A Comparison of Chinese and Western Clothing Culture

Comparison of Chinese and Western Dress Culture

Dress is a kind of culture, which can reflect a nation's cultural quality, spiritual outlook and the degree of development of material civilization, and it is also a kind of "language", which records the historical changes of social politics, economy and culture in a non-textual way. As one of the representatives of the culture of each country, there is a great difference between China and the West.

Chinese and Western costumes are influenced by their different philosophies and cultures, which reflect different characteristics: the aesthetic sense of the ancient Chinese costume was greatly influenced by ancient Chinese philosophical thinking - Confucianism and Taoism. Confucianism pursues the fundamental ideas of interpersonal harmony, the unity of man and heaven, and the unity of body and mind, paying attention to "neutrality" and "correctness of clothing", corresponding to the space of the dress to the right as the beauty of the center of the body, emphasizing the upper body space centered on the crown and clothing. Taking Hanbok as an example, the importance attached to rank and rituals was present throughout the development of Hanbok, which was reflected in the form of the clothing system - the upper garment, the lower garment system, the deep garment system, the Confucian skirt system, the color scheme - the five colors of green, white, red, yellow and black as the main colors, and the etiquette of the dress, etc. Different parts of the dress symbolized the beauty of heaven and earth, and the center was regarded as honorable. Different parts of the dress symbolize heaven and earth, the four seasons of the year, the twelfth month, etc., reflecting the pursuit of the unity of heaven and earth and man. This shows the influence of Confucianism on Chinese dress culture. The influence of Taoism on Chinese dress culture is on the idea of "the unity of heaven and man". Taoism believes that a purely natural state is the most ideal state for human beings, so the dress should also conform to nature, tend to nature, and integrate into nature. It advocates no precious colors and bad decorations. In terms of styling, it promotes simplicity and rusticity, and cuts out superfluous and cumbersome decorations. In general, Confucianism makes the dress culture tends to be simple and square, rigorous and polite personality style, Taoist thought and highlights the clean heart and quiet, transcendent and indifferent emotional mood. Both *** with the role of the Chinese dress gradually formed a free and easy, dignified and elegant style.

Unlike China, Western civilization is characterized by democracy and science. Compared with Chinese dress culture, which tends to focus on the beauty of the spiritual personality, the kernel of Western dress culture is to highlight the beauty of the human body. The second is the functionality and rationality of clothing. They advocate the tradition of human body, and demand that the dress should be able to better express and reflect the beauty of the wearer's body. The Western concept of dress is to serve the human body, express and reflect the characteristics of the wearer's human body through the clothing, and use the clothing to highlight the individuality, show the individuality, and express the affirmation of the self-worth and importance of it.

In terms of clothing pattern, shape and color, there are various differences between Chinese and Western clothing. Patterns, Chinese and Western clothing on a variety of pattern choices, Chinese clothing on the choice of pattern has always liked to use the peony, auspicious clouds, dragons and phoenixes such auspicious patterns, as a way to express the good wishes, reflecting people's aspirations for a better life. Western dress patterns are mostly colorful flowers and plants, which are gorgeous and varied. In terms of shape, the shape of traditional Chinese dress emphasizes the vertical feeling, often using sagging lines, overhand long sleeves and tube-shaped robes and skirts. The longitudinal decorative technique makes the wearer look long and slender. The slenderness of the shape of the garment is to make up for the short stature of the Oriental people, creating an illusion in the senses, so as to achieve a more harmonious and perfect proportion. The appearance of Western classical clothing emphasizes the horizontal feeling, using the expansion of the shoulder contour, swelling sleeves, huge skirts and overlapping lace, the clothing as a whole presents an exaggerated and outwardly radiating effect, and such characteristics and the passionate and exuberant Westerners, outstanding personality, tall body features compatible with the characteristics. Color, the choice of dress color, often can also prove a national subconscious character traits, black is considered by the ancients is the domination of all things in heaven and earth colors, Xia, Shang and Zhou when the son of heaven's coronation dress that is black. Later, there are "green, red, black, white, yellow" five colors, known as the right color. In the West, the choice of color by the influence of religion, prefer pure white, and noble purple. Later by the Renaissance dress after the influence of luxury, bright colors are favored.

Whether in the East or the West, the culture of dress has always been able to clearly reflect the characteristics of each country in different times, the characteristics of the nation. However, with today's economic globalization, the various cultures of China and the West continue to intermingle, and the dress culture has also produced a fusion in the process. Chinese dress is trying to connect with the world, and at the same time of receiving the nutrients from various countries, to come out of a fashionable but without losing the national characteristics of the road.