Chinese Fashion Through the Dynasties

Off the Great Wall

7 Aug 201406:42

Summary

TLDRIn this episode of 'Off Great Wall,' hosts Dan and Mike delve into the evolution of Chinese fashion across various dynasties. From the Shang Dynasty's knee-length tunics to the Qing Dynasty's unification attempt, they explore how clothing styles adapted to reflect social hierarchy and cultural beliefs. The Tang Dynasty's luxurious and relaxed attire highlights the era's prosperity. The Han Dynasty's dignified and elegant clothing, including the iconic 'hanfu,' left a lasting impact on Chinese culture. The video concludes with an invitation to viewers to subscribe and engage with the content.

Takeaways

👑 In ancient China, men wore dresses, and clothing styles changed with each new dynasty.
🎨 The Shang Dynasty established the basics of traditional Chinese fashion, featuring primary colors and simple garments.
🏰 The Zhou Dynasty saw the development of a strict social hierarchy, where clothing became a status symbol, with specific colors and decorations denoting rank.
👑 The color yellow was reserved for the Emperor, and wearing it by others could be punishable by death.
👗 The dress jacket, consisting of an upper short shirt jacket and a lower floor-length skirt, was introduced during the Zhou Dynasty and remained popular.
⚫ The Qin Dynasty, under Emperor Qin Shi Huang, attempted to unify clothing but was more successful in standardizing the color black, associated with the element water.
🌟 The Han Dynasty marked a golden age in Chinese history, with clothing being dignified and elegant, and the establishment of many cultural norms that persist today.
👘 The Tang Dynasty represented the peak of Chinese civilization, with clothing becoming more luxurious, loose, and revealing, reflecting the era's prosperity.
👚 Women's fashion in the Tang Dynasty included a variety of outfits, such as short skirt jackets, loose sleeve shirts, and low-cut gowns, often adorned with jade and other decorations.
🍽 The Tang Dynasty also popularized the 'pao' style, characterized by large sleeves, which was used for special occasions and is now a hallmark of traditional Chinese clothing.

Q & A

What was the basic attire during the Shang Dynasty?
-The basic attire during the Shang Dynasty consisted of a narrow-cuffed knee-length shirt jacket tied with a sash, a narrow ankle-length skirt, and a piece of cloth that hung down to the knees.
How did clothing reflect social status during the Zhou Dynasty?
-During the Zhou Dynasty, clothing became a statement of status and rank. The color, fabric width, and decorations on clothing indicated one's position in society.
Why was the color yellow significant in ancient Chinese clothing?
-The color yellow was significant because only the Emperor was allowed to wear it, symbolizing his authority and status.
What was the first appearance of the dress jacket during the Zhou Dynasty?
-The dress jacket first appeared during the Zhou Dynasty and consisted of an upper short shirt jacket or waist jacket tucked inside a lower floor-length skirt, a long silk belt with a ring that wore a piece of jade at the end, tied around the waist, and a cotton sha worn around the arms.
What color did Emperor Qin Shi Huang choose to unify Chinese fashion, and why?
-Emperor Qin Shi Huang chose the color black to unify Chinese fashion, as it was associated with the element water according to the five elements theory, symbolizing the power of water to extinguish fire.
What was the typical clothing style during the Han Dynasty?
-The Han Dynasty clothing was generally dignified and elegant, with typical styles including cicada-like hats, one-layer coats with twin diamond-shaped collars, sloping neckline, square sleeves, jade hanging decorations, and red shoes.
How did the color of clothing change in the Eastern Han Dynasty?
-In the Eastern Han Dynasty, red replaced black as the dominant color, symbolizing the Han Dynasty's fire virtue.
What were the two robe styles during the Han Dynasty?
-The two robe styles during the Han Dynasty were one with a diagonal opening and one with a straight opening.
What was the fashion style like during the Tang Dynasty?
-Tang Dynasty clothing was luxuriant, looser, more relaxed, and more revealing than before. Women had several choices of outfits including short skirt jackets, loose sleeve shirts with long skirts, and low-cut gowns with high waist bands.
What is the traditional Chinese clothing style known as 'Ao', and what does it signify?
-The style known as 'Ao', which translates to 'big sleeved shirts', is considered a trademark of traditional Chinese clothing. These garments were elegant, heavily embroidered, and worn by women on special occasions.
What was the significance of the hat styles during the Han Dynasty?
-There were 13 types of hats during the Han Dynasty, and the style of a man's crown was an indicator of his rank in society.

Outlines

00:00

👔 Ancient Chinese Fashion: From the Shang to the Han Dynasties

This paragraph discusses the evolution of Chinese fashion from the ancient Shang Dynasty to the Han Dynasty. It highlights how clothing styles adapted with each new dynasty and how they reflected social status. The Shang Dynasty saw the birth of traditional Chinese fashion with knee-length shirts and skirts. The Zhou Dynasty introduced color-coded clothing to signify rank, where yellow was reserved for the Emperor. The Qin Dynasty attempted to unify fashion but only succeeded in standardizing color, favoring black to symbolize the power of water. The Han Dynasty marked China's first golden age, influencing the term 'Han Chinese' and 'Han clothing'. Clothing was dignified and elegant, with seasonal color changes and specific styles like the 'oh shut' or big-sleeved shirts.

05:02

👗 Tang Dynasty Fashion: Luxurious and Revealing

The second paragraph delves into the Tang Dynasty's fashion, which was characterized by its opulence, looser fits, and more revealing styles compared to previous dynasties. Women had a variety of outfit choices including short skirt jackets, loose sleeve shirts, and low-cut gowns. Footwear was made of silk or woven materials, and hairstyles were intricate, often framing the face. The Tang Dynasty is also noted for the 'oh shut' dress, which was heavily embroidered and worn on special occasions, reflecting the era's prosperity and cultural richness.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Shang Dynasty

The Shang Dynasty is mentioned as the period when the basics of traditional Chinese fashion were established. It's integral to the video's theme as it sets the historical context for Chinese clothing evolution. The script describes how people during the Shang Dynasty wore a narrow-cuffed knee-length shirt jacket tied with a sash, along with a narrow ankle-length skirt and a piece of cloth hanging down to the knees.

💡Zhou Dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty is highlighted for its development of a strict social hierarchy, which influenced clothing as a status symbol. This is key to understanding how fashion was used to denote social standing, with the script noting that clothing color, pattern width, and decorations signified one's rank in society.

💡Dress Jacket

The dress jacket is described as a clothing item that first appeared during the Zhou Dynasty and remained popular across various dynasties. It is a significant element in the narrative as it illustrates the continuity of certain fashion elements throughout Chinese history. The script specifies that it consisted of an upper short shirt jacket tucked inside a lower floor-length skirt, with a long silk belt and a piece of jade at the end.

💡Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty is noted for its attempt to unify clothing, reflecting the dictatorial approach to fashion as a means of national identity. Despite the short duration of the dynasty, it managed to unify the color of clothing to black, which is tied to the five elements theory and the concept of yin and yang, as explained in the script.

💡Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty is described as China's first golden age, with a significant impact on Chinese history and culture, including fashion. The script mentions that traditional dress is called 'Han clothing' and that the clothing was generally dignified and elegant, with specific styles like the 'cicada-like hats' and 'one-layer coats with twin diamond-shaped collars'.

💡Eastern Han Dynasty

The Eastern Han Dynasty is significant for changing the 'it' color from black to red, symbolizing the dynasty's fire virtue. This shift in color preference is an example of how fashion can reflect and reinforce cultural values, as detailed in the script.

💡Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty is portrayed as the peak of Chinese civilization, with clothing styles that were luxuriant, looser, more relaxed, and more revealing than before. This period's fashion is characterized by a variety of female outfits, including low-cut gowns with high waist bands and full flowing skirts, indicating a time of prosperity and cultural confidence.

💡Clothing as Status Symbol

Throughout the script, clothing is repeatedly mentioned as a status symbol, with specific colors and styles reserved for certain social ranks or roles. This concept is crucial to understanding the socio-cultural dynamics of ancient China, where clothing was not just for protection or modesty but also a means of expressing one's place in society.

💡Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang is referenced in the context of the Qin Dynasty's choice of black for clothing, symbolizing the power of water to extinguish fire. This concept from Chinese philosophy is woven into the fabric of Chinese fashion, showing how deeply cultural beliefs can influence even the most mundane aspects of life.

💡Five Elements Theory

The Five Elements Theory is mentioned in relation to the Qin Dynasty's preference for the color black, associated with the element water. This theory is fundamental to traditional Chinese thought and is used in the script to explain fashion choices that reflect broader cosmological beliefs.

💡Seasonal Fashion

The script mentions that during the Han Dynasty, people, especially government officials, dressed seasonally, changing the color of their clothes to match the season. This practice underscores the connection between fashion and the natural world, as well as the cultural importance of aligning with seasonal changes.

Highlights

Ancient Chinese men wore dresses.

Chinese clothing styles adapted with each new dynasty.

Shang Dynasty established the basics of traditional Chinese fashion.

During the Zhou Dynasty, clothing became a status symbol.

The color yellow was reserved for the Emperor.

The dress jacket appeared during the Zhou Dynasty and remained popular.

Qin Shi Huang attempted to unify Chinese clothing but succeeded only in unifying color.

The color black was favored in the Qin Dynasty, symbolizing the power of water.

Han Dynasty clothing was dignified and elegant.

The Han Dynasty had a significant influence on Chinese history and culture.

Tang Dynasty clothing was luxurious, looser, and more revealing.

Women in the Tang Dynasty had several outfit choices.

The style of a man's crown indicated his rank in society.

The 'oh shut' style, or big-sleeved shirts, became a trademark of traditional Chinese clothing.

The Tang Dynasty is considered the peak of Chinese civilization.

Fashion throughout Chinese history reflects the cultural and social changes of the time.

The video creators express their inspiration from Chinese fashion history.