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Historically,
China is different from other countries in the world. Its social
structure took the form of dynasties. When dynasties changed, the style
of dress immediately changed accordingly. Those costumes in the Sui and
Tang dynasties (581-907) were ornate and elegant.
Lady's Style of Apparel
For
ladies, there was a short sleeve style with a short jacket and skirt;
there was also a long sleeve style with a long skirt and shawl. There
was also a variety of hairdos with names like "The Watching Fairy
Hairdo," "The Cloud Hairdo," and "Twin Droop Hairdo." The costume
included the short skirt or shirt on the top, the long skirt on the
bottom, with shawl wrapped around the body, flower hairpins, and shoes
with silk or grass heels. When she went out, a lady could wear a bamboo
hat. For example, the noble lady in the painting "Pounding White Silk"
by Zhang Xuan is wearing a short skirt on top, with the waist of the
skirt pulled up to the armpit; the collar was tied with different kinds
of silk ribbons. After the high Tang period, sleeves got bigger and
bigger. In the end, the long sleeve became popular. In the ancient
painting titled "A Noble Lady with Flowers in Her Hair," you can see
the elegance and beauty as described in poems "The Long Skirt Floating
Like the Xiang Jiang River" and "The Short Skirt Showing Part of the
Breast." Like the moving clouds, and the running water, the dress and
the shawl draped around the body and fluttered along in the wind.
Wow,
one may wonder where one can get a chance to view these elegant
costumes. Going back 1000 years ago? That sounds not possible. Wait,
there is a good news. Headquartered in New York, the New Tang Dynasty
Television (NTDTV) feels strongly that it has a mission to spread the
heavenly culture of China, thus giving rise to the Chinese New Year
Spectacular's theme, myth, and legends (shows.ntdtv.com). After the
1960's cultural revolution, much of the essence from the Chinese
traditional culture was lost. Reviving these values and deep moral
meanings of Chinese arts, NTDTV started Chinese New Year Spectacular
performances in 2004. From these shows, one can enjoy the wonderful
costumes in Tang dynasty and more (http://holidaywonders.net/).
Gentleman's Kerchief and Round-Collar Robe
The
kerchief is a cloth wrapping for the hair and was usually made of
paulownia leaves, kudzu silk, vine, and leather. It was used to
maintain the hair in a fixed shape, like a wig. The two ends of the
kerchief were ribbons that hung down naturally over the neck and
shoulders. Different kinds of ribbons were used: some were soft, some
hard; some rounded, and some square shaped. The style varied slightly
from time to time depending on the fashion at the time. The
round-collar robe, which is also called a "reunion collar," was the
costume worn by eunuchs during the Sui and Tang dynasties. It is also
called the "daily costume" since it was the main article of clothing
for males. Usually, the costume had the round collar and clasped on the
right side. There was a border along the bottom of the robe. In
everyday life, a round-collar robe shirt together with black leather
boots was very popular. This style was not only free and easy, but also
handsome and spirited.
Tags:
costume, fashion, shopping, style, Tang dynasty
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Posted on 12/1/2007
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