(l=robe), also known as (2026). 750850612X, China International Press. 750850612X
Terminology
The term is composed of the Chinese characters , which literally means "robe", and which literally means "clothing". The character is the same character which is used as an abbreviated synonym of .
The Chinese character 袍 can be found in ancient texts dating prior to the Qin and Han dynasties, such as in the .
Naming based on design
There are different types of , which can be referred by different names and terms based on its style, cut, length, and specific features.
The term is a generic term which refers to robes which are long in length and can include different forms of long robes, such as the ancient , the .
There are also specific terms which is used to described with or without lining or padding: for example, and ,
There are specific types of , which can be named based on their specific cut, construction, accessories, and wearing styles, are the:
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– a simple, loose-fitting robes with long, open sleeves, a style worn by men which provided a carefree look to its wearer.
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– long robe with a cross-collar closing which closes to the right; worn since the Zhou dynasty.
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vs vs
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– dragon robe.
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– an ancient term used to refer to the which closed on the left side in a style called as defined by the .
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vs
Construction and design
The and the are both one-piece robes as an result.
However, the difference between those two is the cut and construction of the garment.
The is composed of two parts: an upper garment called and a lower garment called , which are then sewn together into a one-piece robe;
Typically the closes on the right side in a style called and was a very important symbol of cultural identity for the Han Chinese.
History
Zhou dynasty
In the
Zhou dynasty, was one of the basic clothing worn by the
Han Chinese people, along with the Chinese
trousers, called .
The style of which was widely worn in this period is the , which was a long robe with an overlapping front closing on the right side, a style called .
The was made with 2-length of fabric which started from the back hem and continued down to the front hem without discontinuity over the shoulders; they were then sewed at the central region of the back and under the arms which often allowed for side vents on the lower side seams to be formed.
To form the sleeves, 2 additional pieces of fabrics were sewed together at the shoulder regions of the garment.
It was left open in the front, and it could be closed at the waist with a tie or with a belt.
Other pieces of fabric could be added to make the width at the sides bigger or to create the overlapping front of the robe.
Han dynasty
The became a prominent form of attire in the
Han dynasty; it was mainly worn by men, although it was sometimes worn by women. Even with the rising popularity of , women continued to wear .
In the Han dynasty, was typically worn by the members of royalty and by the aristocrats as an outerwear.
It was also the uniform of government officials.
Around the 206 BC, the worn by elders had large sweeping sleeves which would be tied tightly to the wrist.
The could be found in different length; the , which could reach down to the ankles, were usually worn by scholars or elderlies whereas knee-length were worn by warriors and heavy labourers.
Elderlies started to wear the ankle-length after 206 BC.
The in the Han dynasty had linings; and it could be called or based on whether it was padded.
Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties
By the
Caowei, Jin and Northern and Southern dynasties, the of the
Han dynasty evolved into the and into the more complex and elaborate women's , .
The -style appears to have been a Northern Chinese style instead of a Southern Chinese style.
The -style eventually became fashionable in the South.
Loose with flowing, loose sleeves was a popular style among men from diverse social strata in the Eastern Jin and in the Southern dynasties period; a was sometimes attached to the waist of the .
The style also appeared on the images of Gautama Buddha which dates from the late 5th century AD.
Sui and Tang dynasties
In the
Tang dynasty, the evolved into a with a round collar,
referred as or . However, Tang dynasty women also continued to wear long and loose which was tied and knotted with a large sash at the hipline.
Song dynasty
Yuan dynasty
Ming dynasty
In
Ming dynasty, the continued to be worn by commoner men; it was worn with an undershirt, loose trousers (), and a sash around the waist.
Other specific forms of also coexisted such as: , , , , and , etc.
Qing dynasty
Derivatives and influences
Japan
The
kimono was based on a type of Chinese which was popular in the 8th century AD Japanese court.
Korea
Chinese-style () influenced by the
Han dynasty coexisted together with the native Korean during the Three Kingdom period.
The po influenced by the Han dynasty either had a straight collar crossing at the front, which is referred as (), or had a straight collar which does not overlap at the front, which is referred as (); the sleeves of the Chinese-style were also long enough to cover the back of the hands; the robe could reach the ankle-level or longer, and could even trail on the ground.
During the Goguryeo period, a form of , which was the precursor of the , was adopted and worn by the upper class of Goguryeo in various forms for ceremonies and rituals.
The () originated from the Chinese's ; it was introduced from the Tang dynasty was introduced during the Silla.
See also
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Hanfu
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List of Hanfu
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Swallow-tailed Hems and Flying Ribbons clothing
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– Chinese upper garment
