Chinese Fashion Through the Dynasties Part 2

Off the Great Wall

2 Sept 201408:12

Summary

TLDRIn 'Off the Great Wall', hosts Mikey and Danny continue their exploration of ancient Chinese fashion, starting from the conservative Song Dynasty with its simple attire to the Mongol-influenced Yuan Dynasty's practical yet stylish clothing. They highlight the Ming Dynasty's elaborate fashion system with distinct styles for different social classes and the Qing Dynasty's Manchu-inspired fashion, including the iconic queue hairstyle and the unique 'flower pot' shoes. The video humorously contrasts historical fashion with modern sensibilities, engaging viewers with its light-hearted approach.

Takeaways

👕 The Song Dynasty favored conservative moral values with simplicity in clothing, contrasting the opulence of the Tang Dynasty.
👉 Men in the Song Dynasty wore plain robes and shirts, often with silk head coverings.
👚 Women's fashion in the Song Dynasty included the 'bades' style, featuring a knee-length jacket and the popular grand sleeves for high social status.
🌷 The Tulip skirt from the Song Dynasty was unique for retaining the fragrance of tulip grass.
🏹 The Mongols' invasion led to the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, introducing new fashion elements like the 'TR and dresses'.
🐎 The 'P War panu' was a practical Mongol garment, a double-sided leather coat without collar or sleeves, ideal for horseback riding.
👘 Ming Dynasty fashion was heavily influenced by previous dynasties, taking over 20 years to develop a comprehensive clothing system.
🐉 The Ming Dynasty had strict fashion rules, with different embroidery patterns for civil and military officials, and the emperor wearing dragon motifs.
👗 Common women in the Ming Dynasty wore plain gowns, coats, shawls, and short tops, usually with a skirt.
👠 The Qing Dynasty, though not Han Chinese, introduced the 'Chopine' shoes with a raised center to make women appear taller and slender.
👲 The Qing Dynasty is known for the Manchu queue hairstyle for men, and the 'Chopine' shoes were a unique footwear innovation.

Q & A

What was the fashion style like during the Song Dynasty?
-During the Song Dynasty, fashion was characterized by conservative moral values with simplicity over opulence. Men wore plain robes and shirts with straight or diagonal colors, and simple silk head coverings. Women often wore the 'bades' style, which included a knee-length outer jacket with a straight collar, wide or narrow sleeves, and slits over long undergarments.
What types of skirts were popular in the Song Dynasty?
-The Song Dynasty inherited skirts from the Tang Dynasty and they came in many styles. The 'Tulip skirt' was dyed with tulip grass, retaining the flowers' fragrance, and the '100 pleated skirt' had pleats all over with tiny folds between them.
How did the Mongols influence Chinese fashion when they established the Yuan Dynasty?
-The Mongols brought a great fashion sense to China with the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty. They introduced clothing like 'jiu' and 'pannu', which combined hunt and Mongol culture and were popular across all social classes. They also favored horse-related attire, such as the 'war pannu', a double-sided leather coat without collar or sleeves, allowing for ease of movement on horseback.
What were some of the distinctive fashion rules in the Ming Dynasty?
-In the Ming Dynasty, an elaborate clothing system was developed that outlined styles for formal and daily wear across different social classes. Officials wore robes and gowns with circle colors, wide sleeves, black edges, and a black ribbon hanging belt. The gowns had square embroidery on the front and back with patterns that varied by social class, such as birds for civil officials, mammals for military officials, and dragons for the emperor.
What types of accessories were popular for men in the Ming Dynasty?
-Men in the Ming Dynasty had several dozen styles of headdresses to choose from, making accessories an important part of their attire.
How did the fashion for women in the Ming Dynasty Court differ from that of common women?
-Women of the Ming Dynasty Court wore big sleeves, short tops decorated with crowns, and long shawls with phoenix and flower decorations, as well as gold or jade hangings. In contrast, common women wore plain gowns, coats, shawls, and short tops, usually with a skirt and a 'patty' robe.
What was distinctive about the fashion of the Qing Dynasty, particularly for men?
-The Qing Dynasty, which was established by the Manchurians, is probably most recognizable for the men's hairstyle where they shaved the front part of the head and wore a ponytail at the back. They also adopted Manchu-style clothing characterized by a rectangular waistless silhouette, short narrow sleeves, saddle-shaped collars, plate buttons, and ordered designs.
What is the origin of the traditional garment known as the 'Qipao' or 'Cheongsam'?
-The 'Qipao' or 'Cheongsam' is actually a Manchu invention from the Qing Dynasty. It was adopted by the Han Chinese and became one of the most well-known traditional garments. The name 'Qipao' comes from the Manchu people, also known as the Banner people, as the Manchu rulers organized their people into banners.
What were the 'flower pot shoes' or 'horse hoof shoes' worn by Manchu women like?
-The Manchu women were known for wearing 'flower pot shoes' or 'horse hoof shoes', which had a 4-inch high raised platform not at the heel but at the center of the shoes. These shoes made the women look taller and more slender but were challenging to run in.
How did the practice of foot binding relate to the fashion of the Qing Dynasty?
-Foot binding was a common practice during the Qing Dynasty, where women's feet were bound to achieve a small 'lotus foot' that fit into a shoe resembling a child's size. This practice was painful and led to lifelong disabilities, contrasting with the more comfortable 'flower pot shoes' that were also worn during the same period.

Outlines

00:00

👘 Fashion of the Song Dynasty

The video segment discusses the fashion during the Song Dynasty, emphasizing conservative moral values and simplicity. Men wore plain robes and shirts with straight or diagonal colors, along with silk head coverings. Women favored the 'bades' style, which included a knee-length outer jacket with a straight collar and wide or narrow sleeves. Grand sleeves were also popular among those with high social status. The Song Dynasty continued the skirt styles from the Tang Dynasty, such as the tulip skirt and the 100-pleated skirt. The Mongols' invasion led to the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, which introduced new clothing styles like the 'TR and dresses' and the 'P War panu' leather coat. Despite being an invasion, the Mongols contributed positively to Chinese fashion.

05:02

👑 Ming and Qing Dynasties' Fashion

This part of the script covers the Ming Dynasty's elaborate clothing system that took over 20 years to develop, with strict rules for formal and daily wear across different social classes. Officials wore robes and gowns with specific colors and embroidery, while common men wore plain long gowns. Accessories like headdresses were also important. Court ladies wore big-sleeved tops with crowns and long shawls decorated with phoenix and flower motifs. The Qing Dynasty, dominated by the Manchurians, saw the adoption of Manchu-style clothing, including the famous 'Chow' and the unique 'flower pot' shoes. The script also touches on the practice of foot binding, which was prevalent during this period, and contrasts it with the more comfortable Manchu shoes.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Fashion Week

Fashion Week is a series of events where fashion designers, brands, or individual retailers showcase their new collections in runway shows to buyers and the media. In the context of the video, it's the theme around which the hosts discuss the evolution of fashion through ancient Chinese dynasties, starting with the Tong Dynasty and moving forward.

💡Tong Dynasty

The Tong Dynasty, also known as the Song Dynasty, is a historical Chinese dynasty that lasted from 960 to 1279. In the video, it's noted for its opulent fashion, contrasting with the conservative styles of the S Dynasty that followed. The Tong Dynasty's fashion was characterized by flamboyance and a preference for elaborate clothing.

💡S Dynasty

The S Dynasty, also known as the Southern Song Dynasty, was a period of conservative moral values where simplicity was favored over opulence. The video describes men wearing plain robes and women favoring the 'bades' style, which included a knee-length outer jacket. This keyword is central to understanding the shift in fashion philosophy from the previous dynasty.

💡Mongols

The Mongols were a nomadic group from Central Asia who established the Yuan Dynasty in China. The video mentions that despite being invaders, they brought with them a unique fashion sense that influenced Chinese fashion. The Mongols' contribution to fashion included the 'TR and dresses' and the 'P War panu' coat, which were practical for horseback riding and hunting.

💡Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty was established by the Mongols in China and lasted from 1271 to 1368. Although their clothing styles were ethnic and not traditional Chinese, they are still considered part of Chinese fashion history, as mentioned in the video. This period introduced new clothing items like the 'TR and dresses' and 'P War panu'.

💡Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that lasted from 1368 to 1644. The video highlights the Ming Dynasty's elaborate clothing system, which took over 20 years to develop and included styles for formal and daily wear across different social classes. This keyword is significant as it represents a period where fashion rules were strictly observed.

💡Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty, also known as the Ching Dynasty, was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. The video discusses the Qing Dynasty's fashion, which included the distinctive hairstyle for men and the adoption of Manchu-style clothing. This period is notable for the introduction of the 'Chow', a garment that became a symbol of traditional Chinese attire.

💡Chow

The Chow, also known as the Qipao or Cheongsam, is a body-hugging one-piece dress for women. Originating from the Manchu people, it became widely recognized as a traditional Chinese garment during the Qing Dynasty. The video emphasizes the Chow as a favorite outfit, highlighting its beauty and the fact that it was an innovation of the Manchu people.

💡Foot Binding

Foot binding was a practice in which young girls' feet were tightly bound to limit growth, resulting in tiny 'lotus feet'. The video briefly touches on this gruesome practice, mentioning that it was common during the Qing Dynasty. This keyword is significant as it provides a darker side to the discussion of fashion and beauty standards in ancient China.

💡Fashion Philosophy

Fashion philosophy refers to the underlying principles or ideas that guide the creation and wearing of clothing. The video discusses how different dynasties had distinct fashion philosophies, from the opulence of the Tong Dynasty to the simplicity of the S Dynasty, and the practicality introduced by the Mongols. This keyword is central to understanding the evolution of fashion throughout Chinese history.

Highlights

Introduction to the continuation of the ancient Chinese dynasties fashion series.

Transition from the opulent Tong Dynasty to the conservative S Dynasty emphasizing simplicity.

Men's fashion in the S Dynasty featured plain robes and silk head coverings.

Women's fashion in the S Dynasty included the 'bades' style with knee-length outer jackets.

Inheritance of Tong Dynasty skirt styles in the Song Dynasty with the addition of new styles like the Tulip skirt.

Mongols' invasion of China and their significant influence on Chinese fashion.

The establishment of the Yen Dynasty and the incorporation of Mongol fashion into Chinese history.

Popularity of TR and dresses during the Yen Dynasty, combining hunt and Mongol culture.

The P War panu, a double-sided leather coat, became a popular attire for horseback riding and hunting.

Ming Dynasty's elaborate clothing system took over 20 years to develop, reflecting styles from previous dynasties.

Ming Dynasty officials wore robes and gowns with specific embroidery indicating their rank.

The emperor's robe featured the dragon embroidery, a symbol of imperial power.

Common men in the Ming Dynasty wore plain long gowns without the elaborate embroidery seen in higher classes.

Court ladies in the Ming Dynasty wore big sleeves and long Shaws with Phoenix and flower decorations.

Chin Dynasty fashion, though not part of traditional Chinese clothing, is included due to its historical significance.

The Chin Dynasty is known for the Manchu queue hairstyle and the adoption of Manchu style clothing.

The Chow, a traditional garment, was actually a Manchu invention and became widely popular.

Manchurian ladies were known for their unique 'flower pot' shoes with raised soles at the center.

Discussion on the practice of foot binding during the Chin Dynasty and its impact on women.

Closing remarks and a call to action for viewers to subscribe and support the channel.