Chinese Fashion Through the Dynasties
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
- π In ancient China, men wore dresses, and clothing styles changed with each new dynasty.
- π¨ The Shang Dynasty established the basics of traditional Chinese fashion, featuring primary colors and simple garments.
- π° The Zhou Dynasty saw the development of a strict social hierarchy, where clothing became a status symbol, with specific colors and decorations denoting rank.
- π The color yellow was reserved for the Emperor, and wearing it by others could be punishable by death.
- π 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.
- β« 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.
- π 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.
- π The Tang Dynasty represented the peak of Chinese civilization, with clothing becoming more luxurious, loose, and revealing, reflecting the era's prosperity.
- π 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.
- π½ 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
π 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.
π 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
π‘Shang Dynasty
π‘Zhou Dynasty
π‘Dress Jacket
π‘Qin Dynasty
π‘Han Dynasty
π‘Eastern Han Dynasty
π‘Tang Dynasty
π‘Clothing as Status Symbol
π‘Yin and Yang
π‘Five Elements Theory
π‘Seasonal Fashion
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.
Transcripts
what's up guys welcome to off Great Wall
I'm Dan hey I'm Mike you know there
you're always a well-dressed guy except
for I don't know who the sleeves belongs
to but I'm always a t-shirt and jeans
kind of man did you know that back in
China ancient China men actually wore
dresses
oh yeah you know what I support that
that would be like pretty super
comfortable anyways what's really
interesting about Chinese culture is
that throughout every dynasty in Chinese
history the style of clothing would
adapt to the new dynasty and will last
until the end of that dynasty here's a
look at the fashion throughout Chinese
history to kick things off let's travel
all the way back to the Shah and Xiang
dynasties the basics of traditional
Chinese fashions were born during the
Shang Dynasty people wore a narrow
cuffed knee-length shirt jacket tied
with a sash with a narrow ankle-length
skirt and a piece of cloth that hung
down to the knees clothes were generally
in vivid primary colors were green and
then very much between different jobs
and types of people but during the Jo
dynasty with the development of strict
social hierarchy people started to get
picky clothing turned into a statement
the color the blank width and
decorations of your clothing marked your
status and rank in society say you
wanted to wear this sick new yellow
skirt your mom just made for you but no
too bad only the Emperor was allowed to
wear yellow and if you were like who
cares gonna wear it anyways well you're
gonna die other developments during the
Jo dynasty besides the Emperor hogging
all your favorite color for himself
included the first appearance of the
dress jacket which stayed popular
dynasty after dynasty the dress jacket
consisted of an upper short shirt jacket
or waist jacket tucked inside a lower
floor length skirt a long silk belt
usually with a ring wore a piece of jade
at the end was tied around the waist and
a cotton sha was worn around the arms
nice I liked Khan Shah I know you do but
while the dress jacket stayed around the
Jo dynasty unfortunately didn't enter
the Ching State and Qing Chuang the
first emperor who defeated the six other
warring States of China and established
the Ching dynasty
besides unifying China Qi Chuang tried
to unify clothing
what a dictator if you're gonna give a
nation a makeover you got to make sure
let's go right
unfortunately Ching wasn't around long
enough to completely unify Chinese
fashion but he managed to unify color
the color of choice black yeah that
wouldn't fly with me as I believe in
fashion black should only be used for
funerals and awards yes as you mentioned
so many times why black you asked Ching
was a fan of the concept of yin yang
Yong in the five elements theory now the
chola dynasty favored the color red
which was symbolic of fire
the ancient Chinese associated the color
black with the element water so Changsha
Wong used the color to symbolize the
power of water the Ching dynasty to
extinguish fire the tow dynasty but
other than color clothing styles didn't
change much during the Qin Dynasty the
norm was lose one-piece clothing with a
long large sleeves I like that yeah I
liked I prefer things a little more
tight of course you do Rosita
next up the Han Dynasty China's first
golden age this dynasty had a huge
influence on Chinese history and culture
and it's done a good job making sure we
don't forget it
China's majority ethnic group is called
the Han Chinese traditional dress is
called Han clothing even though writing
is known as on characters and the
language is known as of course the on
language Han Dynasty clothing was
generally dignified and elegant
during the first 200 years the Western
Han Dynasty the dark style clothing of
the Ching dynasty continued court dress
was black while formal dress for
sacrificial rites was aged with red
typical clothing styles included cicada
like hats one layer coats with twin
diamond-shaped collars sloping neckline
square sleeves Jade hanging decorations
and red shoes sound like a fashion week
in ancient China there were two robe
styles one with a diagonal opening and
one with a straight opening in the
Eastern Han Dynasty red replaced black
as the it color as a symbol of the Han
dynasty's fire virtue but people
especially government officials also
dress seasonally changing the color of
their clothes to match the season as far
as accessories went there were 13
types of hats but be careful you
couldn't just pick and choose out well
the style of a man's crown was an
indicator of his rank in society alright
now let's get forward a few hundred
years to the glorious the glamorous the
one and only Tong dynasty on yes the
peak of the Chinese civilization a time
of unparalleled peace and prosperity and
of dumplings and fashion yes and it was
reflected in the styles of clothing of
the time Tong dynasty clothing was
luxuriant looser more relaxed and more
revealing than before women had several
choices of outfits including the classic
short skirt jacket tucked into a long
skirt tied up high over the chest loose
sleeve shirts with long skirts and long
shawls and low-cut gowns with high waist
bands and full flowing skirts I love Tom
Dynasty female outfits love them there's
beautiful his ever shoes were made of
silk or woven from grass and hair
covered the temples framed the face and
was tied up into a bunch of different
buns get it like cloud bun or gazing
God's bun yeah breakfast buns but yes we
got the buns thing also popular during
the Han Dynasty was a style that's now
considered a trademark of traditional
Chinese clothing and one of my favorites
- oh shut which literally translates to
big sleeved shirts you know people used
to put things into their sleeves
I can imagine area like that do all
right drop your arms in far out yeah
like I'll pull up bunny out of that
these elegant heavily embroidered
garments were worn by Tong ladies on
special occasions this type of dress is
also often using depictions of Chinese
fairy maidens hey hey no judgment on our
ancestors they had some serious style
we've still got another thousand years
of Chinese fashion to go all right Dan I
think all these styles and rules are
starting to kind of blur in my non
fashion sensitive head so we're gonna
stop for now besides I don't know about
you but I'm feeling pretty inspired
let's go up Charles I'm cutting some
shirts not dresses no no just regular
shirt all right guys thanks so much for
watching
please subscribe like this video all
that good stuff
see
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