Chinese Ancient Clothing And Japanese Ancient Clothing

The Chinese were always a fashionable race and Chinese ancient clothing was largely influenced by all the dynasties which ruled it. The Han Chinese clothing or the Hanfu has the longest history of clothes worn. The Hanfu rules of dressing were followed strictly as a mark of respect for the culture. On the other hand, ancient Japanese clothing kept changing with every dynasty that ruled Japan. Since the Kimono is a national dress, it has always been mistaken for very ancient clothing worn by the Japanese people which is incorrect.
The basic design of the Ancient Chinese clothing Hanfu was largely developed during the Shang Dynasty. The Shang had two basic styles - the Yi which was the coat worn on top and the Shang whichwas the skirt worn beneath it. Buttons on any ancient Chinese clothing was substituted by a Sash. The clothing was in warm tones. The Zhou dynasty in western China varied in the sleeves being narrow as well as broad. The length of the skirt varied from knee length to the ankle and the different sizes and styles created a distinction between the people who wore them. Ancient Chinese clothing used minimal stitching on the garment and the use of embroidery and silk sashes to design the dresses.
Japanese ancient clothing was majorly influenced by Chinese clothing. Vigorous trade between Japan and its continental neighbors brought in Chinese dresses and styles into Japan during the Han Dynasty. The Tang styles and Sui dynasty from China influenced clothing in Japan while it was developing from a collection of loose clans to an Empire. All robes in Japan were to be worn from left to right just like the Chinese. Right to left was considered barbaric in China and the 'left over right' became the conventional rule of wearing a Kimono ever since. During the Heian period (894 specifically), Chinese influence began dying out and Chinese characters began being abbreviated in Japanese script. The Heian court was taken to sensitivity of art and subtle beauty and wardrobe became much more detailed. Colors, combinations and fabric textures changed and separated themselves from Chinese influence.
Japanese ancient clothing was mainly robes and most of the patterns and designs were religious and auspicious. Dragons were printed with nine yellow dragons and five cloud patterns. These heavily embroidered robes were won by the emperors and were auspicious for the wearer. The Cheongsam was another one piece dress adorned by ancient Chinese women. It had a high neck with a closed collar and short or medium sleeves. Buttoned on sides with a fitted waist, it had slits going up from the sides and complemented their figures.

Ancient Japanese Footwear

Since the Japanese people don’t wear footwear inside their homes, tabi is still worn. These are split –toe socks woven out of non-stretch materials with thick soles. Clogs have been worn for centuries in ancient Japan and were known as Geta. These were made of wood with two straps and were unisexual. Zori was footwear made of softer materials like straw and fabric with a flat sole.
Ancient Japanese clothes, culture and footwear are slowly regaining their popularity with the western world. There is an honest curiosity in knowing more, wearing kimonos or using silk fabrics with beautiful floral prints from the ‘land of the rising sun’.
Ancient Japanese clothing was majorly unisex, with differences being in colors, length and sleeves. A Kimono tied with an Obi or a sash around the waist was the general clothing and with the advent of western clothing are now mostly worn at home or special occasions. Women’s obi in ancient Japanese clothing would mostly be elaborate and decorative. Some would be as long as 4meters and tied as a flower or a butterfly. Though a Yukata means a ‘bath clothing’, these were often worn in the summers as morning and evening gowns. Ancient Japanese clothing consisted of mena and women wearing Haori or narrow paneled jacket for special occasions such as marriages and feasts. These are worn over a kimono and tied with strings at the breast level.

The most interesting piece of ancient Japanese clothing is the ju-ni-hitoe or the ‘twelve layers’ adorned by ladies at the imperial court. It is multi-layered and very heavy and worn on a daily basis for centuries! The only change would be the thickness of the fabric and the number of layers depending on the season. Princesses still wear these on weddings.

Chinese And Japanese Ancient Clothing Similar?

Ancient Chinese clothing for women was the Cheongsam which was a one piece suit consisting of a high neck with a closed collar and short or medium sleeves. The fitted waist and slits on the sides complimented women’s figures well. The tunic suit dominated ancient Chinese clothing, known as the ‘Zhongshan suit’, had a turned down collar and 4 pockets. Animal print embroidery patches were used during the Ming and Qing dynasty. Beautiful in appearance and very intricate, these embroideries also symbolized the ranks of officers who wore them.

Both the ancient Chinese clothing and ancient Japanese clothing evolved over the centuries and during different dynasties ruled. The major differences in the designs and embroideries were that while the ancient Chinese clothing symbolized religion and auspicious symbolism; the ancient Japanese clothing was more colorful and used floral patterns without any symbolic meanings. Both the clothing styles however distinguished in social ranking, age, sex and other aspects. Clothes of a wearer explained their social status or their marital status where women were concerned.

By 718, the clothing codes had restrictions entirely influenced by china. The influence of china on ancient Japan was no less than a military siege! While wearing a robe, the Chinese considered wearing a robe form right to left barbaric since it was easy for right handed people. The code in Japan specified that robes had to be worn right over left and it became a convention of Kimono wearing in Japan ever since.
Chinese ancient clothing has been setting trends for centuries. Rules of dressing were followed religiously and most dress patterns and designs were influenced by religion. Ancient Chinese clothing was in warm tones with a lot of embroidery and silk sashes used to tie the robes instead of buttons. During the Zhou Dynasty, dragon robes were seen mostly worn by emperors. These were heavily embroidered with nine yellow dragons and five cloud patterns. These were considered auspicious for the wearer and had a symbolic meaning. The nine and five combinations were calculated deliberately used while designing; this symbolized the dignity of the throne. Dragons were embroidered on the front and back of the robes, also the knee areas and even shoulders.

Japanese Ancient Clothing

After the Heian period, the Kamakura period saw a number of clashes and war clans within Japan. The ancient Japanese clothing soon underwent another change and now clothes became more functional. The number of layers and broad sleeved clothes were shunned for more usable clothing. Soon the imperial land split into a southern and northern court and these people’s lives got influenced by the soft court life. Fights resumed and the gradual decadence is obvious in the elaborate dresses of the period. Women had stopped wearing the Hakama and the robes were lengthened to ankle level. Veils and robes over the head were some strange ways experimented and worn during this time.
Japanese ancient clothing was mainly robes and most of the patterns and designs were religious and auspicious. Dragons were printed with nine yellow dragons and five cloud patterns. These heavily embroidered robes were won by the emperors and were auspicious for the wearer. The Cheongsam was another one piece dress adorned by ancient Chinese women. It had a high neck with a closed collar and short or medium sleeves. Buttoned on sides with a fitted waist, it had slits going up from the sides and complemented their figures.
Japanese ancient clothing was majorly influenced by China. Vigorous trade between Japan and its continental neighbors brought in Chinese dresses and styles into Japan during the Han Dynasty. The Tang styles and Sui dynasty from China influenced clothing in Japan while it was developing from a collection of loose clans to an Empire. All robes in Japan were to be worn from left to right just like the Chinese. Right to left was considered barbaric in China and the ‘left over right’ became the conventional rule of wearing a Kimono ever since.
During the Heian period (894 specifically), Chinese influence began dying out and Chinese characters began being abbreviated in Japanese script. The Heian court was taken to sensitivity of art and subtle beauty and wardrobe became much more detailed. Colors, combinations and fabric textures changed and separated themselves from Chinese influence.

The Fashion Chinese Tang-Style Costume

The unified and prosperous China was established in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In China’s history, the Tang Dynasty was a period when the polity and economy were highly developed and the culture and art were thriving.
Women’s dress and personal adornments of the Tang Dynasty were outstanding in China’s history. The clothing materials were exquisite, the structure was natural, graceful and elegant, and adornments were splendid. Though the forms of garments were still the continuation of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and the Sui Dynasty (581-618), they were influenced by cultures and arts of the Western Regions. Especially, the national power of the High Tang was strong. The trades and cultural exchanges with Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Persia and other countries gradually became frequent, and they mutually dispatched emissaries and accepted students of other countries. In this way, a special open and romantic style of dress and personal adornments was formed.
Because of communication with the Western Regions, the influence of dressing culture of other minorities on the Tang court also reflected the change of thoughts and concepts. Chinese women were seriously restricted by the old Confucian or feudal ethical code all through the ages. The social status of ancient women was very low: they often served as Jileren (music performer), Guanji (official performer), Gongji (palace performer) and Jiaji (family performer), and were regarded as the playthings and goods that can be sold and bought by rich people. Some females had rebel spirit in the Tang Dynasty, so they climbed or jumped over the walls and went to the nature to view the beautiful scenes and/or go sightseeing in the spring by riding horses with men. Just as recorded by many historical materials, some girls therefore dressed as boys in order to go out.
It was a fashion for women to wear Hufu (garments of the Tartars or those who lived in the Western Regions). After the High Tang, the influences of Hufu were gradually weakened and women’s garments became broad and loose day by day. As to ordinary women’s garments, the width of sleeve was always more than 1.3 meters.
The garments in the Tang Dynasty also greatly affected the garments of neighboring countries. For instance, Japanese kimono adopted the elites of the dresses of the Tang Dynasty in terms of colors, and the Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) also adopted the advantages of the dresses of the Tang Dynasty. The dresses of the Tang Dynasty were mainly made of silk, so dresses were famous for softness and lightness. The dresses of the Tang Dynasty boldly adopted the features of foreign garments in terms of forms and adornments; i.e. they mainly referred to the garments of other countries (such as the Central-Asia countries, India, Iran, Persia, northern countries and the Western Regions) and used them to improve the habilatory culture of the Tang Dynasty.

Qipao Is One Of The Most Typical, Traditional Costumes For Chinese Women

Qipao (Ch’ipau) is one of the most typical, traditional costumes for Chinese women. Also known as cheongsam, it is like a wonderful flower in the Chinese colorful fashion scene because of its particular charm.
The cheongsam is evolved from a kind of ancient clothing of Manchu ethnic minority. In ancient times, it generally referred to long gowns worn by the people of Manchuria, Mongolia and the Eight-Banner.
In the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), long gowns featured collarless, narrow cuff in the shape of a horse’s hoof, buttons down the left front, four slits and a fitting waist. Wearers usually coiled up their cuff, and put it down when hunting or battling to cover the back of hand. In winter, the cuff could serve to prevent cold. The gown had four slits, with one on the left, right, front and back, which reached the knees. It was fitted to the body and rather warm. Fastened with a waistband, the long gown could hold solid food and utensils when people went out hunting. Men’s long gowns were mostly blue, gray or green; and women’s, white.
When the early Manchu rulers came to China proper, they moved their capital to Beijing and cheongsam began to spread in the Central Plains. The Qing Dynasty unified China, and unified the nationwide costume as well. At that time, men wore a long gown and a mandarin jacket over the gown, while women wore cheongsam. Although the 1911 Revolution toppled the rule of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, the female dress survived the political change and, with succeeding improvements, has become the traditional dress for Chinese women.
Till the 1930s, Manchu people, no matter male or female, all wore loose-fitting and straight-bottomed broad-sleeved long gowns with a wide front. The lower hem of women’s cheongsam reached the calves with embroidered flower patterns on it, while that of men’s cheongsam reached the ankles and had no decorative patterns.
From the 1930s, cheongsam almost became the uniform for women. Folk women, students, workers and highest-tone women all dressed themselves in cheongsam, which even became a formal suit for occasions of social intercourses or diplomatic activities. Later, cheongsam even spread to foreign countries and became the favorite of foreign females.
After the 1940s, influenced by new fashion home and abroad, Manchu men’s cheongsam was phased out, while women’s cheongsam became narrow-sleeved and fitted to the waist and had a relatively loose hip part, and its lower hem reached the ankles. Then there emerge various forms of cheongsams we see today that emphasize color decoration and set off the beauty of the female shape.
Why do Han people like to wear the cheongsam? The main reason is that it fits well the female Chinese figure, has simple lines and looks elegant. What’s more, it is suitable for wearing in all seasons by old and young.
The cheongsam can either be long or short, unlined or interlined, woolen or made of silk floss. Besides, with different materials, the cheongsam presents different styles. Cheongsams made of silk with patterns of flowerlet, plain lattices or thin lines demonstrate charm of femininity and staidness; those made of brocade are eye-catching and magnificent and suitable for occasions of greeting guests and attending banquets.
When Chinese cheongsams were exhibited for sales in countries like Japan and France, they received warm welcome from local women, who did not hesitate to buy Chinese cheongsams especially those top-notch ones made of black velour interlined with or carved with golden flowers. Cheongsam features strong national flavor and embodies beauty of Chinese traditional costume. It not only represents Chinese female costume but also becomes a symbol of the oriental traditional costume.

Hanfu - A Name Of Chinese Clothing

The basic design of the Ancient Chinese clothing Hanfu was largely developed during the Shang Dynasty. The Shang had two basic styles – the Yi which was the coat worn on top and the Shang whichwas the skirt worn beneath it. Buttons on any ancient Chinese clothing was substituted by a Sash. The clothing was in warm tones. The Zhou dynasty in western China varied in the sleeves being narrow as well as broad. The length of the skirt varied from knee length to the ankle and the different sizes and styles created a distinction between the people who wore them. Ancient Chinese clothing used minimal stitching on the garment and the use of embroidery and silk sashes to design the dresses.
HanFu is the nation's national dress. Its origins can be traced back Sovereigns and Five Emperors period until the Ming Dynasty, stretching for thousands of years, Chinese people have not changed the basic characteristics of clothing, the clothing worn during the Han people, the modern as HanFu. Since the era of Huangdi Yao Yan and Huang Shun-hanging clothes and rule the world, Chinese clothing has a clothing, Couture concept, after weeks of system specification standard Zhou dynasty to the Han Chong Zhouli system by pushing closer to perfection and popularity of Wen and Jing of the Han Dynasty because governance, Han Wu Shengshi and optical Wu Zhongxing, so that the influence of the Han dynasty reached its peak, the resulting title is said Han, HanFu is also deduced from.
Subsequent dynasties of the HanFu although local changes, but its main features remain unchanged, are based on the basic features of the Han Dynasty.
Han is the most important and distinguished dynasty, is one of China's feudal dynasties to the concept of centralized state first, the most complete, most advanced, most powerful dynasty, Han Chinese from the formation.
During this period with the progress of society, local culture booming Chinese domain to achieve a high artistic and aesthetic achievements. In the economic, technological, cultural fully ahead of the Han empire the world has left for the Chinese people proud of forever. Today, occupy most of the main ethnic Chinese - Han Chinese, is to named Han.
HanFu is a national heritage for thousands of years of traditional national costumes, is the best embodies characteristics of Han clothing, there are characteristics of each nation's national costume, the HanFu reflects the ethnic characteristics. Sovereigns and Five Emperors from the Ming Dynasty for thousands of years, Han nationality by virtue of their wisdom, created the colorful clothing of the Han culture has evolved its own unique characteristics with the HanFu system - HanFu system.
Profound, a complete system, a long beautiful Chinese clothes, is a great wealth of rare, is well worth every Chinese people proud. Objective of the Han people wearing certain transitional historical period costumes such as the flag finished loading / cheongsam / jacket, etc. must not be called "Chinese dress," because they truly the evolution of Chinese clothing is not the normal process of convergence. HanFu in its vitality has not become extinct, until the modern Han Chinese belief of Taoism, Buddhism and some remote mountain, there are many domestic Chinese minority still maintained the characteristics of services, some of the important modern worship, observance , folk festivals can still see the Chinese service figure. HanFu is very far-reaching effects, some ethnic Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Bhutan, etc. all have or learn Chinese clothing clothing characteristics.