TRADITIONAL CHINESE CLOTHING

Hanfu 汉服 Han Chinese clothing or Hanfu refers to the clothing

worn by the Han ethnic group from the ruling periods of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns to the Ming Dynasty.

Worn for 4,000 years until it was banned in 1644 by the conquering Manchu tribe. Only Buddhist and Taoist monks were allowed to wear

hanfu. Shared characteristics

"Y" shaped cross collar with the left one upon the right. No buttons, strings or belt fastenings.

Qin Dynasty (221 BC–206 BC)

Classic and conservative

Black was the superior color of this era. Symbolized the power

of water Armors for common

soldiers Emperor Qin’s

terracotta army

Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD)

Western Han dynasty

Characteristics: Cicada-like hats Red clothing Square sleeves Sloping necklines Jade hanging

decorations Red shoes

Eastern Han dynasty

Red was regarded as the most respectful color “fire virtue”

Established a formal dress code during this time

Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD)

The emperor’s formal costume

Each icon on the robe symbolized a different meaning

Tang Dynasty (618–907) Most thriving, prosperous and

glorious period of ancient Chinese culture and art.

Elegant and noble clothing Sleeves became looser and

larger Long skirt and shawl

Quality of material was fine and delicate with lustrous decorations Silk

Hair was coiled high in a bun “flower bun”

“The rule of the wide belt” among government officials

Song Dynasty (960-1279) Simple and natural Collar edges and sleeve

edges of clothes were decorated with laces or embroidered patterns

Men wore leather shoes while women wore shoes with a round toe, sometimes decorated with various patterns such as flower or bird

Colors were used to distinguish the ranks of civil officials

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) Men’s costume had

circular collars and featured broad sleeves

Men wore black silk ribbon and drooping strap long enough to cover their hands

White pleated skirts became very popular.   

Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) Manchu ethnic minority from

the northeast took power An emperor’s gown required

two and a half years of labor to complete Dragon Robe contained nine

dragons embellished with gold Yellow was reserved as a

color for celebrations Men's costume mainly

included long gowns and mandarin jackets

Style was slender and rectangular in form

Manchu Women Wore high platform

shoes Forbidden to adopt

foot-binding Distinct elaborate

headdresses

Qipao 旗袍 Also known as Cheongsam “long

dress” or mandarin gown Evolved from an ancient clothing

of Manchu ethnic minority Stylish and often tight-fitting,

the qipao that is known today was popularized during the 1920s in Shanghai by socialites and upper-class women

From the 1930s, the qipao became auniform type of clothing for women Folk women, students, workers

and high-status women all dressed themselves in cheongsam

Shenyi 深衣

Worn in ceremonies to pay respect to ancestors or funerals

Made up of 12 panels of fabric sewn together, representing 12 months in a year.

Worn for only the most formal of occasions.

Xuanduan 玄端 The Chinese had a collection of formal dresses

that were reserved for special occasions like traditional or religious events as well important personal events like weddings and funerals.

Xuanduan – like our black coat and tie

Chinese Wedding Dress

Chin. Wedding Dress (Cont.)  In the Chinese culture the wearing of black denotes sorrow

and grief. The same goes for other dark colors like grey and blue. These are the kinds of colors that are worn on funerals and not on weddings.

The color of the wedding dress should reflect joy and happiness. This is why the two most prominent colors used for dyeing the wedding dress are red and white in the Chinese culture. According to tradition the color red reflects prosperity and love. This is why traditionally the Chinese wedding dress had red as its base color.

Chengasm – a print of a dragon and a phoenix on the dresses. According to Chinese tradition, the union of dragon and phoenix symbolizes the natural balance that exists between man and woman.

4 New Terms Hanfu 汉服 Qipao 旗袍

Shenyi 深衣 Xuanduan 玄端

References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Chinese_clothing http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Chin

a/Chinese-Casual-&-Formal-Dress/1865 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_clothing http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Chin

a/Traditional-Chinese-Clothing/1930 http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/html/en/Tra

ditions2241bye5957.html

http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/viewthread.php?tid=504184

http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2003-09/24/content_28374.htm

http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/bender4/eall131/EAHReadings/module02/m02chinese.html