Development of Chinese Clothes

From the day garments became part of people's lives, they have been given different significance of social status, lifestyle, aesthetics and cultural concepts. Garments have always been the truest and most straightforward reflection of the social and historical scenes of ally given time. In this sense, the history of garments is at the same time a vivid history on the development of civilization.

Han, Wei, Jin Dynasty

Shenyi, or deep garment, literally means wrapping the body deep within the clothes. This style began from the Warring States Period, and is deeply rooted in the traditional mainstream Chinese ethics and morals that forbid the close contact of the male and the female. The shenyi is made up of the upper and lower garment, tailored and made in a unique way. There is a special chapter in the Book of Rites detailing the make of the shenyi. It has to be long enough not to expose the skin, but short enough not to drag on the floor. The forepart is elongated into a large triangle, with the part above the waist in straight cut and tile part below the waist bias cut, for ease of movement. The underarm section is made for flexible movement of the elbow; therefore the generous length of sleeves reaches the elbow when folded from the fingertips.
>>>>>Shen Yi 1 2

Another typical image of the Wei and Jin literati was on that indulgence in drinking, merry making, and talking of metaphysics. The treacherous nature of politics forced these scholars to seek comfort and relief in these aspects, Facing the hypocrisy and constraint of traditional orders, they preferred a life of truth and freedom. They sought the carefree lifestyle, tile maintenance of good health or indulgence in earthly pleasures.
>>>>> The Elegant Wei and Jin Period 1 2

The most outstanding garments in this great period of prosperity were women's dresses, complimented by elaborate hairstyles, ornaments and face makeup. The Tang women dressed in sets of garments, each set a unique image in itself. In general, the Tang women's dresses can be classified into three categories: the hufu, or alien dress that came from the Silk Road, the traditional ruqun or double layered or padded short jacket that was typical of central China, as well as the full set of male garments that broke the tradition of the Confucian formalities.
>>>>> Flourish of clothing: Tang dynasty 1 2 3

The Tang women inherited this traditional style and developed it further, opening up the collar as far as exposing the cleavage between the breasts. This was unheard of and unimaginable in the previous dynasties, in which women had to cover their entire body according to the Confucian classics. But the new style was soon embraced by the open-minded aristocratic women of the Tang Dynasty.
>>>>> Ruqun 1 2

What is worth special mention is that women of the Tang Dynasty did not have to abide by the traditional dress code, but were allowed to expose their arms and back when they dressed, or wear dresses absorbing elements from other cultures.
>>>>> Splendid Styles of Tang Dynasty

Although facial makeup was not invented by the Tang women, they were quite elaborate and extravagant. They not only powdered their faces, darkened their eyebrows, rouged their cheeks or put on lipsticks. These women also decorated their foreheads with a yellow crescent, which was said to be an imitation of the northwestern ethnic minorities.
>>>>>Facial makeup

It is quite a curious phenomenon that the beizi is popular among people of both sexes and all social strata at the same time. In Song paintings, we can find both aristocratic women and maidservants' wearing beizi of basically the same style.The beizi was preferred by men of the Song Dynasty as an informal wear at home because of its unfastened front, the relaxed waistline and its flexibility in length and width.
>>>>> Beiz-a Song Style Garment

Women's costume of the Ming Dynasty went even further in its gentle and elegant beauty, which is often recognized as the epitome of classic Chinese female garment. The Ming dynasty is a period in which the Chinese Hah culture developed to the fullest, absorbing the cultural essence of the previous Tang and Song Dynasties. Ever since the Ming Dynasty and up until the present day, visual representation of ancient Chinese females or women in mythologies has mostly adopted the Ming style.
>>>>>Ming Garment as Seen in Classical Portraits

At the mention of Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) costumes, the first image that comes into people's mind is men's long robes and mandarin jackets as well as women's gowns - with loose-bodied waistline in early time and then gradually tight waistline matched with a waistcoat outside becoming more popular. In fact, these impressions are not sufficient enough to represent the costume image of the Qing Dynasty, which spans nearly three hundred years in Chinese history.
>>>>> Qi: symbol of Qing dynasty 1 2 3 4