Chinese clothing includes both the traditional hanfu and modern variations of indigenous Chinese dress as recorded by the artifacts and some traditional arts of

Chinese culture Chinese culture () is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia and is extremely diverse and varying, with customs and traditions varying grea ...

. Chinese clothing has been shaped through its dynastic traditions, as well as through foreign influences. Chinese clothing showcases the traditional fashion sensibilities of Chinese culture traditions and forms one of the major cultural facets of Chinese civilization.

Imperial China

Traditional Han clothing has a recorded history of more than three millennia until the end of the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. Most Chinese men wore Chinese black cotton shoes, but wealthy higher-class people would wear tough black leather shoes for formal occasions. Very rich and wealthy men would wear very bright, beautiful silk shoes, sometimes with leather on the inside. Women would wear silk shoes, with certain wealthy women practicing foot binding wearing coated Lotus shoes as a status symbol until in the early

20th century The 20th (twentieth) century began on January 1, 1901 ( MCMI), and ended on December 31, 2000 ( MM). The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the modern era: Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and World War II, nuclear ...

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 A mandarin square ( zh, t=補子, s=补子, hp=bŭzi, w=putzŭ; mnc, m=, v=sabirgi; vi, Bổ tử; Chữ Nho: 補子; ko, 흉배/胸背, hyungbae), also known as a rank badge, was a large embroidered badge sewn onto the surcoat of officials ...

or rank badge. Another way to show social standing and civil rank was 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 Dynasty official headwear. In the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

different patterns of robes represented different ranks.

Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)

Qing Dynasty Shoe of Queen Marysieńka 01

The rise of the

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...

Qing dynasty in many ways represented a new era in Chinese clothing, with certain styles required to be worn by all noblemen and officials. Eventually, these styles also became widespread among the commoners.Han and Manchus: Ethnic Relations and Political Power in Late Qing and Early Republican China, 1861-1928 by Edward Rhoads, p. 61

Manchu official headwear (), also referred as the Official hats of the Qing dynasty, Qing official headwear, and Mandarin hat in English, is a generic term which refers to the types of (), a headgear, worn by the officials of the Qing dynasty in China. The typically ...

differed from the Ming version, but the Qing continued to use the

Republican era

The abolition of imperial China in 1912 had an immediate effect on dress and customs. The largely

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...

population immediately cut off their

queue __NOTOC__ Queue () may refer to: * Queue area, or queue, a line or area where people wait for goods or services Arts, entertainment, and media *''ACM Queue'', a computer magazine * The Queue (Sorokin novel), ''The Queue'' (Sorokin novel), a 198 ...

s they had been forced to grow in submission to the overthrown

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

popularised a new style of men's wear, featuring jacket and trousers instead of the robes worn previously. Adapted from Japanese student wear, this style of dress became known as the Zhongshan suit (Zhongshan being one of Sun Yat-sen's given names in Chinese). For women, a transformation of the traditional qipao resulted in a slender form-fitting dress with a high cut. This new " cheongsam" contrasted sharply with the traditional qipao but has largely replaced it in modern fashion. In the early republican period, the traditional dudou underbodice was largely abandoned in favor of western-style

corset A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effe ...

s and

bra A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, or ; ), is a form-fitting undergarment that is primarily used to support and cover breasts. It can serve a range of other practical and aesthetic purposes, including enhancing or reducing the appear ...

Early People's Republic

Early in the People's Republic,

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

inspired Chinese fashion with his own variant of the Zhongshan suit, which would be known to the west as Mao suit. Meanwhile, Sun Yat-sen's widow, Soong Ching-ling, popularized the cheongsam as the standard female dress. At the same time, clothing viewed as backwards and unmodern by both the Chinese as well as Westerners, was forbidden. Around the Destruction of the "Four Olds" period in 1964, almost anything seen as part of Traditional Chinese culture would lead to problems with the

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

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

jeans Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...

, high heels, Western-style coats, ties,

jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a western ...

, cheongsams, and long hair.Law, Kam-yee.

003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to: *003, fictional British 00 Agent *003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986) *1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen * OO3 gauge model railway *''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...

(2003). The Chinese Cultural Revolution Reconsidered: beyond purge and Holocaust. These items were regarded as symbols of

bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

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.Wen, Chihua. Madsen, Richard P.

995 Year 995 (Roman numerals, CMXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 17 May - Fujiwara no Michitaka (imperial regent) dies. * 3 June: Fujiwara no ...

(1995). The Red Mirror: Children of China's Cultural Revolution. Westview Press.

Modern fashion

Hong Kong clothing brand Shanghai Tang's design concept is inspired by historical Chinese clothing. It set out to rejuvenate Chinese fashion of the 1920s and 30s, in bright colors and with a modern twist. Other Chinese luxury brands include NE Tiger, Guo Pei, and Laurence Xu. In the year 2000, dudou-inspired blouses appeared in the summer collections of

Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...

and Miu Miu, leading to its adoption within China as a revealing form of outerwear. For the

2012 Hong Kong Sevens The 2012 Hong Kong Sevens was the 37th edition of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament and the sixth tournament of the 2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series. The host stadium was the Hong Kong Stadium. Fiji won the title by defeating New Zealand 35–28 ...

tournament, sportswear brand

Kukri Sports Kukri Sports Ltd (pron: "kuk-ree") is an international sportswear brand specialising in manufacturing bespoke sportswear for over 100 sports, including rugby league, rugby union, netball, hockey, cricket and football. The name 'Kukri' is taken f ...

teamed up with Hong Kong lifestyle retail store

G.O.D. Groove Over Dose, known by the acronym g.o.d (), is a South Korean boy band formed by SidusHQ. Debuting in 1999, the group became one of the most popular boy bands of the early 2000s in South Korea. The members had gone on to solo careers in th ...

to produce merchandising, which included traditional Chinese jackets and Cheongsam-inspired ladies polo shirts. In recent years, renewed interest in traditional Chinese culture has led to a

movement Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...

in China advocating for the revival of hanfu. As more and more Chinese people like and attach importance to hanfu, Hanfu no longer only appears in Chinese drama as in the past.

Gallery

File:Jin Wu Di.jpg,

Emperor Wu of Jìn Emperor Wu of Jin (; 236 – 16 May 290), personal name Sima Yan (), courtesy name Anshi (安世), was the grandson of Sima Yi, nephew of Sima Shi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin dynasty after forcing Cao Hua ...

, by Yan Liben (600–673) File:Court Ladies of the Tang.jpg,

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

court ladies from the tomb of

Princess Yongtai Princess Yongtai (), born Li Xianhui (); 685 – October 9, 701Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Nonghui (穠輝), was a princess of the Tang Dynasty. Biography Li was the seventh daughter of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang and the ...

in the

Qianling Mausoleum The Qianling Mausoleum () is a Tang dynasty (618–907) tomb site located in Qian County, Shaanxi province, China, and is northwest from Xi'an.Valder (2002), 80. Built in 684 (with additional construction until 706), the tombs of the mausoleum ...

, near

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...

File:B Song Dynasty Cao Empress Sitting with Maids.JPG, Official

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

portrait painting of Empress Cao, wife of

Emperor Renzong of Song Emperor Renzong of Song (30 May 1010 – 30 April 1063), personal name Zhao Zhen, was the fourth emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned for about 41 years from 1022 to his death in 1063, and was the longest reigning Song dynasty empe ...

File:Yuan qu.jpg, Modern reconstruction of temple mural shows clothes of

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

File:孝安皇后.jpg,

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

Empress Xiao'an File:Portrait of Jiang Shunfu.jpg, A 15th-century portrait of the Ming official

Jiang Shunfu Jiang Shunfu (1453–1504), name Shaozong (韶宗), Courtesy name Shufu (named from legendary Shun) as a Chinese mandarin of the sixth rank under the Hongzhi Emperor during the Ming dynasty.Ebrey, Patricia B & al. ''Pre-modern East Asia ...

. The decoration of two cranes on his chest are a

"rank badge" that indicate he was a civil official of the first rank. File:Portrait of Jiang Shunfu, badge detail.jpg, Detail of

's rank badge File:The Qianlong Emperor in Ceremonial Armour on Horseback.jpg, The

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...

in ceremonial armour on horseback File:UB Maastricht - Dapper 1670 - Kleding.jpg, Illustration of Chinese accessories from Olfert Dapper (1670): ''Gedenkwaerdig bedryf der Nederlandsche Oost-Indische maetschappye'' File:Hanfu Mariage01.jpg,

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...

style Chinese wedding dress File:银镀金凤冠.jpg, China silver crown File:孝端显皇后九龙九凤冠.jpeg, Fengguan of the Ming dynasty empress File:Hanfu qing.jpg, Hanfu in Ming and Qing Dynasties. File:Veiled hat - Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute- The Story of Lady Wenji.jpg, Weimao in

- Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute File:Tang dynasty woman wearing a cross-collared robe 唐周昉调琴啜茗图 (cropped).jpg, Tang dynasty woman wearing a cross-collared robe File:Tanghanfu.jpg, Hanfu in famous paintings of Tang Dynasty File:Zhouwenju-03-01x.jpg, The ancient Chinese who played Go. File:蔣孺人像.jpg, Portraits of female officials in

File:Gu Hongzhong's Night Revels 2.jpg, Gu Hongzhong's Night Revels File:鴟鴞帽2.jpg, A traditional Chinese hat. File:Queen Mother of the West from a Wall-Painting in Han Dynasty Tomb.jpg, Queen Mother of the West from a Wall-Painting in

Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

Tomb File:忠靖冠服容像.jpg, Official portraits in

File:Zhou Fang. Court Ladies Tuning the Lute (28x75) Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City (cropped).jpg, Zhou Fang. Court Ladies Tuning the Lute (28x75) Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City (cropped) File:人物像.jpg, Official portraits in Ming Dynasty File:南北朝珠翠冠.jpg, Cultural relics of female headdress in the southern and Northern Dynasties File:Ming crown.jpg, Hat relics of Ming Dynasty officials. File:Ricci Guangqi 2.jpg, religion in Ming Dynasty. File:Tangyin7big.jpg, Tang Bohu's famous paintings File:Gu Hongzhong's Night Revels, Detail 7.jpg, Hanfu in

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

File:晚明命婦像.jpg, The portrait of a lady in the late Ming Dynasty. File:Pictura CARPE DIEM.jpg, The image of musicians in ancient China File:Looking in the Mirror and dabs on Rouge Powder.jpg, Daily life records of court women in Song Dynasty File:Mingnoblewoman1.jpg, The portrait of Ming noblewoman File:Gu Hongzhong's Night Revels 1.jpg,

Gu Hongzhong Gu Hongzhong (; 937–975) was a Chinese painter during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Gu was active until 960 CEChinese patchwork * Hanfu * Cheongsam *

National costume A folk costume (also regional costume, national costume, traditional garment, or traditional regalia) expresses an identity through costume, which is usually associated with a geographic area or a period of time in history. It can also indicat ...

Qizhuang (), also known as () and commonly referred as Manchu clothing in English, is the traditional clothing of the Manchu people. in the broad sense refers to the clothing system of the Manchu people, which includes their whole system of attire use ...

References

External links

Powerhousemuseum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinese Clothing