In yesterday’s article, Menswear Before Mao, I mentioned how the Qing Dynasty imposed the “long shirt,” or chang shan, replacing the common menswear of the previous dynasty, which was the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).In turn, the Ming Dynasty had led massive reforms concerning dress—abolishing the traditional men’s attire of the previous dynasty, which was the Mongolian-led Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
The Ming Dynasty spent 20 years restoring and codifying the traditional dress of the Han people.
Interestingly, the Ming Dynasty was the last dynasty led by the Han Chinese, whose attire was termed the hanfu.
Menswear consisted of loose robes with wide sleeves and a round neckline. The unique item, however, was the embroidered square patch across the chest, the design and stitching of which varied with rank and status.
The headwear of the Ming officials is of particular interest, consisting of 2 winged flaps on each side and called the futou.
Throughout both the Ming and Qing Dynasties, men’s attire not only marked a man’s social class but also ethnicity.
