Chinese national costume
The traditional Chinese costume called "hanfu" is still popular today. It is often used as a historical dress or a traditional costume for a variety of celebrations. In everyday style, elements of the traditional costume are now also used.
A bit of history
Chinese national clothes appeared with the flourishing of Chinese civilization. At the same time, with the advent of each new dynasty, its details changed. Its luxury and rich colors remained unchanged.
The national costume of the Han and Jin Dynasties looked quite restrained. It was at this time that the basis for the traditional Hanfu costume was born, which was later supplemented with a small number of decorative elements. During these times, the ancient Hanfu costume was considered the traditional clothing of the Chinese emperor and his family.
The next ruling Tang dynasty made the traditional costume more luxurious. In those days, outfits richly decorated with patterns and jewels were welcomed.
Costumes began to look more elegant during the Ming and Snu dynasties. Elegant dresses and skirts for girls and sophisticated men's suits emphasized the features of high Chinese culture.Intricate patterns and fantasy motifs were added to traditional Chinese costume during the Qin Dynasty.
The thirties of the last century coincided with the end of the Chinese monarchy. This, of course, was reflected in the features of the traditional Chinese attire, which became a little more modest and restrained. However, the national costumes of the inhabitants of this country are always bright and original.
Peculiarities
Like all national costumes, traditional Chinese attire has a number of features that reflect the peculiarities of the Chinese worldview and their traditions.
One of the main features that cannot be overlooked is the contrasting piping that adorns both men's and women's suits.
Another important element is the stand-up collar, which complements all shirts and dresses.
Colors and shades
Traditional Chinese costumes cannot go unnoticed in a crowd due to their flamboyance. At the same time, flowers have always been of great importance. So, it was believed that blue outfits protect from the influence of evil spirits, green - with the birth of something new. And red, a symbol of mighty fire, is considered to be the color of the Jou dynasty.
The patterns decorating the Chinese costume also played an important role.
All elements of embroidery carried a deep meaning. For example, a hieroglyph symbolizing an orchid personified knowledge, and a peony - wealth.
In general, it was the color scheme of the costume that always helped to determine which class a particular person belongs to. Thus, richer people dressed in rich rich colors, while the poor had to wear faded suits made of cheap fabrics.
Fabrics and fit
It is known that China is the birthplace of silk.Therefore, it was this material that was most often used in the tailoring of traditional costumes. Silk is popular not only because of its attractive appearance, but also because of the healing properties attributed to it. It is believed that while wearing, due to the friction of silk on the body, it can heal the human body from a variety of ailments. Underwear was traditionally sewn from dense cotton.
As for the cut, the national Chinese costume "Hanfu" is quite loose. It consists of a shirt with wide sleeves and a long skirt. Women's dresses in Chinese costume are more fitted, but you will not find vulgar tight-fitting outfits in China.
Varieties (Women's, men's, children's)
The traditional men's costume consists of pants called "ku" and a loose-fitting shirt. The shirt was made long so that it covered the trousers, which were not customary to show to others. In addition to the main pants, sewn from light cotton fabric, men also wore "taoku", which translates from Chinese as "pants cover". They were fastened with ribbons to the belt.
An elegant Chinese costume was complemented by a bright shirt of an original cut. A single-breasted and short shirt was worn loose.
The women's costume, called "zhujun", consists of a skirt and a jacket, together resembling a sundress. Variants of such a suit differ in their length and features of the cut of the skirt. Women in China also wore several types of dresses.
One variation of the traditional dress is chensam. The spacious outfit, hiding the female body from prying eyes, was both bright and very restrained. He left open only the shoes, palms and face of the girl. A more modern modification of such a dress is qipao.
Qipao is characterized by a narrower cut, side slits and no sleeves. It is this kind of traditional Chinese dress that embodies the elegance of the style of oriental women.
Accessories and shoes
Appropriate shoes and hats have always been considered part of the Chinese style. Traditional shoes have never been comfortable. Chinese women tried their best to ensure that their feet always remained small, sometimes making great sacrifices for this.
Small triangular shoes, either sewn from light fabric or woven from straw, were part of the national costume. A warmer option is high cloth boots that resemble stockings. During the Man dynasty, hard boots with thick wooden soles were also used in everyday life.
Modern models
The traditional Chinese costume inspires many contemporary designers. Its elements appear both in outfits for everyday life and in more solemn images.
In China and in the countries of the former CIS and Europe, traditional Chinese shirts are popular. Shortened and decorated with a stand-up collar, they well emphasize the male figure and fit into the casual style. Girls from all over the world appreciated the elegant qipao dresses. Fitted attire perfectly emphasizes feminine firms.
The best option is qipao, made of natural silk, which does not lose its shape and looks expensive and elegant.
Rich and at the same time quite restrained traditional Chinese clothes inspire with their brightness and style both ordinary fashion connoisseurs and eminent designers.