Chinese Fashion

Dynastic China

Traditional Chinese clothing is called hanfu, which in English means, “silk robe”. Though the robe style was universal, there were differences in dress between social classes. Most Chinese men wore single color robes with black cotton shoes, while wealthy men wore very bright, stylized robes with intricate silk and leather shoes. Women’s clothing followed much the same standards, except their shoes were usually more elaborate, and their feet were bound.

Foot binding was a traditional female ceremony in China that started in the 10^th century and was completely out of practice by the early 20^th century. The process was started between the ages of two and five. The young female’s foot was ritualistically soaked in a mixture of herbs and animal blood before being broken and tightly bandaged. The desired effect was to have a miniature foot and the better the bound foot, the better the young lady could marry. Women had to have servants to help them cook, clean, dress, and care for children, since foot binding severely limited their mobility.

During the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Chinese fashion changed. Manchu fashion broke from the traditional robes and instilled a more modernized jacket and pant style, with the Tangzhuang, which was popular amongst the aristocracy and government officials. The common dress for men was called a changshan, which literally means “long shirt”. This dress was a two-piece ensemble. The top was a buttoned and long-sleeved, while the bottoms were wither wide-legged pants or floor length skirts. Women wore a cheongsam, which is a one piece, body-hugging dress, usually with a long slit on one side of the leg.

Early People’s Republic to Modern Dres

During the early years of the People’s Republic, Mao Zedong popularized the Zhongshan suit, which is a conservative, modernized version of the Tangshuang. Women continued to wear cheongsams and foot binding was forbidden. During 1964, the Destruction of the Old Fours was enacted, which was a rejection of any form of traditional Chinese culture. The Communist Red Guards would target people who wore anything that would link them to either the traditional past or the western bourgeoisie. Ties, jewelry, cheongsams, and long hair, were all seen as representations of wealth and were therefore looked down upon.

In the 1970s the communists relaxed their clothing standards. In major urban areas, like Shanghai, western clothing became very popular. Designer jeans, high heels, mini skirts, dresses, and tennis shoes are common; though most adults prefer to wear more formal attire when out on the streets. There are still people who dress in modernized traditional wear, and in late dynastic clothes.

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