Ancient Chinese Attire
M Ciapponi
Who Wore What
In China different people wore different things. Emperors were the only ones that could where yellow. The schooler wore long robes and curled shoes. People on the wealthier side wore expensive silk robes. Farmers and Peasants wore inexpensive cloths, such as long shirts made of hemp. Hemp is plant fiber woven into cloths. Men often wore hats.
About Robes
Robes where very popular in China, and they still are. The Chinese layered their robes. During the warmer weather they wore less layers but the layers where thin. When it was cooler weather they wore padding in-between the cloth in the robes. The top layer was always the most beautiful. Robes tied around the waist.
Pein-fu
Pein-fu is a two piece ceremonial tunic expanding to the knees, skirt for woman or trousers for men.
Ch'ang-p'ao
Ch'ang-p'ao is a early one piece ceremonial dress, shoulders to heels.
Shen-i
Shen-i is a cross between the pienfu and changpao. The skirt or trousers and tunic are stitched together to make it a one-piece dress.
chinese clothing
Foot Binding
Foot Binding was attempted many times. They practiced for 1,000 years before they got it right. Court maidens started foot binding then soon upper class began to bind. The purpose of foot binding was to make women feet look smaller and more arched. Long painful process. What they did was break the bone and let it heal in a three inch arch shape.