Chinese Fashion is a fascinating topic to learn about and discover. The most accurate way to fully discuss Chinese Fashion is to divide the fashion up into various time periods beginning with the oldest period, the period known as Dynastic China During this period, clothes were (and still are) known as hanfu and varied widely depending on the wearer’s social status and age. Common men, for example, were relegated to wearing plain black shoes, usually made of cotton, while men of higher social statuses wore brightly colored shoes carefully crafted of silk and/or leather. Women from all sorts of statuses had bound feet, since smaller feet were deemed attractive in China, and Lotus shoes.
The Qing Dynasty period, which lasted from 1644 all the way to 1911 brought about a big change in the Chinese Fashion world. All officials, noblemen, and other high ranking members of society began to be required to wear Manchu clothing styles. Later, commoners would copy the style for themselves in order to imitate the rich and powerful people they admired. Many men and women wore clothes from the Chinese Fashion known as Tangzhuang. Various types of head wear were also commonly worn during this period.
Chinese Fashion changed once more with the onset of the Republican Era, which began when imperial China was abolished in the year 1912. Men stopped wearing their free flowing robes and began to wear tidy jackets and pants sets, known as a Zhongshan suit. Women’s dresses grew tighter and longer to create the Cheongsam known today. A few years later, the Mao suit also became popular, and foot binding slowly went out of fashion. These Chinese Fashion styles were prevalent until about 1964, when communist leadership became more strict about what was and what was not allowed. For many years, Chinese citizens could not wear any clothes that conveyed the appearance of wealth.
Fortunately, however, Chinese Fashion changed once more in 1980. As communist leaders began to relax about clothes, the Chinese people found the freedom to develop their own individual styles and fashions. For many urban Chinese people, expensive brand names are an absolute must have. Western style clothing, formal wear, and for the children, clothes with colorful cartoon characters are all extremely popular today. Rural Chinese Fashion hasn’t changed quite has much, though jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes, and a few other modern items have been introduced.
For people in America who are interested in copying a few classic Chinese styles, it’s important to first determine which period of fashion the person wishes to imitate. Then, with a little research and a lot of imagination, it’s quite easy to dress to match that period and to celebrate the beauty of amazing Chinese clothing, both traditional and modern.