Interested in the Chinese casual and formal dress? Find out how the Chinese dress according to the occasion.
The clothing of China has attracted world wide attention in modern times. We find the Chinese to have separate dresses for various occasions ranging from casual to formal wear.
Chinese casual wear
When we trace back the history of Chinese dresses we find the Hanfu dress and its variations to be the official traditional dress of China. Although there were a number of other dresses worn in China they were enforced by outsiders and not something that developed within the country.
The traditional casual wear consisted of tops and bottoms which were like pants and skirts worn by both men and women. Qun was the term used for women whereas the term shang was used for men. One piece robes have also been the traditional casual wear for the people of the country. These robes were relatively simple and had to be wrapped around the body several times. Such long full body garments were known as Shenyi.
The Quju was another casual body wrapping suit which was worn diagonally. Then you had the straight lapels known as the Zhiju dress. The Chinese had their own collection of undergarments that have actually become casual fashion wear in modern times. Examples include the dudou which was a body hugging under garment during the Ching dynasty and is today a fashion trend amongst the women. Similarly the Zhongyi is another white cotton or silk undergarment now worn as fashion.
Read more: Chinese Wedding Dress
The traditional Shanqun dress which featured a short coat that was worn along with a long skirt also comes under the heading of Chinese casual dresses. The Ruqum is another casual dress featuring a top garment and a lower garment shaped like a skirt. The men can be seen wearing a short coat with trousers known as Khuze.
One of the most unique Chinese casual dresses was the Zhidou which was a robe developed during the Ming Dynasty. It featured vents at both sides of the robe and had unique stitched sleeves that would barely allow the hands to go through.
Chinese formal wear
The Chinese had a collection of formal dresses that were reserved for special occasions like traditional or religious events as well important personal events like weddings and funerals.
A formal dark robe known as the Xuanduan is an all time classic formal dress that occupies the same place as the black coat and tie. Ceremonial dresses like the Daopaeo and Fusha were sported by Buddhist monks during important religious processions.
Another popular formal dress was the Yuanlighshan. There were a number of variations of this formal dress. Basically it was a closed robe with a round collar. Most commonly it was used as an academic or official dress.
The women would often wear a pleated skirt known as the Chang to formal occasions. The open fronted coat called the Zaoshan is another traditionally worn semi formal dress. The finishing touch to the formal dress would be added by a Guan which were formal hats often sported by Chinese men and women.
