Ancient Chinese Fashion: A Portrait Of Honorable Chinese Virtues

Nowadays, fashion crazes in China are becoming more Westernized because of globalization and exposure to many Western fashion magazines such as Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue. I am not against globalization but sometimes, the original meaning of Chinese fashion is forgotten, specifically among the trend-driven Chinese youth. On a recent journey to China, I learned some intriguing facts about what fashion really meant to the early Chinese civilization.

A detailed look at some of the ancient flowing robes and dresses worn by the Chinese women in the Tang Dynasty reveals a lot of information about the lush Chinese history and culture. These long and magnificent dresses were worn everyday, proving that the early Chinese women were disciplined to proudly follow strict standards in society, and to represent their social classes with integrity and honor. The ancient Chinese society also saw fashion as a means of proclaiming their thoughts about their surroundings. Since the natural color of the sky is black before the sun rises, and the shade of the earth is considered as yellow or brown, people during the old times would wear flowing silk robes with the top part in a black color and the lower part in a yellow hue.