What is your OOTD today?

There’s a huge difference in Chinese

costumes between generations. Have you seen Chinese people’s dress
code thousands of years ago? If you had one chance, which costume
would you try? If I got the chance, I would definitely try the female
clothing in the Tang dynasty, which I found the most attractive to me.
As we all know that the Tang dynasty was one of the most powerful
dynasties in Chinese history, achieving a huge success in culture, fashion,
diplomacy, and economy. Women wore a variety of garments, including
the iconic "ruqun" or "qixiong ruqun," which consisted of a high-waisted,
wide-sleeved top paired with a long, flowing skirt. The clothing was often
made from luxurious fabrics such as silk and adorned with intricate
embroidery and decorative patterns. Accessories like headdresses,
hairpins, and jewelry were also important elements of Tang dynasty
fashion.
Let us focus on some details of female clothing, which were simple but
chic. There were 3 main components of Tang female dress code and they
are, ‘Shan Zi’, which were long-sleeved tops with narrow sleeves that
usually left the chest half-exposed, then we got ‘Qun Zi’, which were
skirts with various colors sewn together sometimes, and finally ‘Pei Zi’,
which was a long scarf that worn over the shoulders and wrapped around
the back of the hand and is usually made of thin sarong with many
decorative techniques, such as printing, embroidery, painting, and so on.
Can you imagine how fashionable you would be after wearing a Tang
dress? I am impressed by Tang’s fashion not only because of the designs,
but also the way women can take control of their own bodies, can be able
to wear pretty clothes for horseback riding and get rid of the traditional
beauty standards. Compared to other dress codes of different dynasties,
women in Tang were usually less restricted and had a say on their
fashion. The clothing reflected the cultural and social status of women,
emphasizing grace, beauty, and a sense of refinement.
Tang clothing was also representing how prosperous and strong China
was while other countries were still keeping their monochrome and dull
dress code. The fashion culture of Tang clothing could actually bring us a
positive message of freedom to wear, for women and men as well, and
also showed the great techniques and innovative ideas of Tang designers.
Not to mention that Tang’s dressing culture successfully influenced the
surrounding nations, such as Japan and Korea.
Overall, Tang’s clothing culture was doubtlessly a crucial part of the great
Tang dynasty by illustrating amazing skills on making these clothes and
messages of personal values. Luckily, there are still some boutiques
providing old-style Chinese costumes so if you want to try it out, you
must not miss it.