Chinese fashion

Hanfu ( 漢服 ) - traditional costumes of China. However, in China itself, it is worn only during ceremonies or used in historical films. But in China and abroad there are also cultural societies that dedicate their efforts to the revival of Hanfu, this phenomenon is called “Hanfu Fuxing” (漢服復興 ).

Classic Hanfu is a knee-length outer shirt "AND" ( 衣 ) with wide or narrow sleeves, and a long skirt that flares to the bottom and reaches to the toes "Chan" ( 裳 ) . Under “I” is worn underwearZhongyi (中衣 ) And Zhongchang ( 中 裳 ) made of cotton or silk.

The male version is called "Shenyi" ( 深衣 ) or " Zhiju" ( 直裾 ) , and female "Quju" ( 曲裾 ). It was this costume that served as the prototype of the Japanese kimono.

The ancient Chinese did not cut their hair, but gathered it into a tight knot - "zi" - and laid it on the crown of the head, securing it with a hairpin.

The waist was wrapped with a piece of shan cloth. 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. 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.

Qunchang ( 裙 裳 ) - a type of Hanfumade of silk or damask, including Bisi ( 蔽膝 ) - a cape in the form of an apron.

General characteristics of Hanfu: cross collar (交領 ) and right lapel (右衽 , tucking clothes to the right). It was believed that on left side Only barbarians smell. The sleeves were wide (the average sleeve width was 240 centimeters). During work, the sleeves were tied with a special ribbon that crossed over the chest.

During the Zhou Dynasty, there was a strict hierarchical order, and clothing became an indicator of social status: people were differentiated by the width of their sleeves, skirt length and decoration.

The colors in the costume were also regulated by rank: the imperial family - yellow, warriors - white, red; young warriors - blue, dignitaries - brown.

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.The largest place in China was given to the image of a peach - a symbol of longevity, the hieroglyph of an orchid - a symbol of learning, and the peony flower - a symbol of wealth. Flowers also symbolized the seasons and could take place on seasonal clothing: wild plum - winter, peony - spring, lotus - summer, chrysanthemum - autumn.

Bright blue was considered a talisman against black magic and the evil eye.

The color green is associated with trees and the east - the birthplace of the young day.

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.

Ruqun ( 襦裙 ) - short jacket with a long skirt (above the chest). Looks like a dress for a woman, like a sundress with long sleeves and a cape-scarf or light robe.

There is a subtype of Zhutsun, both with and without a jacket, with additional fitting, and has many options:

Shangqun (衫裙 ) - long jacket with a skirt to the waist. The skirt can be either wide or narrow.

There are many options for an outer shirt:

In northern China, “qiu” fur coats 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.

A long shirt/robe-shirt with narrow sleeves is called "Pao" ( 袍 ). He painted very richly for the nobility. The light version might not have a collar.

In winter, the Chinese wore several robes at once or clothes with lining - "Jiapao" or a cotton robe "Mianpao".

Changshan (Chengsam) ( 長衫 ) - a wide dress based on pao, which completely hid the figure and left only the head, palms and toes of shoes visible. In 1636, an imperial decree was issued, according to which all Chinese women belonging to this class had to wear it. In 1644, the Manchus relaxed this requirement, but Changshan had already become popular. (You can see this dress in “Kill Bill” on Oren Ishii’s closest friend).

any story about Chinese costume, even from the twentieth century, would be worth starting with this artifact: longpao or “dragon robe” (“long” - dragon, “pao” - dress, robe, robe), since it was this robe that left the wardrobe forever along with the Xinhai Revolution. Longpao was worn only by the Emperor of the Celestial Empire...

Imperial vestments were always created strictly according to canons and norms; the attire of the emperors of the last, Manchu Qing dynasty was especially distinguished by its severity and complexity. firstly, the emperor’s attire expressed the regime and system of government of the dynasty. secondly, everything in it had the deepest meaning: color, style and embroidery, symbols. the main idea conveyed traditional Chinese beliefs about the unity of the three world principles: Heaven, Earth and Man (Emperor). thus the emperor, putting on his official ceremonial costume (for example, longpao) was included in the cosmological system and became the connecting Axis of the World between Heaven and Earth. this idea of ​​the center was emphasized by color: only the emperor could wear yellow clothes. as the last emperor Pu Yi recalled: “Every time I remember my childhood, a solid yellow fog emerges before my eyes: the glazed tiles on the roof are yellow, the palanquin is yellow, the mats on the chairs are yellow, the linings on clothes and hats, a sash, porcelain dishes, cotton covers for pots, wrappers for them , curtains, glass - everything is yellow. This so-called “brilliant yellow” color, which exists as personal property, has instilled in my soul a sense of my own exclusivity since childhood.”.

Longpao (late 19th century, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Oklahoma History Center)

The hem of such a dress was decorated with symbolic images of the world's waters. (deprived) and waves ( pingshui), in which floating jewelry symbolized good desires. in the center of the hem three-headed mountains were depicted ( boshan), symbolizing orientation to the cardinal points. the main element, which gave the name to the entire robe, was a dragon with five claws, soaring in the clouds - this symbol was depicted on the chest, on the back and on the shoulders, one dragon in front, while on the hem, both behind and in front, two were depicted facing each other friend of the dragon in profile. in this way 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.

The dragon became the symbol of the emperor according to legend, according to which he was the son of a woman and a dragon. in Chinese mythology, the dragon was the patron of the center, and therefore rightfully symbolized the institution of state power, the capital and the monarch himself. This idea was well conveyed by the Chinese proverb: " let an actor wear a longpao, he will not become an emperor"(xizi chuanshang longpao, chengbuliao huangdi). The custom of embroidering dragons on imperial clothing goes back to ancient times, during the reign of the Zhou dynasty (11th century - 256 BC).
The dragon is often depicted with a ball or pearl, symbolizing in Taoism and Buddhism the spiritual essence of the universe, a light and wisdom. hence one of the meanings of the hieroglyph “dragon” is an outstanding personality, a genius. possessing talent and wisdom.
In addition to dragons, other symbols were woven into the clouds: the sun, moon and stars (representing the light emanating from the throne), mountains (as a synonym for stability and strength of government), birds (expressing beauty and grace), river reeds (which represented purity and impeccability ), and fire (symbol of light).

In general, the attire of the Qing emperors was divided into several types:
* bodice(礼服, formal ceremonial clothing, which included longpao)
* chaofu(朝服, red formal dress)
* zifu(旗服, banner, festive clothing)
* changfu(常服, casual civilian clothing)
* bianfu(弁, casual, usually military clothing)
* synfu(travel clothing)
* Yufu(雨服, rain clothes).

Unlike longpao, festive attire zifu worn not only by the emperor, but also by members of the imperial family. on top zifu they wore a plain jacket, on which insignia were also sewn, precisely indicating the rank of the wearer (for example, prince of the first or second rank). Only the emperor could wear dragon images.

Jifu (late 19th century - early 20th century, Honolulu Academy of Arts)

in the Forbidden City, a whole department was engaged in the styles of imperial clothing oribou. sometimes the process took a very long time (about two years): first the artists painted gongbihua(traditional pictorial ornament) according to the theme put forward by the emperor, then the senior eunuch handed over the drawings to the emperor (or regent) for consideration, sometimes the style was directly developed by the Department of the Court. In the end, the production of the imperial robe was carried out by three textile departments located in different cities: Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou. As for money, there were no restrictions, and each such outfit sometimes cost a fortune. as Pu Yi recalled: “For the empress and concubines, certain allocations were made for clothes, but the emperor had no restrictions. They sewed clothes all year round, but I didn’t know what they sewed. In any case, I always put on something new. I have it at hand There is an invoice on which it is written: “The cost of material for outerwear sewn in the period from the 6th day of the tenth month to the 5th day of the eleventh month” The year on the invoice is not indicated. According to the records, eleven robes were sewn for me in this month. fur, six dress robes, two fur vests and thirty pairs warm jackets and trousers."

The emperor changed clothes more than once during the day, but these changes were carried out according to a certain routine. The emperor changed his ordinary robe twenty-eight times. there was a department for storing clothes shangyijian, where the emperor's clothes were kept, as well as a special department that was responsible for managing the emperor's daily wardrobe. In addition, there were many eunuchs in the palaces who helped the emperor change clothes.

Longpao (reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1799), Qing Dynasty).

Longpao (reign of Emperor Yongzheng (1723-1735), Qing Dynasty).

Ancient Chinese civilization arose at the turn of the 2nd-3rd millennia BC. in the Yellow River basin. It existed until 220 AD. when the Han Empire collapsed. Until the second half of the 1st century. BC. China developed in isolation from other countries. China consisted of city-states, among which the most significant was the city of Shang.
The ancient Chinese wore several clothes, since the climate in the north was harsh, and in the south there were alternating extremes of heat and cold.
Two thousand years BC, the Chinese knew how to make colored silk fabric, thin fabrics from hemp and cotton.

Men's suit

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” - “pants cover”. The Chinese were saved from the cold by quilted trousers with cotton wool and cotton wool leggings worn on top.
The outer shoulder clothing (“i”) were swinging double-breasted or single-breasted robes and sweaters. Outerwear was wrapped around right side and tied up. It was believed that only barbarians covered the left side. The sleeves were wide (the average sleeve width was 240 centimeters). During work, the sleeves were tied with a special ribbon that crossed over 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 over them. 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. In ancient times, the belt was the most important attribute of a 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 were added decorative jade pendants - “peiyu”.
A costume consisting of upper shoulder clothing (“i”) and upper waist clothing (“shan”) was called “ishan.” In front of the ishan, a red, richly decorated apron was worn, necessary for sacrifices.
The shape, color, and ornament of the ancient Chinese costume were symbolic. Its upper part (“i”), red and black, was considered masculine (symbol of Father Sky), the lower part (“shan”), yellow, was considered feminine (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.

Woman suit

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 Chinese 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 ones 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, elegant pavilions, scenes illustrating famous literary works.

On a man: a lower robe with slits and an upper robe with embroidery, a belt with fringe

On the woman: embroidered underwear and silk outer jacket

On a woman: a silk outer robe with a false collar

On the man: a double robe with an embroidered collar and biji insignia

Hairstyles and hats

The ancient Chinese did not cut their hair, but gathered it into a tight knot - “zi” - and laid it on the crown of the head, securing it with a hairpin. Above the forehead, at the temples and at the back of the head, the hair was carefully smoothed. After the Manchus conquered China, all Chinese men were forced to shave the front of their heads and braid the rest of their hair at the back of their heads. This hairstyle became a kind of symbol of the oppression of the Chinese people, so the participants in the uprisings cut off their braids.
The headdresses of Chinese men were varied. Etiquette required that the head be covered at all times.
Underage boys wore small metal caps. For noble young men, these caps could be gold, decorated with precious stones. Upon reaching adulthood (twenty years), the ritual of putting on a hat - “guanli” - was carried out.
The Chinese emperor wore a headdress called "mian". It could also be worn by other noble persons during sacred rituals. The design of the mian was very complex, and all its details had symbolic meaning.
At the heart of everything women's hairstyles there was a knot. The hairstyles were complex, but light and graceful. They were styled with 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 for women's hairstyles, without bangs, with long straight strands descending from the temples, with paired jewelry attached.
Noble ladies wore wigs.
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.
Chinese women did not wear headdresses. Only at weddings and on the most solemn occasions did they wear a complex headdress - “fengguan”.

Traditional Chinese clothing is quite comfortable and elegant

Original culture of the mysterious East and centuries-old traditions European countries always attracted to each other, like two opposite poles. Designers invariably use oriental motifs in creating fashion collections. One of the most striking representatives of the East with a unique history is China. Clothing, like many other things, is a kind of emblem of the great Chinese state. Undoubtedly, National Costume The Celestial Empire is real bright holiday, which invariably attracts everyone to become a participant, trying on an unusual and conceptual Chinese style.

A little history

The history of Chinese clothing dates back to the beginning of Chinese civilization. Every historical milestone in China is marked by the glorious reign of dynasties that left an indelible mark on the history of the great state. The dominance of one or another dynasty had an impact not only on the political system, traditions and culture of the Celestial Empire. Even in the national costume of the people of China, some changes were introduced in the form of the prevailing colors and decorative features.

At all times, Chinese costume was luxurious and bright, distinguished by an abundance of rich decor. But during the reign of one or another imperial family, the outfit had some differences.

One of the traditional men's clothing in China

For example, during the reign of the Qin and Han dynasties, clothing was characterized by excessive conservatism.

Historical fact: It was during the reign of the Han Dynasty that the traditional Chinese outfit Hanfu was born as the traditional costume of the imperial family. Among the people, he dressed for all formal and holiday events. During the Tang Dynasty, luxury was encouraged in costume.

Women's clothing from the Tang Dynasty

Representatives of the Ming and Song dynasties were lovers of sophisticated, elegant and graceful clothing.

Women's outfit from the Ming Dynasty

During the Qin Dynasty, the style of clothing was somewhat fancy and intricate.

After the end of the Chinese monarchy in the 30s of the twentieth century, the style of clothing also underwent some changes. But one thing is always the same: Chinese clothes are always bright, original, at the same time bold and modest.

Modern Chinese attire is more restrained, but still elegant

Features of the Chinese costume

Like any national costume, Chinese attire has its own distinctive features, which form their own special and unique style:

• Using predominantly natural fabrics with a smooth and shiny texture.
• Lack of overload with details (pockets, draperies, many buttons).
• Bright and rich shades.
• An abundance of fancy handmade prints.
• Both men's and women's suits have contrasting trim.

Traditional Chinese attire may be worth big money, however, this costume looks very original

A distinctive feature of Chinese clothing is the stand-up collar. This element stands out for men's shirts, women's blouses and dresses. Chinese style outfits are always appropriate. Such clothes will not go unnoticed both in everyday life and at an elegant social event or youth party.

Traditional Chinese clothing is a great opportunity to stand out from the crowd

Men's clothing

The traditional costume of a resident of the Middle Kingdom consisted of trousers, called “ku,” and a shirt. At the same time, men's trousers were traditionally hidden under long clothes, since it was considered bad manners to show them ostentatiously.

The cut of these trousers was wide, slightly baggy, and tied with a sash. They were considered “underwear” and were made from simple hemp and cotton fabric. Separately, men's leggings were worn, which were attached to the belt with ribbons. They were called “taoku”, which translated meant “pants cover”. In the cold season, Chinese men wore quilted trousers and insulated on top with thick taoku on cotton wool. The colors of these trousers were dull, pastel. By the way, men's Chinese trousers are always worn at the waist.

Traditional Chinese martial arts pants

Men's shirts

Stylish shirts in the style of mysterious China do not lose their popularity not only in their homeland, but also among European men. What is the phenomenon of such active demand? The answer lies in the simultaneous severity of cut and originality. In addition, since the time of the Great Empire, tailoring men's shirts and any other clothing is necessarily regulated at the state level. This is why Chinese clothing is always of high quality; among the materials you can rarely find synthetics, most often these are natural fabrics. The cut of the shirt is simple, but this is where the originality of the model lies. Typically, summer shirts that highlight the Chinese style are single-breasted and short. Men wear them untucked.

The traditional shirt in China is called "tangzhuang", like the costume of the Tang people. This is because the idea of ​​such a shirt was born precisely during the reign of great dynasty Tan. A long caftan or robe was usually worn over the shirts.

Another way to wear a traditional Chinese shirt

Such shirts are sewn according to the prototype of the clothing of brave Chinese officers and have three features:

Today color scheme Chinese style shirts can be anything. Most often, preference is given to monochromatic and calm shades. In ancient times, such shirts were bright, the red color of masculinity and courage prevailed, and the clothes were manually decorated with embroidery with golden dragons. Today, such a shirt can represent both a casual style and a strict business style.

Traditional Chinese business style shirt

Women's clothing

Chinese style in women's clothing is always new and interesting. That is why designers use Chinese motifs to create unusual and original collections, imbued with the spirit of the East.

Traditional Chinese dresses are always elegant and look very original.

Traditionally, Chinese attire among women had a certain classification. Depending on belonging to a particular class, the costume was made from various fabrics. Thus, middle-income women of the empire sewed everyday clothes from cotton or hemp fabric. If a woman belonged to a noble family or aristocracy, then the outfit was made of natural silk with rich decoration in the form of gold embroidery or inlay with precious stones and pearls.

Dresses of noble people cost a lot of money, so they were simply inaccessible to other women

By the way, men’s shirts, trousers and dressing gowns were also sewn based on the class principle. Women's clothing in the style of the Celestial Empire today has the following features:

• Dresses, jackets, trousers and skirts have a tapered cut and slits on the sides;
• Blouses and jackets are decorated with a clasp in the form air loops. This zest of Chinese costume is also typical for men's shirts and jackets.
• Casual women's clothing has simple and clear shapes, making every outfit sophisticated and elegant. The only exception to the rule is the national Chinese Wedding Dress.

Chinese national dress is not as universal as the traditional clothing of other peoples of the world. China promotes miniature and elegance, so it is primarily suitable for fragile representatives of the fair sex. But modern designers, taking the idea of ​​Chinese costume as a basis, make some adjustments, creating truly universal models.

With a little creativity, a traditional dress becomes comfortable everyday wear

Dress

National. It is characterized by a strict cut and a closed collar. This outfit is a skillful combination of chastity and attractive seductiveness, because the tight cut and slits on the sides emphasize all the charm and elegance female figure. Even Hollywood stars do not ignore this truly Chinese style today, demonstrating it in evening dresses at special events and red carpets.

The now popular qipao outfit was born in the Chinese province of Manchuria. Initially, the dress was a long, wide-cut robe, with long sleeves and slits on the sides for ease of walking. The first qipao were not elegant or sophisticated, but rather resembled a robe. The modern qipao outfit was born as a result of a design experiment, when artists decided to bring the original Chinese fashion as close as possible to European fashion. So, as a result of evolution, the qipao has been transformed; the cut resembles a sheath dress. The only constant details were the characteristic Chinese stand-up collar and side slits. Today, the national clothing of China positions the qipao dress in exactly this form.

Designers continue to experiment, creating new variations of qipao
The combination of styles allows you to create more and more variations of traditional clothing

The qipao can be mini, midi or maxi, and can be worn as a shirt or tunic under tight trousers. This outfit is ideal as casual wear, and for publication. In order for the dress to fit exactly to your figure, and this is precisely the idea of ​​the qipao, you need to pay attention to the fabric of the design. Most often, dense natural silk is used as the basis, then the dress does not lose its shape and does not stretch when worn.

Qipao - very elegant dress, so you can always find a model for a special event

Wedding outfit

A Chinese wedding dress is an incredibly elegant and delicate outfit. By the way, the traditional color of the bride in the Middle Kingdom is bright red. Usually such a red dress is embroidered with gold. It is believed that the combination of red and gold brings good luck in family life and wealth. According to the traditions of Northern China, the wedding dress has a tight-fitting style and a closed stand-up collar. According to the traditions of the southern Chinese provinces, a wedding dress consists of numerous skirts, which are worn one on top of the other, as well as a fitted jacket.

The groom's suit in China usually consists of a plain shirt, jacket and trousers. A mandatory element is a stand-up collar. In ancient times, the groom's outfit was also red and richly decorated with embroidery. Golden birds were used as patterns for the wedding attire of the bride and groom - a symbol happy marriage, flowers - happiness and good luck for the newlyweds. Today this is a more familiar European version of the costume, but with Chinese elements.

Variants of Chinese groom's suits

Skirts

The traditional national skirt is called plakhta. In ancient times, it was an element of the wardrobe of a woman from the middle or upper class. Poor women could not wear a plaid skirt. Later, from everyday wear, such a skirt moved into the category of a formal costume, which a woman wore only on special occasions. By the way, in Ancient China, as a detail of the wardrobe of valiant warriors, there were also men’s plakhtas, which were called “shang”. Both men's and women's blankets were made from two rectangular pieces of fabric, which were sewn to a wide belt. Both women's and men's scaffolds looked like an apron with two smooth and dense panels, made in yellow-red color scheme, symbolized the Earth and fertility, therefore they were decorated with embroidery in the form of an ornament made of grains.

Nowadays, you are unlikely to meet a girl in such an outfit on the street.

Jackets

A traditional detail of a Chinese costume is a jacket or mandarin jacket. This wardrobe item is loved today by both business men and women for its expressive Chinese notes and original style.

A modern jacket with elements of traditional Chinese looks original.

It is distinguished by a strict cut, a stand-up collar, and a frequent row of buttons. Instead of a clasp, inherent Chinese style air loops. Man's jacket or the jacket is most often devoid of pockets and other details that overload it. Under it you can wear both a classic shirt and a model in the Chinese style. A woman's mandarin jacket usually has wide sleeves and a loose straight cut. The collar is in the form of a small stand-up or is completely absent. The fasteners are usually located asymmetrically along the jacket. The jacket is made from light fabric, but always with a lining to maintain its unusual shape. A jacket in Chinese style will always emphasize oriental femininity and elegance.

Nowadays there are many different variations of the traditional Chinese jacket on the market.

Hats

According to the rules of Chinese etiquette, which developed in ancient times, men were always required to cover their heads. The Chinese are a people with imagination. Therefore, a great variety of hats were invented for different occasions, for of different ages and social status. Richly decorated men's caps were intended for young men - heirs of a noble aristocratic family. Upon reaching adulthood in China, a young man at the age of 20 underwent a whole ritual of putting on the guanli headdress.

In the old days, hats were decorated very richly

The emperor had a hat with a complex multi-tiered design, which was called “mian”. Its entire design was symbolic, every, even the smallest detail, personified something. Men's cone-shaped hats, which were woven from reed, rice straw or reeds, were intended for commoners and working inhabitants of the Celestial Empire.

Peasants in traditional hats

In the cold season, felt caps were worn. Women in China do not have a tradition of wearing hats. Only at weddings or on other exceptionally solemn occasions did women wear fengguan, which was complex in shape and design, which means “phoenix hat.” Fengguan was shaped like a fantasy crown, richly inlaid with gold and precious stones. Instead of a headdress, rich representatives of the fair sex wore wigs, which were made from silk threads, ribbons, wool and even sea grass.

Festive women's headdress

Fabrics and patterns

China is rightfully considered the birthplace of silk. The ancient Chinese believed that silk was not only incredibly beautiful material. There is still an opinion that by rubbing fabric against skin, a person can be cured of many diseases. Therefore, the fame of such a valuable and extraordinary material quickly spread throughout the world. Silk became the main fabric used in the national clothing of the Celestial Empire. In addition to silk, Chinese craftswomen used cotton fabric, hemp, linen and even bamboo fibers.

Chinese silk amazes with its variety of patterns and colors

As in any national culture, in China since ancient times there has been symbolism, which was embodied in the patterns and ornaments with which national clothes were decorated. A.

The ancient Chinese believed that each design applied to clothing could protect envious people from evil thoughts or impart certain traits. For example, bamboo personified wisdom and perseverance, a snake - wisdom, a turtle - longevity, and a butterfly - immortality. The lotus flower was an ancient sacred symbol, the source of Life, and the famous Chinese dragon symbolized a good beginning, as well as imperial power.

Color palette

The color scheme in the Celestial Empire has always played an important role. Like the patterns, the colors were also chosen symbolically:

• Red is the supreme color of China, a symbol of Fire and Sun, but always in a positive way. Red clothes were traditionally worn for holidays. It symbolized a joyful mood.
  Traditional Chinese festive attire
• Yellow is a symbol of the center of the world, that is, China itself. In addition, yellow is the color of imperial power, fertility and ripening grain. Elegant green Chinese outfit

During the reign of various powerful dynasties, the main colors in China were the most different shades, based on the main philosophical thoughts and beliefs. Thus, the color of the Zhou Dynasty was red, as a symbol of mighty fire, which is higher than gold. But during the Qin Dynasty, blue prevailed, as a symbol of water that could extinguish fire.

The color and quality of the fabric were the only thing that visually showed social status and human status in China. The rich inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom chose bright and rich shades, the poor - simpler and dull ones.

A commoner would never allow himself such luxurious clothes

The Tang Dynasty is the most famous in the world due to the splendor and prosperity of China during its reign. It was an era of luxury, femininity, grace and admiration for Her Majesty Beauty. The colors of clothing during that period resembled sparkling gems: purple, turquoise, blue, crimson, green.

Luxurious women's outfit of the Tang Dynasty

Traditional Chinese clothing is an extraordinary combination of conservatism, minimalism, luxury and elegant sophistication. In addition, it is comfortable and practical, which is one of the determining factors when choosing a style. By wearing clothes in the style of the Celestial Empire, we not only pay tribute to modern fashion and emphasize the original oriental style. Such a stylized Chinese costume is always expressive and will not go unnoticed by true connoisseurs of fine taste.