Qing Yun - Famous Essays That Touch China

Author: Yi Lei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: If the clothes passed down through generations had not been sold in large quantities to second-hand dealers, the annual June clothes-drying ritual would have been a magnificent and lively event. Walking between bamboo poles, you would be surrounded by walls of silk and satin—those were the corridors unearthed from ancient palaces buried underground. You would press your forehead against the gold-threaded embroidered fabric. When the sun was on this side, the gold threads would be scorching hot, but they had now cooled down. The ancestors had worked hard their entire lives, and their deeds gradually covered with dust; when their descendants hung clothes, they shook the dust back into the air, dancing in the yellow sunlight. If memories had a scent, it would be the fragrance of camphor—sweet and secure, like a clearly remembered joy, sweet and wistful, like forgotten sorrow. We are not very good at imagining the past world—so slow, quiet, and orderly—under the rule of the Manchu for three hundred years, women had no fashion at all! Generations wore the same clothes without finding them boring. When the country was founded, because of "men were lowered but women were not," women's clothing still retained a distinct Ming Dynasty influence. From the mid-17th century to the end of the 19th century, extremely loose robes and pants were in fashion, exuding a calm and steady air. Collars were very low, almost non-existent. Worn over the robes were "outer robes." In informal settings, if the robes were wide, the "middle robes" would be exposed. Inside the "middle robes" were tight-fitting "inner robes," which were not removed even when going to bed—mostly in delicate peach or water-red. On top of the three robes were "cloud-shoulder vests," with wide black satin borders adorned with large cloud-shaped designs. Under the heavy layers of clothing, the ideal beauty with (shoulders), (waist), (flat chest), and thin, small features disappeared. She herself did not exist; she was merely a clothing rack. Chinese people disapproved of women who drew too much attention. Historical records of shocking virtues—such as having an arm cut off by a stranger—were generally praised, but the intellectual class always felt a subtle sense of regret, because a woman should not attract excessive attention; even a name as renowned as iron could rust in the breath of millions. If a woman wanted to stand out, even this dignified path was opposed, let alone eccentric clothing, which was naturally considered morally corrupting. When going out, women wore skirts over their pants. The standardization was even more thorough. They were usually black, but for festive occasions, the wife would wear red, the concubine pink, and widows black. However, after her husband had passed away many years ago, if she had in-laws living, she could wear lake blue or sky blue. The pleats on the skirt were a strict test of a woman's grace. Well-bred girls would walk with a slow, graceful step, and though their pleated skirts might not be completely motionless, they would only sway slightly. Girls who were not used to wearing skirts would give the impression of being like a storm in a teacup when walking. Even stricter was the red skirt of a bride, with ribbons hanging down from the waist, each about half an inch wide, with bells tied to the ends. When moving, only a faint tinkling sound was allowed, like the wind chimes on a pagoda in the distance. It wasn't until around the 1920s that more relaxed and free-flowing wide-pleated skirts became fashionable, and only then were these types of skirts completely abolished. Wearing leather was considered a sign of nouveau riche, and leather clothing had strict seasonal rules, categorized in great detail. If it was exceptionally cold in October, it was acceptable to wear three layers of leather, but what kind of leather to wear depended on the season rather than the weather. In early winter, people wore "small fur," such as blue goat, purple lamb, and pearl lamb; then "medium fur," such as silver marten, gray marten, gray-backed marten, fox leg, sweet shoulder, and Japanese knife; in midwinter, "large fur"—white fox, blue fox, western fox, black fox, and purple sable. Only those with "merits" could wear sable. The middle and lower classes were much wealthier in the past, and most had a cashmere or sheepskin robe with gold or silver embroidery. The "Hou Jing set" for girls added a touch of color to the gloomy winter months. According to historical paintings, the wind hat worn by Hou Jing when she went to the frontier was Eskimo-style, simple and elegant, and was often imitated by Hollywood stars. In the 19th century, China's "Hou Jing set" was, however, wildly flamboyant—a round hat with a leather brim, adorned with large P8-9