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 It
was from the Xia and Shang Dynasties
that dress system came into being in China.
From then on the distinctions as to color, design and adornment of dress
were strictly made among the emperor, officials and the common people.
During the Sui and Tang,
the unity of ancient China and the prosperity of economy brought about new
thoughts, and the dress became splendid, particularly the décolletage
appeared. Because of the intensity of the feudal ideology, the
patterns of dress and adornment gradually became conservative from the
Song and Ming Dynasties. Influenced by western cultures, the designs were
more fitting and tasteful from late Ming.
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  The
patterns of ancient dress were classified
into two main types: the pien-fu,
and the shen-i.
Typical of these two types of clothing, besides
their wide cut and voluminous sleeves, were a design utilizing mainly
straight lines, and a loose fit forming natural folds, regardless of
whether the garment was allowed to hang straight or was bound with a sash
at the waist. All types of traditional Chinese garments, whether tunic and
trousers or tunic and skirt, utilized a minimum number of stitches for the
amount of cloth used. And because of their relatively plain design and
structure, embroidered edgings, decorated bands, draped cloth or silks,
embellishment on the shoulders, and sashes were often added as
ornamentation. These decorative bands, appliquéd borders, and richly
varied embroidered designs came to be one of the unique features of
traditional Chinese dress.
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Darker colors were favored over lighter ones
in traditional Chinese clothing, so the main color of ceremonial clothing
tended to be dark, accented with elaborate embroidered or woven tapestry
designs rendered in bright colors. Lighter colors were more frequently
used by the common people in clothes for everyday and around the house.
The Chinese associate certain colors with specific seasons, for example, green
represents spring, red is for summer, white for autumn, and black for
winter. The Chinese can be said to have a
fully developed system of matching, coordinating, and contrasting colors
and shades of light and dark in apparel.
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