Chinese Fashion History
历史
Five Thousand Years of Glamour
The history of Chinese fashion is the story of the evolution of fabrics, designs and color, as well as human culture and aesthetics.
Chinese traditional clothing is broadly referred to as hanfu 汉服 or Han Chinese clothing though many English sources simply call them “Silk Robe,” which was worn for thousands of years before the Manchu invasion which lasted until the Qing Dynasty in 1644. “Han” is the largest ethnic group of China. The word “Hanfu” comes from the Book of Han (Qián Hànshū 汉书) which says: “Then many came to the Court to pay homage and were delighted at the clothing style of the Han.” But China is a land of many ethnic groups and so Chinese fashion history is a rich tapestry of varied cultures and traditions. Each dynasty had its’ own fashion trends wrapped around brilliant facets of those merged evolutionary trends, resulting in fabulous expressions of uniquely magnificent and unique styles of dress. |
Elegance in all things
Fuyi China's last emperor and his queen Wuan Rong
Within each dynasty there were also trends, i.e. those unique to emperor and royalty, ceremonial clothing work by religious priests, those of ministers and powerful merchants and those of the common people. Naturally there was some filtering down. Royalty could within certain limits copy the Emperor, Ministers and other officials could again within precise limits copy the royalty, and merchants in turn copy some aspects of royalty and common people in turn could copy them again, within limits.
The classes were roughly divided as follows:
Monarchs (Wang)
Officials under feudal rulers (Chen)
Sheppards (Mu)
Slaves (Nu)
Tribesmen (Yi)
Fashion designs also varied greatly according to the level or formality required, obviously formal wear was considerably different from casual. To make this mix a bit more complicated, each ethnic minority in China also had its’ own unique fashion history. Revolutions in fabric, and color technologies occurred regularly, whereas each new dynasty heralded exciting new designs incorporating those new technologies.
Chinese clothing was and is also an expression of morality as trends were in many cases shaped by philosophers as in The Rites of Zhou and the Book of Rites.
As in all things however, there were trends from the simple to the complex. For example there was a time in Chinese history when there was no distinction between different social classes such as the during the Ying Shang Period. However starting in the Western Zhou dynasty class distinction became clear in fashion; there were special apparel for making obeisance to heaven and earth, grand ceremonies, weddings, bereavement, the military and so on.
The classes were roughly divided as follows:
Monarchs (Wang)
Officials under feudal rulers (Chen)
Sheppards (Mu)
Slaves (Nu)
Tribesmen (Yi)
Fashion designs also varied greatly according to the level or formality required, obviously formal wear was considerably different from casual. To make this mix a bit more complicated, each ethnic minority in China also had its’ own unique fashion history. Revolutions in fabric, and color technologies occurred regularly, whereas each new dynasty heralded exciting new designs incorporating those new technologies.
Chinese clothing was and is also an expression of morality as trends were in many cases shaped by philosophers as in The Rites of Zhou and the Book of Rites.
As in all things however, there were trends from the simple to the complex. For example there was a time in Chinese history when there was no distinction between different social classes such as the during the Ying Shang Period. However starting in the Western Zhou dynasty class distinction became clear in fashion; there were special apparel for making obeisance to heaven and earth, grand ceremonies, weddings, bereavement, the military and so on.
ULTRA-BRIEF OUTLINE OF DYNASTIC TRENDS
The Qin and Han dynasties were noted for classical and conservative fashions, where as the Tang Dynasty gave birth to more luxury and glamour. The song dynasty saw the rise of more delicate and exquisite fashions which eventually gave way to the graceful magnificence of the Ming and then the intricate fashion designs of the Qing.
Hanfu can trace its’ roots back more than 4,000 years and is believed to have been worn by the legendary Yellow Emperor 黃帝who traditional holds reigned from 2,697 to 2,597 BC. He is the legendary founder of Chinese civilization.
Hanfu from the beginning was silk which was said to have been discovered by the consort of the Yellow Emperor, Leizu.
Civil and military officials
Chinese civil or military officials used a variety of codes to show their rank and position. The most recognized is the Mandarin square or rank badge. Another code was also the use of colorful hat knobs fixed on the top of their hats. The specific hat knob on one's hat determined one's rank. As there were twelve types of hat knobs representing the nine distinctive ranks of the civil or military position. Variations existed for Ming official headwear.
For a more detailed outline of dynastic trends, click on Detailed Histories of Dynasties on the Menu bar above.
Hanfu can trace its’ roots back more than 4,000 years and is believed to have been worn by the legendary Yellow Emperor 黃帝who traditional holds reigned from 2,697 to 2,597 BC. He is the legendary founder of Chinese civilization.
Hanfu from the beginning was silk which was said to have been discovered by the consort of the Yellow Emperor, Leizu.
Civil and military officials
Chinese civil or military officials used a variety of codes to show their rank and position. The most recognized is the Mandarin square or rank badge. Another code was also the use of colorful hat knobs fixed on the top of their hats. The specific hat knob on one's hat determined one's rank. As there were twelve types of hat knobs representing the nine distinctive ranks of the civil or military position. Variations existed for Ming official headwear.
For a more detailed outline of dynastic trends, click on Detailed Histories of Dynasties on the Menu bar above.