Women's clothing in China - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

In China, women had different kinds of clothes in ancient times. Those clothes changed with the revolution of dynasties.
In the 1920s, the Cheongsam was made fashionable by socialites and upperclass women.
During the 1960s, very austere clothing styles were imposed on women.
Today, particularly in the coastal cities, a wide variety of fashions are worn.

In Qin and Han Dynasty, women usually wore loose clothes with long big sleeves. Under the long skirt was a pair of high-heeled clogs with some embroidery on them. There was usually a scarf called Jinguo(巾帼) wrapped in the arm of a noble woman while common or poor women had no decoration on their arms.
As time passed by, the coat tended to be shorter and the skirt became longer. Noble women even needed maids’ help to lift up the skirts to avoid the skirts being stained from the ground.
In Wei and Jin Dynasty, clothes of the Han were greatly influenced by the Hu.Advantages of the clothes of the Hu were absorbed in the Han’s. Women usually wore coats with their length to the waists and skirts to the feet, belts wrapped on their waists.

In Sui and Tang Dynasty, women’s clothes had the trend to be more open. Small-sleeves coats usually made from yarn, still long skirts, wide and long scarves were what they often wore. They could bare the part of body above their chests. This sort of cloths could show the beauty of women better. Another kind of clothes popular that time was something with big sleeves , short breasted shirts and long light skirts. They were used when women were walking in the garden, picking flowers , playing with their pets and etc.

Banbi

Banbi also known as Banxiu is an item of traditional Chinese attire. It is a form of waistcoat or outerwear that were worn over ruqun, and had half-length sleeves. The style of its collar varies but it can be secured at the front either with ties or a metal button...

(半臂, lit. "half arm") also known as Banxiu (半袖) is a form of waistcoat or outerwear that was worn over ruqun
Ruqun
Ruqun is an item of traditional Chinese attire primarily for women. It consists of a blouse and a wrap-around skirt . It has a long history, and has been worn by women since the Warring States Period.-History:...

, and had half-length sleeves. The style of its collar varies but it can be secured at the front either with ties or a metal button. According to the Chinese records, banbi clothing style was invented from the short jacket (短襦) that the Chinese wear. It was first designated as a waistcoat for palace maids but soon became popular amongst the commoners.
In the "Legend of Huo Xiao Yu" (崔小玉传), written during Tang Dynasty, the main female character Huo Xiaoyu wears this style most of the time.

Beizi

A beizi
Beizi
A beizi is an item of traditional Chinese attire common to both men and women, similar to a cloak. Most popular during the Ming Dynasty, beizi also known as banbi during the Tang Dynasty) are believed to have been adopted from Central Asia during the Tang Dynasty through the Silk Road when...

(褙子) is an item of traditional Chinese attire common to both men and women, similar to a cloak

Cloak

A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been...

.
Most popular during the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

, beizi also known as banbi
Banbi
Banbi also known as Banxiu is an item of traditional Chinese attire. It is a form of waistcoat or outerwear that were worn over ruqun, and had half-length sleeves. The style of its collar varies but it can be secured at the front either with ties or a metal button...

during the Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

) are believed to have been adopted from Central Asia

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

during the Tang Dynasty through the Silk Road

Silk Road

The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...

when cultural exchanges were frequent.
However, it is also believed to have been derived from banbi during the Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

, where the sleeves and the garment lengthened.

Chang'ao

Chang-ao is the traditional Chinese attire for women. It is a form of formal wear, and is often perceived as a longer version of ruqun

Ruqun

Ruqun is an item of traditional Chinese attire primarily for women. It consists of a blouse and a wrap-around skirt . It has a long history, and has been worn by women since the Warring States Period.-History:...

. However, it was actually developed from zhiduo during the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

, and is worn over a skirt. It is wide-sleeved, shorter than zhiduo and has no side panels (暗擺) at the side slits (thus showing the skirt worn underneath). There is often an optional detachable protective huling (護領, lit. "protect collar") sewn to the collar. The huling can be of white or any other dark colours. The collar is of the same colour as the clothing.

Daxiushan

Daxiushan
Daxiushan
Daxiushan , translated as "Large Sleeve Gown", is a traditional Chinese attire for women and was most popular during Tang Dynasty amongst the Royals. After the golden age of Tang Dynasty had ended, the influence of Hufu , or clothing styles from Central and Western Asia, gradually weakened and Tang...

(大袖衫), translated as "Large Sleeve Gown", is a traditional Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

attire for women and was most popular during Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

amongst the Royals. After the golden age of Tang Dynasty had ended, the influence of Hufu (胡服), or clothing styles from Central

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

and Western Asia, gradually weakened and Tang royal women's clothing styles begin to take its transformation.

It was not until the Mid-Late Tang period (中晚唐时期) that the distinctions between Royal women's clothing and other style have become increasingly obvious. The width has increased more than four feet and its sleeve is often wider than 1.3 meters. It features distinctive rode that covers from ground to just above the chest with knot wrapped around the waist, a light and sometimes visible outer coat that ties together at the bottom and often goes along with a long scarf

Scarf

A scarf is a piece of fabric worn around the neck, or near the head or around the waist for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religious reasons. They can come in a variety of different colours.-History:...

wrapped around the arm. The clothing often, only cover half of women's breast and so, it is restricted to people of certain status, like princess or gējī. It has come to be known as Da-Xiu-Shan but have been called Dian-Chai-Li-Yi (钿钗礼衣) at various times. The clothing was mainly worn for special ceremonial occasions and have different variations, mainly result of different collar

Collar (clothing)

In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck. Among clothing construction professionals, a collar is differentiated from other necklines such as revers and lapels, by being made from a separate piece of fabric, rather than a folded or...

formations (e.g., parallel or cross collar or those with no collar).

Diyi

Diyi
Diyi
Diyi is the traditional Chinese attire worn by empresses and crown princesses in the Ming Dynasty. It is a formal wear meant only for ceremonial purposes. It is a form of shenyi, and is embroidered with long-tail pheasants and circular flowers . It is worn with phoenix crown...

(翟衣) is the traditional Chinese attire worn by empresses and crown princesses (wife of crown prince) in the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

. It is a formal wear meant only for ceremonial purposes. It is a form of shenyi

Shenyi

Shenyi is the traditional Chinese attire for men which advocated in Zhu Zi's Common Rites《朱子家禮》. The Shenyi Center of Chinese Medicine is named after it. It is a form of formal wear in the Ming Dynasty. It directly descended from the shenyi worn in earlier dynasties, like Han Dynasty...

, and is embroidered with long-tail pheasants (翟, Di) and circular flowers (小輪花). It is worn with phoenix crown

Phoenix crown

A Phoenix crown is a Chinese traditional headgear for women. It was worn by noblewomen in the Ming Dynasty on ceremonies or official occasions. It is also the traditional headgear for brides. It is adorned with gold dragons, phoenixes made with kingfisher feathers, beaded pheasants, pearls and...

(without the dangling string of pearls by the sides). Diyi has been worn by empresses and other royal noblewomen (differs according to different dynasties) since the Zhou Dynasty

Zhou Dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...

under various names like huiyi (褘衣) in Zhou

Zhou Dynasty

and Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

, and miaofu (庙服) in Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

Lotus shoes

Lotus shoes (蓮履 / 莲履, lianlǚ) are footwear that were worn by women in China who had bound feet

Foot binding

Foot binding was the custom of binding the feet of young girls painfully tight to prevent further growth. The practice probably originated among court dancers in the early Song dynasty, but spread to upper class families and eventually became common among all classes. The tiny narrow feet were...

. The shoes are cone or sheath-shaped, intended to resemble a lotus bud. They were delicately constructed from cotton or silk, and small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.
Some designs had heels or wedge-shaped soles. They were made in different styles and colors, and were typically ornately decorated, with embroidered designs of animals or flowers that could continue on the sole of the shoe.
Some designs only fit over the tip of the foot, giving the illusion of a small bound foot when worn under a long skirt.
Though foot binding is no longer practiced, many lotus shoes survive as artifacts in museums or private collections.

Phoenix crown

A Phoenix crown

Phoenix crown

(鳳冠) is a Chinese traditional headgear for women. It was worn by noblewomen in the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

on ceremonies or official occasions. It is also the traditional headgear for brides. It is adorned with gold dragons, phoenixes made with kingfisher feathers

Kingfisher feather art: tian-tsui

For 2,000 years, the Chinese have been using the iridescent blue feathers of kingfisher birds as an inlay for fine art objects and adornment, from hairpins, headdresses, and fans to even panels and screens...

, beaded pheasants, pearl

Pearl

A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...

s and gemstone

Gemstone

A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...

s. The number of pearls used range from 3426 to 5449 pieces, while the number of gemstones used range from 95 to 128 pieces. These pearls, gemstones and more kingfisher feathers are made into ornamental flowers, leaves, clouds, and bobin (博鬢, the 'wings' at the side/back of the crown). The weight of the entire crown range from 2 to 3 kilogram

Kilogram

The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...

Ruqun

Ruqun
Ruqun
Ruqun is an item of traditional Chinese attire primarily for women. It consists of a blouse and a wrap-around skirt . It has a long history, and has been worn by women since the Warring States Period.-History:...

(襦裙) is an item of traditional Chinese attire (Hanfu) primarily for women. It consists of a blouse (襦, ru) and a wrap-around skirt (裙, qun). It has a long history, and has been worn by women since the Warring States Period

Warring States Period

The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...

.
Generally, the blouse was tucked into the skirt. The popularity of ruqun declined during the Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

, but increased again during the Southern and Northern Dynasties

Southern and Northern Dynasties

The Southern and Northern Dynasties was a period in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589 AD. Though an age of civil war and political chaos, it was also a time of flourishing arts and culture, advancement in technology, and the spreading of Mahayana Buddhism and Daoism...

. During the Sui

Sui Dynasty

The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....

and Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

, the skirts were tied higher and higher up the waist, until they were eventually tied above the breasts, worn with short blouses. In addition to the normal crossed-collar blouses, parallel/straight-collar (對襟) blouses were also worn in this period, thus exposing the cleavage of the breasts. During the Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

, the skirts were eventually lowered from the breast level back to the normal waistline.

By the Ming Dynasty, ruqun became the most common form of attire for women. The sleeves of the blouse are mostly curved with a narrow sleeve cuff (琵琶袖, pipa
Pipa
The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments . Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26...

sleeve). There is often an optional detachable protective huling (護領, lit. "protect collar") sewn to the collar. The huling can be white or any other dark colours. The collar is of the same colour as the clothing. Towards the start of the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

, the skirt was mostly baizhequn (百摺裙, lit. "hundred pleats skirt") or mamianqun (馬面裙, lit. "horse face skirt").

Yuanlingshan

Yuanlingshan (圓領衫) was the most common form of attire for both male and female officials and nobles during the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

. The difference between civilian's and officials'/nobles' yuanlingshan is that officials'/nobles' yuanlingshan has a mandarin square

Mandarin square

A Mandarin square , also known as a rank badge, was a large embroidered badge sewn onto the surcoat of an official in Imperial China...

(補子) on it. The sleeves of the yuanlingshan are mostly curved with a narrow sleeve cuff (琵琶袖, pipa sleeve). It has round collar and side slits.
Officials'/nobles' yuanlingshan are also wedding attire for commoners. The groom wears a wusha hat (烏紗帽) and the yuanlingshan of a 9th rank official robe. The bride wears the phoenix crown

Phoenix crown

(鳳冠) and a red yuanlingshan with the xiapei (霞帔) of a noblewoman.

Song Dynasty

The attire of women during the Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

(960 - 1279) was distinguished from men's clothing by being fastened on the left, not on the right. Women wore long dresses or blouses that came down almost to the knee. They also wore skirts and jackets with short or long sleeves. When strolling about outside and along the road, women of wealthy means chose to wear square purple scarves

Scarf

around their shoulders.
Ladies also wore hairpins and combs in their hair, while princesses, imperial concubines, and the wives of officials and wealthy merchants wore head ornaments of gold and silver that were shaped in the form of phoenixes

Fenghuang

Fenghuang are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. The males are called Feng and the females Huang. In modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and the Feng and Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be...

and flowers.

Cheongsam

The cheongsam icon is a body-hugging (modified in Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

) one-piece Chinese dress

Dress

A dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...

for women; the male version is the changshan

Changshan

In traditional Chinese dress, a changshan is the male equivalent of the women's cheongsam . It is also known as a changpao or dagua ....

. It is known in Mandarin Chinese as the qípáo (旗袍; t͡ɕʰǐ pʰɑ̌ʊ̯) Wade-Giles

Wade-Giles

Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...

ch'i-p'ao, and is also known in English as a mandarin gown. The stylish and often tight-fitting cheongsam or qipao (chipao) that is most often associated with today was created in the 1920s in Shanghai

Shanghai

and was made fashionable by socialites and upperclass women.

1960s

Around the Destruction of the "Four Olds"

Four Olds

The Four Olds or the Four Old Things were Old Customs, Old Culture, Old Habits, and Old Ideas. One of the stated goals of the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China was to bring an end to the Four Olds...

period in 1964, almost anything seen as part of Traditional Chinese culture

Culture of China

Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest and most complex. The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical region in eastern Asia with customs and traditions varying greatly between towns, cities and provinces...

would lead to problems with the Communist

Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...

Red Guards

Red Guards (China)

Red Guards were a mass movement of civilians, mostly students and other young people in the People's Republic of China , who were mobilized by Mao Zedong in 1966 and 1967, during the Cultural Revolution.-Origins:...

. Items that attracted dangerous attention if caught in the public included jeans

Jeans

Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...

, high heels, Western-style coats, ties

Necktie

A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...

, jewelry, cheongsams, and long hair

Long hair

Long hair is a hairstyle. Exactly what constitutes long hair can change from culture to culture, or even within cultures. For example, a woman with chin-length hair in some cultures may be said to have short hair, while a man with the same length of hair in some of the same cultures would be said...

. These items were regarded as symbols of bourgeois lifestyle, which represented wealth. Citizens had to avoid them or suffer serious consequences such as torture or beatings by the guards. A number of these items were thrown into the streets to embarrass the citizens.

Modern era

Chinese fashion has drastically changed over time. Following the relaxation of communist clothing standards in the late 70s, the way Chinese dressed and the fashion trends of the country were also changing. Contemporary urban clothing seemed to have developed an obsession with brand names. In major urban centres, especially Shanghai

Shanghai

, an increased western look is preferred, and there is an emphasis on formal wear over casual wear for adults on the streets. Teenagers prefer brand names and western clothing. Children usually wear clothes decorated with cartoon characters.
However, there is also effort by the hanfu to revive traditional clothing forms such as the hanfu by the hanfu movement. At an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shanghai in 2001, the host presented silk-embroidered tangzhuang jackets as the Chinese traditional national costume.

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