Chinese Fashion History
French Historian Fernand Braudel claimed fashion is “peculiarly a feature of Western history.” The New York Times in 1913 exclaimed “The fashions in China? It never occurred to you, perhaps, that there were any!”
But both of these claims are based off of Western assumptions. They believed that fashion didn’t exist in China because it appeared to them that sartorial practices hadn’t changed for centuries. But Chinese history shows that fashion has existed in China as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), which is comparable to the (initially unconscious) Western inception of fashion during the Middle Ages… The Chinese fashion system has just existed and developed separately from the Western one until recently, so Chinese sartorial changes may not be as apparent to the Western eye at first glance.
So in order to prove that ‘fashion’ existed in China, we first have to define fashion. My personal definition of fashion is clothing that extends beyond the primary functions of protection or modesty. Initially, fashion gained three “emergent functions” in the West due to economic development: adornment, social stratification, and imitation. These emergent functions also existed in Chinese sartorial practices since at least the Ming for similar reasons, so fashion has existed on the Mainland for centuries.
This is a wonderful drawing from Chinese artist Maleonn, which demonstrates sartorial changes from the end of the Qing Dynasty (1880) until 1970, over 20 years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
In 1880, most people wore two pieces with many layers, which made them appear more round and a bit stiff I would say. Their collars were high, and most parts of the body were covered.
Around 1900, they lost a few layers and slimmed down their silhouettes. They had fancier embroidery and embellishments on their garb, lower collars, and head pieces to complement a new hair style.
To see the changes after dynastic rule collapsed in China (circa 1911), you can check out the 1910-1920 tab.
Pingback: Chinese Fashion History Update! | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Chinese Fashion History Update! |
Pingback: Chinese Fashion History Update! | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: British Fascinators vs. Chinese Hats, Xin Tian Di | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Chinese Fashion History Update!! | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Extremely well written post you got here. As one blogger to my fellow one, I recognize how tough and how much energy it takes to write up something substantial. regards.
Thank you for the kind compliments! I hope to keep adding to this section to make it more complete, but it’s hard to acquire pictures from the 60s, 70s, and 80s… But please check back soon for more information.
All the best
CPHNS
Pingback: In Da Hood, Xintiandi | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Chinese Fashion History Update!! |
Pingback: CPHNS’s 100th Post!! : Shanghai’s Top 5 Sartorial Trends | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: CPHNS’s 100th Post!! : Shanghai’s Top 5 Sartorial Trends |
Pingback: Post 105: The CLASH | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Post 105: The CLASH |
Pingback: Harry Potter Opening, Xin Tian Di | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Harry Potter Opening, Xin Tian Di |
Pingback: Androgyny, Shanghai | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Androgyny, Shanghai |
Pingback: STOP STEALING THINGS Chinese People, + Blog Updates | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
hm…the time periods you chose are so limited to present eras. i would say that fashion really started around the yuan and tang dynasty, when art in the field of attire grew increasingly prominate, paralleling with the art movements during those eras
Pingback: Off to Beijing | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Off to Beijing |
Pingback: Updates Updates Updates!! | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Fashion Week Part III: Decoster Concept Closing Show | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: Fashion Week Part III: Decoster Concept Closing Show |
Pingback: CPHNS and Exception de MixMind 例外 Anniversaries, Part 二 | chinesepeoplehavenostyle
Pingback: The Beach, Jin Shan | chinesepeoplehave[no]style? 吗
Pingback: 20th Century Chinese Fashion History by Maleonn |
Pingback: Chinese Style, French Concession | chinesepeoplehave[no]style? 吗
Pingback: Chinese Style, French Concession « chinesepeopledoyou有style