Beizi (p=bèizi), also known as beizi (p=bēizi)
Terminology
translates literally to "person sitting behind".
History
Origins
The beizi originated in the
Song dynasty;
it is assumed that it was derived from the
banbi, where the sleeves and the garment lengthened.
According to
Ye Mengde, the was initially worn as a military clothing with half-sleeves; the sleeves were later extended and hanging ribbons were added from the armpits and back.
According to both
Zhu Xi and
Lu You, did not exist in earlier eras and only became popular in the Late Northern Song dynasty.
Song dynasty
In the
Song dynasty, the was worn by all social strata regardless of gender; however, it was a more prevalent in people of the higher social status.
and Emperor Huizong both wore yellow , while the Grand Councillors of the Northern Song period would wear purple with a round collar; this form of fashion remained until the Xuanhe period.
The had a straight silhouette, and the Song dynasty people liked its elegance which reflect the cultural and psychological development of Song dynasty culture that valued simplicity.
During the Song dynasty, the was worn as a casual form of clothing by the recluse and retired officials; it could be worn over a zhiduo.
Ming dynasty
Women's became so long by the 16th century that it caused some anxieties to government officials as the women's started to look closer to the men's clothing. Traditionally, women's upper garments stopped at her waist, being covered with a lower garment in order to represent "earth supporting heaven".
It was perceived as a confusion between man and woman, as men who traditionally had their upper garments covering their lower garments to symbolize "heaven embracing earth".
The was a prominent clothing for women in the late Ming dynasty as a daily dress in the 16th and 17th century.
Qing dynasty
During the Qing dynasty, the Ming-style form of clothing remained dominant for Han Chinese women; this included the .
In the 17th and 18th century AD, the was one of the most common clothing and fashion worn by women in Qing dynasty, along with the
ruqun,
Cloud collar, taozi and
bijia.
The pifeng continued to be worn even after the fall of the
Qing dynasty, but eventually disappeared by the 19th century.
21st century: Modern beizi and pifeng
The and which are based on various dynasties regained popularity in the 21st century with the emergence of the
Hanfu movement and were modernized or improved.
Construction and design
The has a straight silhouette with vents and seams at the sides.
It has a parallel/straight-collar ();
where a pair of disconnected foreparts lay parallel to each other.
The could also be found with side slits, which could start at beginning at the armpit down its length, or without any side slits at all.
In the
Song dynasty, the was not fastened so that the inner clothing could be exposed.
The also came in variety of lengths, and the sleeves could vary in size (i.e. either narrow or broad).
, section "Ceremonial Usages" between 1700 and 1725
Qing dynasty.]] In the
Song dynasty, other styles of were also found in addition to the aforementioned style:
-
There is a style of wherein ribbons could be hung from both the armpits and the back, with a silk belt which fastened the front and back of the together, or the front and back parts of the could also be left unbound.
-
A "half-beizi", a with short sleeves; it was originally worn as a military uniform but it was then worn by the literati and the commoners despite being against the Song dynasty's dressing etiquette.
-
A "sleeveless ", which looks like a Waistcoat, was used as a casual clothing and could be found in the market.
The also developed with time. The earlier Song dynasty
