The origin of Tang suit and cheongsam

This representative, praised as "Oriental Women's Wear" by contemporary international fashion circles, is now loved not only by Han women in China, but also by women in Western Europe and the United States. In fact, when it comes to cheongsam, it originated from the national costume of Manchu women in the middle of16th century. As for who designed this cheongsam and how did it spread? There is such a beautiful legend among Manchu people. Legend has it that there was once a Manchu fisherman girl on the bank of Jingbo Lake, who was called "black girl" because of her black face and ingenuity. She found it inconvenient to fish in a fat skirt handed down from ancient times, so she cut out a gown with multiple buttons in a dress, which not only saved the cloth from fitting, but also facilitated labor. Later, she was elected as the black queen of the palace. Because she didn't like officialdom life and the fat and big geographical skirt of mountains and rivers, she wore a multi-button mixed robe sewn by herself. The emperor thought she was guilty of changing the official uniform, so he kicked her out of the palace, kicked her in the middle of the back and died. The Manchu people in Kanto cried for three days when they heard the news of the death of the Black Queen, and wore the robes she cut to commemorate her. Later, women in the flag found it convenient and more people wore it, so they called it "cheongsam". Strange to say, women who wear cheongsam have become very slim and handsome. It is said that the ingenious black queen helped them dress up in the dark. Of course, this is only a folklore, but it also shows how long it has taken for this Manchu national costume cheongsam to develop from the initial wide waist straight tube to the streamlined cheongsam with smooth lines and close-fitting body that modern women in Han Qi love. At the earliest time, the cheongsam worn by flag bearers was generally not enough. Only when Manchu women get married do they wear enough cheongsam as a wedding dress. Because Manchu aristocratic women wear high-heeled clogs and cheongsam crosses their feet to cover their feet. Qing ancestors entered the customs and moved the capital to Beijing, and cheongsam became popular in the Central Plains. The Qing Dynasty unified China and national costumes. Men wear robes and mandarin jackets, and women wear cheongsam. Later, with the integration and unification of Manchu and Han life, cheongsam was not only absorbed by Han women, but also innovated constantly. Especially with the revolution of 1911, cheongsam quickly spread all over the country. From the 1920s to the early 1930s, the short robe popular in western women's clothing was absorbed, and the cheongsam became shorter, with the length only reaching the knee, the cuffs narrowed and the piping narrowed. In the mid-1930s, cheongsam gradually became longer and even dragged to the floor, with high rights on both sides. The waistline becomes extremely narrow and even fits, showing the curve of women. In the forties, the cheongsam was shortened again, and the sleeves were so short that they were completely cancelled. It almost returned to the era of long vest 200 years ago, but the difference is that it is lighter, more suitable and more streamlined. In recent years, the style of cheongsam has undergone new reforms, and new styles with contemporary openness have emerged, such as back sleeve cheongsam, shoulder seam cheongsam, hidden pleated cheongsam, short-sleeved cheongsam and sleeveless cheongsam.

2. The prosperity of "Tang costume" can be regarded as a symbol of the revival of Chinese civilization. However, despite the grand symbolic significance behind it, "Tang suit" itself is actually a rather vague concept. What is the connotation of this term? There are many expressions in fashion, such as "Hanfu" and "Huafu". Many people are puzzled by the term "Tang costume": Is there nothing to wear when China is as big as the Tang Dynasty?

In fact, "Tang costume" is basically a cheongsam in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. The origin of the word "Tang suit" also has the flavor of "export to domestic sales" Foreigners call "China Street" Chinatown, and naturally China people's clothes are called "Tang suit".

The title of "Tang suit" actually originated from overseas. In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, its reputation spread far and wide overseas. Later, overseas countries called China "Tang people". "Biography of Foreign True Wax in Ming History" said: "People in the Tang Dynasty were also called China people by various (foreigners). All overseas countries are definitely. " Therefore, Chinese communities in the United States, Southeast Asia and even Europe are called "Chinatown", while overseas Chinese call themselves Tang people precisely because the Tang Dynasty has been a dynasty that China people are proud of since ancient times. It is not only logical to refer to the traditional Chinese clothes worn by the Tang people living in Chinatown as "Tang clothes", but also has become a customary overseas address and an internationally recognized China address. At the beginning of the 20th century, under the social background of "Chinese and western costumes go hand in hand", compatriots in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao used "Tang suit" and "western suit" to distinguish Chinese and western costumes. At the 200 1 Shanghai APEC meeting, China, as the host, invited the leaders of Asia-Pacific economies to put on "Tang suit", which set off a new wave of peaceful and festive "Tang suit". This is not only the integration of tradition and modernity, but also the inevitability of fashion laws, and it is also the embodiment of China's status and demeanor in the international family.

The origin of Tang suit is very close to us, so it is easier to reintegrate into our lives. For example, wearing a coat of Tang suit can be matched with trousers and leather shoes, with a windbreaker outside and a high collar inside ... This trait is a practical factor beyond the cultural level of the revival of Tang suit, but it is also indispensable in fashion. It is precisely because of this that the robes and sleeves worn by real people in the Tang Dynasty, even closer to our Ming Dynasty robes, are basically unlikely to return to fashion. Their regression may be through another form, that is, elements.