Physical Characteristics and Ancient Dress of Chinese People

Physical Characteristics of Chinese People

• Most Chinese people have typical East Asian phenotype, characterized by slanted/almond-shaped eyes, triangular cheeks, black hair/eyes, and a skin tone perceived as yellowish by Westerners
• Northern Chinese tend to have longer faces with smaller eyes, slimmer noses, brighter skin tones, and "flatter" cheeks

Dress in Ancient China

• Clothing symbolized status and profession in Ancient China
• Rich people wore silk, while poor people made their clothes out of hemp or ramie
• There were many rules about who could wear what, with the Emperor being the only one allowed to wear yellow
• Colour of clothing symbolized emotion, with white worn during mourning and red worn to show joy and happiness
• Red was also worn by the bride at a wedding

Ancient Chinese Fashion

• Ancient Chinese fashion consisted mostly of loose-fitted robes
• Women wore tunics that reached the ground, while men wore tunics that reached their knees
• Sleeves were long and loose-fitting, and sashes were worn as ornamentation and to hold clothing together
• Darker shades of clothing were preferred over light ones, with light colours mostly worn by common people

The Hanfu

• The Hanfu was the original Ancient Chinese clothing that underwent modifications throughout the different dynasties
• There were three variations of Ancient Chinese garments: the Pien-fu, the Ch'ang P'ao, and the Shenyi
• The Pien-fu was a two-piece ceremonial costume, the Ch'ang P'ao was a one-piece ankle-length tunic dress, and the Shenyi was a two-piece top and trouser/skirt outfit
• The Hanfu was made up of a knee-length tunic tied with a sash, narrow cuffs, a narrow knee-length skirt, and a long piece of fabric that reached the knees

Social Hierarchy in Clothing

• The higher the rank, the better the clothes they wore
• This included the length of a skirt, the wideness of a sleeve, and the amount of ornamentation
• Gender-specific clothing emerged later, with women's clothing being more diverse with more ornaments, items, and styles