Chinese Fashion Through the Dynasties Part 2

Summary

In '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.