors and shades of light and dark in apparel.TOP

Chinese Dress Adornments

Food, clothing, shelter and tranportation are usually regarded the four most basic neccessities of life by Chinese people.

In ancient society people lived in crude caves, naked. During the New Stone Age they invented bone needle and began to sewsimple winter dress with leaves and animal skins. With the development of the society, people were engaged in agriculture andthey started to spin and weave, even sewed coats with linen.

In the class society, dress became the token of social status. It was from the Xia and Shang Dynasties that dress system cameinto being in China. In the Zhou Dynasty, the system was perfected. From then on the distinctions as to color, design andadornment of dress were strictly made among the emperor, officials and the common people.

http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200301/9895.htmlhttp://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200301/9895.htmlhttp://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200301/9895.htmlhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200301/9895.html

7/30/2019 The History of Chinese Clothing

6/7

China is a multi-national country. Each nation has a traditional culture of its own. The mutual support and inspiration amongdifferent nationals made Chinese dress more plentiful and glorious.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the economy boomed and people led a quiet life. People from different countries gathered inChangan and Luoyang to promote the international cultural exchange. Particularly the culture of middle Asia deeply influencedChinese dress system.

Stringent rules are made for the color of ancient dress and adornment. Yellow is the most valuable color as a symbol of center.Green, red, white and black symbolize the East, the South, the West and the North respectively. Green, red, black, white andyellow are pure colors applied by the emperors and officials. The common people could only apply the secondary colors. Withthe development of the society, the colors of the dress, which are more harmonious and form a partial contrast, replace that ofremote ages, which was very simple. These changes make the dress and adornment splendid.

On the other hand the ideology also directly influenced dress and adornment. During the Warring States period, many vassalstates were competing with each other, hence the patterns of dress and adornment became diversified. During the Sui and Tang,the unity of ancient China and the prosperity of economy brought about new thoughts, and the dress became splendid,particularly the decolIetage appeared. Because of the intensity of the feudal ideology, the patterns of dress and adornmentgradually became conservative from the Song and Ming Dynasties. Influenced by western cultures, the designs were more fittingand tasteful from late Ming.

The geometrical patterns, the pictures of animals and plants were widely adopted on ancient dress and adornments. BeforeShang and Zhou, the patterns were primitive, succinct and abstract. After Zhou the patterns became much neater. Thecompositions were balanced and symmetric. During the Tang and Song more attentions were paid to the compositions. From theMing and Qing Dynasties most of the patterns were realistic, and the flowers, animals and mountains-and-waters were all reallytrue to life.

The articles of clothing of past dynasties are one chapter of Chinese long history and culture. They are not only the reflection ofthe politics and economy of a given society, but also the great contributions for world civilization. (From ChinaWindow.com)TOP

Colors and Clothing

In Chinese culture there are three central colours: red, black and white.Red, being the colour of blood, symbolises the positive aspects of life such as happiness, wealth, fame etc. Red is alwaysassociated with good luck.

Black, being the colour of faeces is associated with dirt, sin, evil, disasters, sadness, cruelty and suffering among other negativethings. Black signifies bad fortune and must not be worn during festivals, wedding celebrations etc. or used in home decoration.Black symbolises a lack of civilisation and backwardness. However, traditions associated with this colour are quickly fading, andamong the younger generations black can be frequently seen as a clothing colour.

White symbolises the mother's milk and is intermediate between red and black, balancing the two colours. It signifies moderation,

purity, honesty and life, but is also used at funerals as it is believed it can harmonise all elements. It can be used in all rituals andceremonies as it is essentially neutral. Other colours are classified according to their relative darkness and lightness andassociated significance thereof.

There are no specific rules in Chinese custom governing dress. Traditional costumes are rarely worn and clothing is usuallychosen for comfort or according to the fashion of the day.

Bright colours are preferred for clothing in Chinese culture, but the colour of one's clothing is generally suited to the environment:for example manual workers and farmers will often wear dark colours because of the nature of their work. Some conventions are

http://www.china-window.com/http://www.china-window.com/http://www.china-window.com/http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://www.china-window.com/

7/30/2019 The History of Chinese Clothing

7/7

considered with regards to age: the elderly are not encouraged to 'dress young', for example t-shirts andjeans. (FromChinaWindow.com)TOP

GO HOME

http://www.china-window.com/http://www.china-window.com/http://www.china-window.com/http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ECC_HOME.htmhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ECC_HOME.htmhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ECC_HOME.htmhttp://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ecc_culture_clothing.htm#TOPhttp://www.china-window.com/