MING DYNASTY
Clothing from Ming dynasty was adopted from traditional Han nationality, from Zhou, Han to Tang and Song dynasties. The clothing system include formal and daily wear of the emperor, queen and court ladies, civil and military officials, and clothing styles for all different social classes.
There were a wide range of fabrics for Ming style clothes. The main apparel for men are robes and gowns. Most often, officials wore daily wear which consisted of a round collar gown, a black silk hat and a leather belt. Square embroidery with the image of birds is decorated on the front and back of the gown for civil officials, while for military officials, image of birds is replaced with image of mammals. Daily wear for ordinary men were plain, straight long gown, Taoist robe, simple gown, and others.
There were a wide range of fabrics for Ming style clothes. The main apparel for men are robes and gowns. Most often, officials wore daily wear which consisted of a round collar gown, a black silk hat and a leather belt. Square embroidery with the image of birds is decorated on the front and back of the gown for civil officials, while for military officials, image of birds is replaced with image of mammals. Daily wear for ordinary men were plain, straight long gown, Taoist robe, simple gown, and others.
For wives and mothers of officials, there are two styles of clothing, formal and daily wear. The formal style had big sleeves, a decorated crown, embroidered shawl and a short top with slits up to armpits. The shawl is a long piece of cotton of 5 feet 7 inches long and 3 inches wide, embroidered with phoenix and flowers. Besides, it is also decorated with gold or jade hangings. A combination of long gown and long skirt are worn by ladies from higher social status as daily wear. Women from all social status also favoured “Shanzi” as a type of daily wear. Among the many types, tuanshan, a long gown with cross collar and big sleeves, is the most popular style.
Ordinary women wear gown, coat, shawl, short top with slits, and short top without sleeves as well as paddy robe and skirt. Paddy robe is made of a rectangular piece of fabric which was spliced with many pieces of fabric like a paddy field.
In the early Ming period, the skirts are simple in colour and pattern. Most women preferred simple and elegant skirts, with embroidered designs at the bottom 2 inches of the skirts. Decoration on skirts increased during the later Ming period and a good example is the popular “Moon flower skirt”. It is a skirt spliced with 10 pieces of fabrics and fine pleats between skirt and waist band with every pleat having a different colour. When a breeze passed by, the skirt is just like a gorgeous flower under moonlight.
In the early Ming period, the skirts are simple in colour and pattern. Most women preferred simple and elegant skirts, with embroidered designs at the bottom 2 inches of the skirts. Decoration on skirts increased during the later Ming period and a good example is the popular “Moon flower skirt”. It is a skirt spliced with 10 pieces of fabrics and fine pleats between skirt and waist band with every pleat having a different colour. When a breeze passed by, the skirt is just like a gorgeous flower under moonlight.
Ruqun
Women Ming clothing is gentle and elegant. They seem much more reserved and subdued, in their fitted long gowns with woven patterns. Often the gowns are tied with a bow at the waist, the end draping all the way down below the knees. Accessories included silk ribbon at the waist tied in decorative knots, jade ornaments between the knots, and hairpins for adult women. The entire outfit had an entire effect on elegance, but not extravagance.
References:
1. Costume in the Ming Dynasty [Internet]. CHINACULTURE [ updated 2013 May 2; cited 2013 April 27]. Available from:
http://www1.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/28/content_28364.htm.
2.Yang Lu. Chinese Clothing-Five Thousand Years' History [Internet]. [cited 2013 April 25]. Available from: http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ECC_CULTURE_CLOTHING.HTM.
3. Global Han Couture Design Competition [Internet]. USA: Global Competition Series; 2007-2011 [cited 2013 April 27]. Available from: http://hancouture.ntdtv.com/en/sm.htm.
4. Xin Hui. Five Thousands Years of Culture from Heaven: Chinese Dress through the Ages [Internet]. PureInsight; 2000-2011 [cited 2013 April 27]. Available from: http://www.pureinsight.org/node/1342.
1. Costume in the Ming Dynasty [Internet]. CHINACULTURE [ updated 2013 May 2; cited 2013 April 27]. Available from:
http://www1.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/28/content_28364.htm.
2.Yang Lu. Chinese Clothing-Five Thousand Years' History [Internet]. [cited 2013 April 25]. Available from: http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ECC_CULTURE_CLOTHING.HTM.
3. Global Han Couture Design Competition [Internet]. USA: Global Competition Series; 2007-2011 [cited 2013 April 27]. Available from: http://hancouture.ntdtv.com/en/sm.htm.
4. Xin Hui. Five Thousands Years of Culture from Heaven: Chinese Dress through the Ages [Internet]. PureInsight; 2000-2011 [cited 2013 April 27]. Available from: http://www.pureinsight.org/node/1342.