Chinese Culture: Clothing and Appearance

Physical Appearance of Chinese People

• Average Chinese individuals often have slanted or almond-shaped eyes, triangular cheeks, black hair and eyes, and a skin tone viewed as yellowish by Westerners.
• Northern Chinese individuals typically have longer faces, smaller eyes, slimmer noses, brighter skin tones, and flatter cheeks.

Clothing Symbols in Ancient China

• Clothing in ancient China symbolized a person's status and profession.
• Poor people commonly made their clothes from hemp or ramie, while the wealthy preferred silk.

Color Significance in Dress

• White clothing was worn during periods of mourning.
• Red clothing symbolized joy and happiness and was traditionally worn by brides at weddings.

Dress Code During the Sui Dynasty

• Poor individuals were restricted to wearing black or blue during the Sui Dynasty.
• Only the emperor was permitted to wear yellow.
• Cotton was a popular fabric among the poor due to its affordability.

Men's and Women's Garments

• Men's tunics typically reached the knees, while women's dresses extended to the ground.
• Sashes served both ornamental purposes and as fasteners to secure clothing.

General Clothing Traits

• Common Chinese individuals generally wore lighter clothing.
• Traditional attire was referred to as Han Chinese clothing.

Variations of Hanfu

• Hanfu had three major variations: Pien-fu, Ch'ang P'ao, and Shenyi.
• The Pien-fu consisted of a two-piece ceremonial outfit with a knee-length tunic and an ankle-length skirt or trousers.
• The Ch'ang P'ao was a one-piece tunic dress, reaching ankle length.
• The Shenyi was a combination of a separately cut top and trouser/skirt, designed to create a one-piece look.

Clothing Features

• Cuffs were known as "yi."
• The knee-length skirt was called "shang."
• A long piece of fabric reaching the knees was referred to as "bixi."

Influence of Rank on Attire

• Social rank affected the length of skirts, width of sleeves, and the level of ornamentation on clothing.
• The Shenyi variation of Hanfu was predominantly worn by males.

Imperial Colors and Symbols

• The emperor's colors included yellow and purple, both featuring the dragon emblem.

Qipao Description

• The Qipao is a one-piece dress characterized by two wide openings at the sides, designed to fit at the hips.