National clothes China is very diverse. It is not like any other fashion. If many people think that the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans... are similar, then this is not true at all! Their difference is clothing and fashion!
China is a separate world of fashion, where no one has ever even tried to find out what they wear in France, Spain, etc.
There are a lot of people living in China, and people have always come up with costumes that Europe has never dreamed of!
The Chinese have created their own style in costumes, their own charm, their own beauty!
Even now in China, many costumes remain traditional and are considered national clothing. That is why the Chinese are very flexible and graceful. And their voice is like a beautiful song.
Since the Middle Ages, very beautiful and stylish fashion has dominated in China! As in many countries, the costume differed by class, everything depended on social status. But notice that people in China did not treat each other badly depending on how much money they had, and even helped each other in many ways.
Famous and rich people dressed in multi-layered, lush attire: a short shirt, short or long pants, a jacket, a vest, stockings, shoes, a cap and a long outer robe.
People of the middle social class, regardless of the person's gender, always wore pants and a jacket, and, in addition, an undershirt, outer robe or jacket.
The jacket and jacket were wrapped and belted. This outfit was complemented by straw sandals or closed shoes and a hat with a reed or straw brim. You will think how it was not hot for them, but for the sake of fashion and charm they are ready to do anything.
As children, girls were put in pads on their feet to prevent their legs from growing any longer, and many women even became disabled because of this.
The lower classes of the population barely covered their bodies. Because they could not afford luxurious clothes, which were very expensive for them.
A lot of fabrics were used for costumes: hemp, cotton or silk, and only noble and rich people had the right to wear silk clothes.
Chinese national men's costume
The underwear in Ancient China was pants ("ku") and a shirt. Pants were hidden under long clothes, since showing them was considered indecent. They were wide, with a very low step, hung at the back like a bag, and were belted with a sash. They were sewn from hemp and silk fabrics, and later from cotton. The Chinese wore leggings: separate trouser legs that were attached to the belt with ribbons. They were called "taoku" - "cover for pants." The Chinese were saved from the cold by quilted trousers with cotton wool and cotton wool leggings worn on top. The outer shoulder clothing (“a”) were open double-breasted or single-breasted robes and sweaters. Outerwear was wrapped on the right side and tied. It was believed that on left side Only barbarians smell. The sleeves were wide (the average sleeve width was 240 centimeters). Sleeves were tied up during work special tape, which crossed on the chest.
In winter, the Chinese wore several robes or lined clothes - "jiapao", and sometimes wore a dress quilted with cotton wool - "mianpao". In northern China, fur coats (“qiu”) made of goat, dog or monkey fur protected from the cold. Fur coats for the nobility were made from sable or fox fur, and silk embroidered robes were worn on top. Astrakhan fur coats were most valued. The ancient Chinese wrapped the lower part of the body with a piece of cloth - this upper waist garment was called "shan". The shang was fastened at the waist with a belt - fabric ("nu") or leather ("gedai"), and "shou" - colored cords with jade decorations, tied into a net - were attached to the side or back of it. In ancient times, the belt was considered the most important attribute of the Chinese national costume. Strictly defined objects were hung from it: a knife, a flint, an archery ring, a needle for unraveling memorable knots of the show. Later, these items turned into jewelry, to which decorative peiyu jade pendants were added. A costume consisting of upper shoulder clothing ("i") and upper waist clothing ("shan") was called "ishan". In front of the ishan was a red, richly decorated apron, necessary for sacrifices.
The shape, color, and ornament of the ancient Chinese folk costume were symbolic. Its upper part (“i”), red and black, was considered male (symbol of Father Sky), the lower part (“shan”), yellow, female (symbol of Mother Earth). Later, the structure of the clothing was simplified, and the dress was replaced by a plain robe. The emperor wore a yellow robe, which symbolized his power over the earth. Decorative images on everyday Chinese clothing also had a symbolic meaning. Men's sweaters and robes were often decorated with hieroglyphs for “longevity.” Often such a hieroglyph was surrounded by a ring of five bats: the words " bat" and "happiness" sound the same in Chinese.
Chinese national women's costume
Women in China, like men, wore long shirts and wide pants, hidden under outerwear. The outer suit "ishan" was also similar to that of men. Only in the Tang era did women change into sweaters and skirts similar to European ones. On the hips of these skirts there were triangular cutouts through which the fabric of the sweater was visible. Women's outfits differed from men's mainly in the exceptional beauty of the embroidered color patterns. Usually these patterns were enclosed in decorative circles - "tuan". All images in "tuans" were deeply symbolic. Plum and narcissus flowers represented winter, peony - spring, lotus - summer and sun, chrysanthemums - autumn. A common image was a butterfly - a symbol of family happiness. Marital happiness was personified by a pair of mandarin ducks. Finally, “tuani” could have a plot: they embroidered girls and boys, old people and babies, graceful pavilions, scenes illustrating famous literary works.
Manchu women's informal clothing included two styles of long clothing known as changgyi and cheniyai, which came into fashion during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-95). Both types of clothing were worn with a long neck band. The cheniya featured a round neck and a band crossing from left to right, secured to the side with five buttons and loops. This suit had a relatively straight cut along the body and wide sleeves. Changyi was different in that it had a division on each side of the garment, allowing for freer movement.
The governing dress instructions at court also included headdresses. The semi-formal hats of court officials were primarily distinguished by the fact that they were summer or winter. Winter hats generally included a black skull cap with an inverted fur brim, while summer hats were conical in shape, woven from strips of bamboo, and covered with silk brocade. The crowns of both hats were covered with red rolled or silk brim.
The practice of leg fastening was common among most Han women during the Qing dynasty (but not by Manchu women). By restricting movement, bound feet kept women from leaving home and husbands, and encouraged obedient devotion. Bound feet were also a sign of beauty, increasing the prospect of marriage. The swaying gait of a woman with bound legs was considered especially charming. Tuidai - special shoes; Girls' feet were tied at the age of three. A long special fabric was wrapped around the leg for the purpose of forcing the forefoot and heel to grow together. This was an extremely painful process.
As you know, China has very beautiful and elegant hairstyles. You rarely see such hairstyles anywhere. They are put together like this: they are laid out of straight hair with several partings, symmetrical hair loops, and rollers. To ensure that the hair loops held well, they were lubricated with adhesive compounds and wound on velvet rollers. Bunches, which were high loops, were fastened in hairstyles at the crown or back of the head. Each hairstyle had two or three buns. The hair was combed upward from the temples, and the forehead was framed by short, sparse bangs. There were other options women's hairstyles, without bangs, with long straight strands descending from the temples, with paired jewelry attached.
Noble ladies also wore wigs and hairpieces. The hairstyle was decorated with flowers, tiaras, combs and various jewelry. Only wedding hairstyles were different. Before the wedding, the bride's hair was braided or twisted into a rope and secured at the crown with two large hairpins crosswise. During the wedding, the bride had straight bangs cut on her forehead, and the hair on her temples was cut at an angle.
Cosmetics were very popular among Chinese women. From the age of 7, girls used white and rouge. They tried to artificially make the eyes smaller. Lips painted with lipstick various shades. Eyebrows were plucked and lined. Silk flies of various colors were stuck onto his smoothly shaved temples. Rich Chinese women grew long nails on their left hands, painted them, and even put silver cases on them. The best decoration of a noble Chinese woman was a small foot - a “lotus foot”.
The symbolism of color in clothing was not always clear, but bright yellow/gold was the exclusive privilege of the emperor, his family and those few whom the emperor granted the right to wear any piece of yellow clothing. White is a mourning color, so only underwear should be sewn from fabric of this color. Red is the color of ceremonial and festive (bride's costume) robes, official vestments of high officials, "simple" Chinese people he doesn't fit. The remaining colors, in principle, can be used freely, but poor people should be modest in their choice of colors, they should not be too bright.
The national dress of China is Hanfu, which literally means clothing of the Han Dynasty. For formal and very important events, they used Hanfu attire, made of red and black fabrics, White color considered mourning and used very rarely, gold and yellow were worn by the emperors, his family and entourage.
Since the mid-30s of the last century, when the Chinese monarchy ceased to exist, the qipao has become a typical example of national Chinese clothing for women. In English-speaking countries, the qipao is better known as a cheongsam, which translates as a shirt. The first qipao robes were sewn quite simply. They consisted of a piece of fabric with two seams and a stand-up collar, had five buttons and a slit in the front.
National Chinese clothing and traditions
Chinese women's national clothing was made from various fabrics - it depended on wealth. Cotton and hemp fabrics were used by the middle-income population, silk fabrics were used by local aristocrats. Pants sewn without zippers or buttons and with an oblique seam on the stomach have become traditional clothing for pregnant women. It was believed that such attire helped not to penetrate evil spirits into the belly of a pregnant woman. In China, it is believed that a woman's small legs are very beautiful. To prevent their feet from growing, girls were put on shoe stocks from early childhood. This procedure caused severe pain, leg diseases, and in some cases even disability.
National clothing of China is still in fashion today. On the streets of the city, in offices, you can meet a woman in a qipao. You can add short blouses, jackets and sweaters to national clothing. The main difference between traditional Chinese clothing is the softness and elegance of the cut, traditional embroidery, knotted buttons and braid.
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Chinese French "Sun Yatsen"(zhongshan zhuang)
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Men's suit appearance Resembling a military jacket, and central to Chinese fashion for many years, it is known in the West as the "Mao jacket" or "Mao suit." However, it would be a mistake to associate this type of clothing with Mao Zedong. The Chinese themselves call this jacket “Sun Yat-sen” or “Sun Yat-sen suit”, since it was the favorite uniform of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (better known in China under the name Sun Zhongshan), which he not only wore very often himself, but also strongly recommended it to everyone citizens of the country. |
Changing the style of clothing of the population with the advent of a new dynasty was quite common in Old China. The Xinhai Revolution of 1911, led by Sun Yat-sen, overthrew the Qing dynasty and founded the Republic of China. Members of the National Party proposed changing the national costume. During the discussions, Dr. Sun expressed preference for casual clothing, which is widespread in Guangdong Province, but made some modifications of his own. The designers took his ideas into account, and as a result they got a jacket fastened in the middle with five buttons, with four patch pockets and an inverted collar. It looked simple, tasteful, and at the same time very decorous. From then on, Sun Yat-sen set his own example by wearing this costume on a wide variety of occasions and situations. And it took very little time for this style to spread throughout the country.
Qipao(qipao)
The word "cheongsam" comes from the Cantonese dialect of Chinese, which is spoken in the south, mainly in Guangdong province. In other parts of the country, including Beijing, this type of clothing is called “qipao”, and for good reason, since this word has its own history.
After the Manchus seized and established their power in the Celestial Empire in the 17th century, they formed a new class of people, which included mainly the Manchus themselves and the nobility, whose distinctive feature was their own banners - various flags (qi), and these people themselves began to be called “banners” (qiren). Subsequently, the concept of “famous people” became a common noun, and all Manchus began to be called that way. Typically, Manchu women wore a dress consisting of one piece, which was also called “qipao” or “banner dress” (“pao” - “dress, robe”). Although the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 overthrew the (Manchu) Qing dynasty and brought radical political changes to society, this species women's clothing managed to survive, and with some later improvements, became the traditional dress of Chinese beauties.
Effortless to put on and comfortable to wear, the qipao perfectly emphasizes the figure of Chinese women. The high collar of the dress is fastened right under the neck, and the sleeves can be either very short or full length - it depends on the time of year and the preferences of the hostess. The dress is wrapped on the right side and secured with special loop fasteners. Loose across the chest, close-fitting at the waist, and with two slits on the sides, it combines everything you need to perfectly highlight the beauty of the female form.
Qipao is not that difficult to sew. It does not require any large quantity fabric, nor any accessories, such as belts, scarves, belts, frills and other gizmos.
Another beauty of the qipao is that, being made from a variety of fabrics, and with varying lengths, it can be worn as casual wear, and at the same time worn differently on formal occasions. In both situations, qipao creates the impression of simplicity and soft charm, grace and neatness.
Dragon Robe(longpao)
During the Yuan and Ming periods, emperors already wore clothes with dragon patterns embroidered on them, but it was only during the Qing that such imperial dress was called the “dragon robe” and became part of the official ceremonial clothing of the ruler.
This “dragon robe” was usually yellow or apricot in color, with nine yellow dragons and five clouds embroidered on it, made in auspicious colors. Interwoven into the clouds are twelve other symbols - the sun, moon and stars (representing the light emanating from the throne), mountains (as a synonym for stability and strength of government), dragons (symbolizing the ability to act flexibly in changing conditions), birds (expressing beauty and grace), river reed (which represented purity and perfection), and fire (a symbol of light).
According to Qing ceremonial, the emperor's dragon dress was an attire for all sorts of minor celebrations and rituals, and in no way part of a magnificent vestment top level. Dragons on such a robe, which usually passed from one ruler to another, were embroidered not only on the chest, on the back and on the shoulders, but also on the hem (in a circle - in front and behind relative to the knees), and even on the inner lining. Thus, all nine dragons were placed on the dress. When viewed from the front or the back, five dragons should have been visible at the same time, since in traditional China the numbers five and nine were associated with the throne of the ruler.
Tibetan clothing(zangpao)
Almost every man wears such clothes, and there are no pockets or buttons; instead, both sides of the robe are belted with a belt, so that the front half hangs over the belt, and in the resulting space you can put a wooden bowl, a bag of roasted barley flour, a piece of butter , and even plant small child in your bosom.
When a Tibetan puts on his robe, he usually ties one sleeve around his back. This habit is related to the local weather. The fact is that on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau the difference between day and night temperatures is simply enormous, and the weather changes completely unpredictably. The aborigines even have their own saying about this: “In the mountains, all four seasons replace each other within one day, and the weather changes every 10 miles of travel.” In summer it can be quite cool here in the morning and unbearably hot during the day. This is why the local herders have to keep warm with their robe in the morning when they leave the house, but by midday it becomes so hot that the shepherds are forced to free one arm and shoulder from under the robe, or remove both sleeves through the wide collar of the robe, and tie them around your waist. And by sunset you need to put on both sleeves again, because it gets cold again. A wide-cut robe can perfectly serve as a blanket with which its owner can cover himself if he suddenly needs to stop for the night. It is quite obvious that such multifunctional clothing is simply indispensable for the Tibetans.
Silver jewelry of the Miao people(miaozu yinshi)
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If a girl is born into a Miao family, then the parents will definitely prepare a full set of silver jewelry for her, even if for this they will have to save on food and other expenses, but this is the custom. This set, weighing a total of 15 kg, includes a massive crown, earrings, a silver collar in the form of several thin rings, a special amulet hanging on the chest, a wide belt with a special ornament and bracelets on the arms. It takes the girl more than an hour to get fully dressed and put on all the accessories.
These decorations serve as a symbol marital status or an engagement gift. The Miao people have a strong love for silver, associating it, and jewelry made from this metal, with beauty, abundance and dignity. The pure color of silver reflects their peaceful nature, and immunity to temptations such as wealth or power. They also believe that silver protects against evil.
Embroidery on clothes of officials(buzi)
In 1393, or the 26th year of the reign of Hong Wu of the Ming Dynasty, an imperial decree clearly defined the order of wearing clothes for all ranks. Civil servants, as well as military officers, are required to have buzi embroidery on both the chest and back of their clothing. As a rule, flying birds were usually embroidered on the clothes of civil officials, representing grace, and at the same time emphasized courtesy and tact, and embroideries on military uniforms symbolized fearlessness and heroism. The crane could appear exclusively on the clothes of officials of the highest rank, the distinctive sign of civil servants of the second rank was a yellow pheasant, the third - a peacock, the fourth - a wild goose, the fifth - a silver pheasant, the sixth - a white heron, the mandarin duck meant the seventh rank, the quail - the eighth, and the long-tailed flycatcher is ninth.
The officer corps was divided as follows: the qilin (or Chinese unicorn, one of the favorite auspicious symbols - a mythical beast with one horn, the whole body of which is covered with scales) was the prerogative of the military of the first rank, the lion indicated the second rank, the leopard was for the third, the tiger indicated the fourth , bear - the fifth, tiger cubs were embroidered on the uniforms of officers of the sixth and seventh ranks, rhinoceroses - the eighth, and seahorses indicated the owner of the lowest, ninth rank. The chief censor and special commissioner for supervision were required to wear clothes with patterns of sezhi (mythical animals that had the ability to distinguish false from true).
The Qing Dynasty largely inherited the Ming Buzi system, but made its own changes. Therefore, looking at this or that robe with similar embroidery, it is easy to understand what era it belongs to. The differences are as follows: firstly, under the Qing, patterns began to be embroidered on jackets, and not on robes, as under the Ming; secondly, if during the Ming the embroidery itself was on the entire garment, then during the Qing it had to be divided into two parts, since the Qing jackets were buttoned at the front; thirdly, the Ming Buzi were only on the chest and back, and during the Qing they already appeared on the shoulders. Moreover, during the Qing era, embroidery on the clothes of members of the imperial family began to be made in a round shape, and for various kinds of officials in a square shape.
Historical documents indicate that before the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the ranks of officials could also be determined by the clothing worn by a particular official, namely, by the color and number of patterns on it. And so it was until Empress Wu (of the Tang Dynasty) established as distinctive feature for various kinds of officials and military leaders, ornaments of birds and animals. This innovation made it possible to distinguish the ranks of court officials by the images on their clothes, and to understand a little about the hierarchical system with its intricate symbolism.
The embroidery patterns on Peking Opera costumes mostly go back to Buzi patterns.
Asian culture has been attracting people for a long time Special attention. Of greatest interest to contemporaries are strict traditions in clothing, shoes, hairstyle and lifestyle in general. It is noteworthy that many European peoples are trying to copy traditionally Asian household items, adapting them to their mentality.
One of these original Europeanized accessories is the Chinese national costume.
Excursion into history
Today it is very difficult to imagine the average Chinese dressed in a classic traditional costume. However, until the thirties of the twentieth century, it existed quite comfortably in the common people's private and noble high-ranking wardrobes.
The history of Chinese national costume begins around the 17th-18th centuries. It cannot be said that before this the Chinese wore anything they could find. They just didn’t have any one style of clothing.
The set of traditionally Chinese accessories included a set of components taken from various local peoples, in particular the Manchus and South Chinese. Some ethnographers and travel historians argue that the truly national, original costume of China can be found today in Korea.
The traditional clothing itself was a robe or a long vest with straight-cut sleeves of non-standard width. Wide trousers or a skirt were worn under the robe-shirt, regardless of gender. Often these were simple natural fabrics for everyday wear, and bright silk outerwear for holidays, which only high-ranking members of society could afford.
The general ensemble of Chinese national costume is almost uniform throughout the country, differing only in minor features in shoes, hats and accessories. Also in medieval China, which was very actively divided into classes, types of fabric, colors and quality of tailoring were strictly differentiated for the poor and the rich.
Features of Chinese national clothing
The traditional suit has a fairly simple cut and universal form for both sexes. It is necessary to have a stand-up collar, which is the main feature of the difference between a men's suit and a women's one: for the first, the height should not exceed 2 cm, and for the second, it can successfully reach 8 cm.
Most often, this type of clothing has a right-sided smell, when the left side of the robe or shirt is overlapped with the right, completely covering it. The location of fasteners on clothes depended on this: buttons were sewn to the left side, and loops to the right. They were made, as a rule, from a special braid cut from the fabric of the main clothing.
The number of buttons must be odd. They are usually located as follows:
- the first is under the collar;
- the second - on the chest;
- the third goes under the arm;
- the fourth, fifth and subsequent ones (their number varies from 5 to 9 pieces) are located down vertically on the side of the robe-shirt.
As for the color scheme, everything depended on the territory of residence and gender. Northern Chinese men preferred all shades of gray and blue in their clothing. Southerners were more inclined to contrast - white and black.
Bright fabrics with embossed patterns were reserved for women on both sides of China.
Yellow has always been the color of the emperor and his family. Other nobles could afford to wear bright red kimono suits made of expensive silk fabrics.
National Chinese costume for men
Although this type of clothing did not have particularly visible differences by gender, there were still a number of nuances that clearly defined male model. The summer casual version of the undershirt for men was a natural light tunic made from two large pieces fabrics. The Chinese wear this accessory over traditional pants.
The pants are straight, without pockets, with a wide “yoke” (a wide sewn-on belt made of white fabric) reaching almost to the chest. From above, this part is also belted at waist level with a wide (up to 20 cm) and long (up to 2 m) sash.
Speaking about the common people, it should be taken into account that the length of their pants is noticeably shorter than those of the nobles (sometimes their length barely reaches the knee), the sewing belt is much narrower or is absent altogether.
The role of summer outerwear is played by a flared wraparound robe without lining. Its side parts originate from the waist, smoothly descending to the very heels with oblique wedge inserts. To prevent long floors from getting in the way and getting underfoot, cuts are made in them at knee level. The sleeves of this item of traditional Chinese clothing, according to tradition, are wide, long, flared, or narrowed in the palm area.
The demi-season version of the classic suit for Chinese men is complemented by one special element. A light jacket plus an insulated sleeveless or lined jacket. Underwear remains the same as in summer.
The demi-season sleeveless vest does not have a collar and is equipped with a straight long slit in the front in the middle. Usually made of dark cotton linen. It is not used at all by peasants. An autumn-spring jacket (robe) is sewn according to the same principle as summer outerwear, equipped only with an insulated lining.
The winter outer part of the Chinese national men's suit was distinguished by a jacket with a cotton lining, which was only one side and equal in length on all sides - to the middle of the thigh. The number of buttons on such clothes reaches no more than seven pieces, depending on height.
In particularly frosty provinces, there was a tendency to wear sheep's wool coats.
National clothing for special occasions also had its own characteristics. Thus, a festive weekend suit differs from an everyday one - it has an outer jacket. It has an unusually short length to the waist, is also equipped with a long straight slit in the front and short ones on the sides, and is decorated with knotted or copper buttons. The stand-up collar is made of double fabric. Worn over a light jacket.
It also comes in demi-season and winter versions with appropriate insulation characteristics. The fabric for weekend jackets is selected with special care: it is often dark silk with painted patterns.
Chinese mourning costume is always made in white. The fabric purchased is coarse, but natural, with a yellowish tint. The overall ensemble consists of a long robe, a wide sash and a headband.
Women's national Chinese costume
Traditional clothing for Chinese women differs from men's only in modest additions and accents. Here are the main ones:
- Pants untucked. The uniqueness lies in the fact that they could be worn in the style of oriental trousers, and as classic ancient pants-skirts. Original design This piece of clothing had clearly feminine features: silk embroidery appliques along the bottom of the boot.
- Colors. Mature women were supposed to wear discreet clothes dark colors. Young girls were less limited in their choice. Their outfits were always distinguished by bright, vibrant colors with original embroidery and patterns.
- Underwear. Of course, it was different from the male one. It was a long, tight-fitting sleeveless vest with a large number of buttons (from nine to eleven). Since in ancient China a flat chest in a woman was considered a symbol of beauty, this sleeveless vest was designed to reduce its visual size.
- Long-skirted women's dressing gown. It has a fitted shape, is sewn from expensive purchased fabrics (usually silk) and is decorated with bright original patterns and appliqués.
Baby suit
The first clothes are very important for the proper spiritual development of a child. Future mom makes it with his own hands long before the birth of the future heir. The vest is sewn from thin paper fabric - the clothes of elderly relatives, which indicates the future longevity of the baby. Newborns are wrapped in diapers, also prepared in advance by the mother.
The only difference in the clothing of a boy and a girl under five years of age is the method of swaddling in infancy. So, children of the stronger sex are swaddled up to their chests, and children of the weaker sex are swaddled up to their necks. Over the age of six, clothes for boys and girls acquire the characteristic features of an adult Chinese national costume. It differs only in size.
Accessories
The unity of the traditional clothing of the people of China is impossible without additional accessories, each of which also had its own meaning and carried its own information to the masses.
The historical headdress of the Chinese has several options:
- tou jin - a piece of white material for the northerners, and black for the southerners;
- round felt cap;
- a textile hat equipped with a peculiar swelling on the top of the head;
