China has one of the oldest cultures in the world and as such has one of the richest histories in the world.The recorded history of China goes back as far as 1550 BCE.That means that China has over 3500 years worth of a rich and varied history and culture.In all of those 3500 years, Chinese people needed clothing.Chinese apparel has adapted to the times with advances in the cloth making technology as well as the changes in the culture itself.
You can almost track the changes in Chinese apparel with the changes in the dynasties or factions in power.With so many changes and years to cover, we will start with the more recent centuries and move forward.In many cultures, not just the Chinese, there are ways of distinguishing a person’s position in the society.Dress is one these ways of distinguishing.Chinese clothing varies greatly as it does everywhere else in the world today in the different classes.Just as in cultures worldwide today, the lower classes would wear clothing that is more suited to the work they do and the meager pastimes that they can afford to enjoy.The colors would be drabber and the materials would be of a low quality and possibly hand made.Higher classes would of course have better clothing, made especially for them and their pastimes.The clothing would be made of a higher quality material and most definitely silks.It would also be in brighter colors.
Silk has always played a big part in Chinese apparel and even became all the rage in Western countries when it was brought back by traders.The exquisite quality and the ability to be dyed any color under the rainbow had a lot to do with this.In England for example, silks became all the rage with the ladies of the Ton (English high society).
In the 1800’s in China there were such things as dragon robes.These were of the semi-formal Chinese apparel family.These could be any color, but the Chinese preferred reds, yellows and blacks.They were beautifully embroidered and were worn by the middle to upper class.The cheungsam is also an important piece of Chineseclothing and has been for many centuries.It is often looked at as a classical dress and yes even a national dress for ladies.This garment actually may have its beginnings or origins in court garments from the time of the Qing Dynasty.
Another important piece of Chinese apparel is the Mao Suit, which was also the national dress for a long while.Reflecting a time of major political changes and backed in military style, it was worn for many years by all classes.Today Chinese clothing tends to incorporate the rich history of the country into an eclectic mix of the past and the future in today’s styles.You can still find today some of the more ancient looking styles if you know where to look and some are still stylish enough to wear today.
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