Tang Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, from the change of clothing to see the changes in China's history

The Tang Dynasty, the heyday of China's feudal society, both people's thinking, and material production have reached a historical peak. Beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the craft decoration commonly used floral patterns, its composition is lively and free, sparse and dense, plump and rounded. Especially after the wave-like continuous pattern combined with flowers and plants, the Tang Dynasty costume pattern, changed the previous kind of creative ideas with the gift of God, with real flowers, grass, fish, insects for sketching, but the traditional dragon, phoenix pattern is not excluded, which is also determined by the influence of the divine right of the emperor. At this time, the design of dress patterns tended to express a free, plump and fat artistic style. Late Tang Dynasty dress pattern is more delicate and beautiful. Flower and bird dress pattern, border pattern, group flower dress pattern in the silk gauze on the soft clothing, it is really flowery, compete with each other. As the five generations of Wang Jian said: "Luo shirt leaf leaves embroidered heavy, gold phoenix silver goose each a bush, every dance time two directions, peace long live the word in the middle." Today, we see these gorgeous and beautiful dress patterns, is the painters in the Dunhuang Grottoes with hard labor for future generations to preserve the precious image of the information. The development of the Tang Dynasty clothing is the overall development, this time the design of clothing patterns tend to express the freedom, fullness, flamboyance, rounded, in the shoes, hats, scarves, jade pendants, hairstyles, make-up, jewelry performance, all illustrate this feature. The Tang Dynasty inherited the styles of the Zhou, Warring States and Wei and Jin Dynasties, integrating the rigor of the Zhou Dynasty's dress pattern design, the stretch of the Warring States Period, the brightness of the Han Dynasty, and the elegance of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and becoming more flamboyant on the basis of which the dress and dress pattern reached a historical peak; the influence of the Tang Dynasty's dress and dress pattern on the future generations has been carried on to the present day. The use of twining twig pattern in modern dress pattern demonstrates the implication generated by the combination of traditional pattern and modern aesthetic sense. It is the Tang Dynasty's prevalent twining branch pattern.

The women's clothing of the Tang Dynasty can be categorized into three types:

1, narrow-sleeved shirt-jackets and long skirts;

2, hu clothes;

3, women dressed in men's clothes.

These three different characteristics of clothing, constitute the mainstream of women's clothing in the Sheng Tang Dynasty. Women dressed in hu clothing, wearing men's clothing, but also a major feature of the Sheng Tang Dynasty.

Characteristics of dress in the Qing Dynasty

While the Manchu race was formed in the early 17th century, its ancestry can be traced back to the Sushin people of more than 3,000 years ago, from the Jin Dynasty and the Women's Genghis Khan of the Ming Dynasty. The Sushans are an ancient people who have long lived in the northeast frontier of China, and they make their living by hunting, which is the ancestor of the Manchus. Manchu clothing and costumes, basically inherited from the female genitalia. The custom of the female real people is "good white clothes, stay behind the skull hair, braided hair down the shoulder, tied with color silk, women bun", is "good at riding and archery, like farming, good fishing and hunting of the nation". When hunting, they often use "birch bark as a bow, blowing the sound of yoyo, calling the elk and shooting". So when the snowy winter comes, they are to "fur as clothing, not into the room is not withdrawn".

Second, the Manchu dress

1, Manchu hair. Manchu hair style and the Han are very different. Han Chinese stay full hair, Manchu in accordance with the habits of their own people, men "half shaved half stay, braided hair down to the shoulder, tied to the color silk". Manchu women braided hair buns, married women's hair and many names, such as braided hair plate top of the "big plate head"; the formation of two horns of the "rack head"; top of the head combed into the left and right horizontal width of one foot, about eight inches high "two head", also known as "two head". ", also known as "Ruyi head", which is the most typical hair style of Manchu women.

2, the Manchu have the habit of wearing leather. The Manchu people for the riding nation, good at hunting, so do not distinguish between the poor and the lowly, all with fur for clothing. Rich fall and winter to "ermine, green mouse, fox or lamb skin", the poor with "cattle, horses, pigs, sheep and dogs or elk skin for pants for the shirt". 1644 Manchu customs, with the improvement of social status and the economy, in Manchuria, the aristocracy, the wind of wearing leather is unabated.

3, the Manchus have the habit of wearing arrow sleeves, arrow clothes. Arrow sleeve is generally known as horseshoe sleeve, Manchu said "waha", is a Manchu robe and coat is very characteristic of a sleeve. Arrow clothes, is a kind of coat with horseshoe sleeves, used to be hunting, fighting clothes, especially adapted to winter riding. Horseshoe sleeves cover the back of the hand, whether holding the reins gallop, or disk bow and arrow can protect the back of the hand from freezing.

4, the Manchu people like to wear "cheongsam" and "lack of lapel robe". Cheongsam means "flag woman's robe". Early in the northeastern region, is men and women, young and old, all year round can not leave the clothes, can be made into a single, clip, leather, cotton and other styles. After the unification of the Qing Dynasty, the cheongsam was mainly worn by women, the style has developed and decorative. Qing Dynasty women's cheongsam also fashionable "big sleeves". Sleeve length over the hand, the lower part of the sleeve color embroidery using a variety of different colors with the sleeve surface pattern, and then pull it out, chic, beautiful. In addition, there is a display of national characteristics of the robe is called "lack of lapel robe", the right front lapel of the robe is missing about one foot, can be connected with buttons on the lapel, is to ride a horse for convenience.

5, the Manchu people like to wear jewelry. In the Manchu custom is very important to wear jewelry, which is the most common ornaments, such as bags, pouches. Purse in Manchu called "Fadu", Manchu hanging "Fadu" has a long history. As for the folk use of the purse is also a lot, in addition to the usual hanging wear, such as the mother's birthday, the child full moon, over the gift, welcome relatives and other things, and even young men and women can not be separated from the purse as gifts and tokens of love.

Third, the folk costumes of the Qing Dynasty

"Rolling color embroidery" is a major feature of the folk costumes of the Qing Dynasty, especially in women's clothing more prominent. "Inlaid roll embroidery color" refers to the dress is not only pay attention to inlaid all kinds of color teeth and flower taping, but also add embroidery, is the rural women's headscarf, apron, lapel, shoes, etc. are also to use a variety of colorful silk embroidery some lace patterns.

1, robes, coats. Qing dynasty Manchu people often wear the waistcoat is more prevalent in the Qing dynasty a coat. It uses materials to save, production and wear are very convenient, instead of the ancient dress, which is easy to accept the reason for later generations. Qing Dynasty robe and coat modeling complete and rigorous, closed, so the image of solemn, dignified, noble and extraordinary, appears to be unique, breaking through the thousands of years to praise the clothes Bo belt type of clothing, for the world to leave a deep memory.

2, hat. Qing Dynasty people like to wear hats. Roughly divided into: warm hats, cool hats, hats and women wear Kunqiu hat. The so-called warm hat, is worn in winter, round, the brim for the upturned shape, the top of the hat has red Aman as a decoration. Cool cap, no brim, shaped like the Northeast rural sauce jar on the lid "sauce cape". Hat, commonly known as "melon hat", is the most popular hat in the Qing Dynasty, young and old are wearing, six petals sewn together, the top of the hat to be decorated with a velvet knotted "big bumps", commonly known as "abacus knot ". In order to distinguish between the front and back of the hat, but also in the middle of the hat edge nailed on a clear sign - cap is, more jade, jadeite and other gems to decorate. Kunqiu hat is a kind of hat worn by women, style and men's warm hat is similar, also for the leather brim on the tilt. Top of the hat with red, blue, purple satin for the surface, the top has a cover flower, more embroidery or gold and silver for decoration.

3, shoulders. The South called vest, because it is easy to wear, protect the heart and by the Qing Dynasty men, women and children's favorite, but also often set it outside the robe to wear, invariably play a decorative role. According to the lapel shape is divided into three kinds: big lapel, pipa lapel, a zigzag lapel. One of the "zigzag" front called "Batulu shoulders," Manchu meaning warriors wear vest, more popular among the children of the Eight Banners.

4, skirts, pants. Qing dynasty Manchu women wore skirts and pants, skirts to long skirts, group style varied. Such as the early fashion "moonlight skirt", in the skirt pleats within the floral pattern, like the beauty of the moonlight illumination. Mid-popular "phoenix-tailed skirt" with gold and silver thread to the skirt pieces and connect, like a phoenix tail. During the Qianlong period, women like to wear light yellow shirts with pink edges, with embroidered skirts and pants. Xianfeng, Tongzhi years in the phoenix-tailed skirt on the basis of the reform became "fish scale pleated skirt", that is, in the skirt at the bottom of the hem with a line cross-linked, so that it can be spread can be closed, shaped like fish scales. Guangxu late skirt and appeared in the skirt with straps, sharp corners decorated with gold, silver, copper bells, action, jingling. Qing Dynasty women's skirts to red for the expensive, festive season more red skirt, this color preference affects to this day.

5, boots, shoes. Qing Dynasty men generally wear boots, which is a reflection of the life of the riding nation. After the Manchu customs, due to the warm climate, the economic situation has improved, people will no longer wear clumsy leather Woodruff, but with fabric boots. According to the provisions of the Qing dynasty, only officials are allowed to wear square boots. So the folk men are wearing pointed boots, the same style between rich and poor, only with different materials.

Women in the Qing dynasty pay attention to wear high-heeled wooden shoes, especially in the Manchu aristocratic women more common. This is also the most characteristic of the Qing Dynasty shoes, later called "flag shoes". Its style is the high heel placed in the center of the shoe, generally more than three inches high, wooden heel, wrapped in white cloth, not ground part of the majority of embroidery or beads and other methods to decorate. According to the shape of the wooden bottom of the "flowerpot bottom" and "horseshoe bottom" two kinds.