As times change, so does fashion. For millennia, silk weaving has been a large part of Chinese culture. According to archaeologists, the oldest silk cloth was found in China and dated back to 3630 BCE, around the same time the wheel was being invented in Mesopotamia. Silk was the material used by the higher class, while linen and hemp were cheaper and easier alternatives.
These three materials were used in many ancient Chinese outfits throughout the years. Here are three of the most famous traditional Chinese clothes:
Pien-Fu (弁服 – biànfú)
The Pien-Fu was first worn as ceremonial attire during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). It consists of a knee-length tunic over an ankle-length skirt or pants. The 弁 (biàn) was a cylindrical ceremonial cap that completed the outfit.
Chang Pao (长袍 – cháng páo)
When the Manchu took control of China in the mid-17th century, their style of clothing was highly encouraged by the Chinese. One type of clothing, called the Chang Pao, consisted of a robe that reached the ankle. The long, horseshoe-shaped sleeves could be rolled up when working or left down to show respect to one’s superiors. Because the Manchus were typically horseback riders, there were four cuts in the fabric that allowed for easy movement: left, right, front, and back. Over time, these cuts would eventually change to two before disappearing, but the original four-slit style would continue to be worn by high-ranking officials of the Qing Dynasty.
By the 20th century, the Chang Pao had evolved into the qipao (旗袍 – qípáo), which is still widely worn by women today.
Shenyi (深衣 – shēn yī)
The Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771-256 B.C.E.) invented the Shenyi for people of all genders, profession, and social class. It has typically been described as a combination of the Pien-fu and the Chang Pao, since a tunic is sewn into a skirt or trousers to create a one-piece outfit.
These three styles of clothes were all loose fitting and had wide sleeves. Because the designs were so simplistic, outfits were customized with embroidery, sashes, headdresses, cloth, and colors. These customizations could mean several things. For example, the Chinese assigned colors for each season: green for spring, red for summer, white for autumn, and black to represent winter. Beginning in the 17th century, only the emperor was allowed to wear yellow because it was a sign of wealth and power.
Today, traditional Chinese clothes are usually only worn for formal occasions, festivals, historical reenactments, or ceremonies.
Sources:
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Pien-Fu
http://en.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/28/content_69982.htm
https://chinesefashion.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/ancient-chinese-fashion/
https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/national-traditions/chinese-tradition2.htm
http://www.historyofclothing.com/clothing-history/hanfu/
https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/national-traditions/chinese-tradition2.htm
https://ministryofhemp.com/hemp/history/
This article was very fascinating. It provided lots of information on Chinese clothing. I really liked it because it not only explained traditional Chinese clothing, but it also showed how they looked like. It surprised me how long ago these clothes dated back to. I also learned that silk was worn by people of upper class.
It’s interesting silk cloth has existed for Wow, the Chang Pao reached the ankle. I learned that it has four openings. The Shenyi looks so elegant. I never knew the history behind the clothing.
Coming into this article I never knew what traditional Chinese dresses looked like. The types of clothing I have seen are just red vests and red clothing, but this is different. Yet, I am glad to hear that people had kept their traditions from 771-226 B.C. It was also interesting to note that these silk dresses were only worn by the wealthy.
Since traditional Chinese clothing is generalized in American media, I liked seeing the traditional clothing according to time period. the evolution over the years is fascinating. I also like seeing how the time period affected what was popular. In addition, I learned how different parts of the outfits were functional in different ways. The meanings for these types of clothing also really fun to read about.
After reading I am shocked how many styles of robes there have been. One thing that I found interesting was when you roll your sleeves down it shows respects to ones who are superior to you. Having different colors for the seasons is very smart. Red for summer, white for autumn, and black to represent winter. I really liked how this article told us so much about how they looked, who wore them, and what the color symbolized.
This was article was great and gave a lot of information about Chinese culture and its clothes. Your descriptions of the clothing were nice and the pictures of the clothing were even better. My favorite fact on this page was that “the oldest silk cloth was found in China and dated back to 3630 BCE”. That is an extremely long time ago and it really makes me rethink my understanding of Chinese culture. Although I’m not into clothing and fashion, I found this article very interesting. Thanks for writing the article and keep up the good work!
Amazing article! It was amazing to learn about these three types of traditional Chinese clothing, as I was only familiar with a 旗袍. I was shocked to read that silk had such a long history that interconnected many different cultures and people. Additionally, it was interesting to see that dynasties and time periods had various clothing styles that changed throughout the years. The specific colors that are worn by an individual are based on social status and the environment – a fascinating way to both display class and celebrate the changing of the seasons.
This was an amazing article! I didn’t know that 旗袍 originated from 长袍. It is interesting how something that was worn everyday has transformed into a dress that women wear on special occasions. I also learned that these traditional Chinese clothing were loose fitting and had wide sleeves. Sometimes, the clothing were cut in certain areas to allow for easy movement.
This article was amazing. I extremely enjoy learning about the evolving Chinese culture. From reading this article and the article about evolving beauty standards, I have learned a lot about how Chinese trends alter over time. I wasn’t aware that some silk was dated back to 3630 BCE and had it’s own history- that’s so interesting! Today, fashion designers in China mix traditional Chinese clothing with some modern ideas to create new styles. It is very interesting that the Chinese culture has its own dress unlike other cultures that don’t have a specific attire.
Great job, Joanne; I find it so interesting that something as simple as an article of clothing could denote so much about a person, including their wealth, status, and even what dynasty they were living in. However, these clothes also reveal how unequal ancient Chinese cultures were, with only the emperor allowing to wear a yellow Shenyi and with silk clothing being accessible only to the upper ranks of society. The piece of clothing that I found to be the most interesting was the Changpao because there were so many different ways to wear the sleeves depending on the situation. Also, the idea of how it changed from a four-slit piece of clothing to the modern-day Qipao truly shows how fashion fads can change. I also like how ancient Chinese fashion has not been forgotten and is still worn by Chinese today for special occasions. Great article, Joanne, keep up the great work!
This is a great article! I never really got to see what the traditional clothing really looks like! I love how they love to include many bright and vibrant colors. The design isn’t anything like any other dresses in other cultures. It has long sleeves, and clothing wraps around the body. One day I would like to try one just for fun! LOL
Joanne, this article is incredible! A small part of my childhood consisted of watching the same Chinese shows as my parents, and I recognize these tunics and dresses. It was fascinating to learn more about them. I never knew that the oldest silk cloth was found in China. I also learned that the Chinese classified certain colors with specific seasons. Yellow symbolized fortune and power, so the color was strictly for emperors. I would love to read more on this subject.
I really enjoyed reading this article. I learned a lot about traditional attire after reading this. As a kid I would sometimes dress up in traditional Chinese clothing for weddings and Chinese new year. I never knew about the history of the clothes till now. My favorite outfit out of the three is the Pien-fu because it looks really cool to me.
I really enjoyed reading this article. I learned a lot about traditional attire after reading this. As a kid I would sometimes dress up in traditional Chinese clothing for weddings and Chinese new year. I never knew about the history of the clothes till now. My favorite outfit out of the three is the Pien-fu because it looks really cool to me.
这篇文章所提到的传统服饰都是非常传统的了。中国的经典的服饰远不止此，比如说汉服和旗袍。这两种服饰是比较经典的了。我很喜欢。
Wow, I’ve see these traditional clothing all the time but I never knew what they were called. I think I had to wear the pien fu before for chinese new year. I didn’t know the Chang Pao evolved into the qipao, a little fun fact that caught my eye. Fashion really changed in China, it used to all look like dresses back then. Nice article, very interesting!