Cutrual tips

Costume in the Tang Dynasty
A unified and prosperous China was established during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In China's history, the Tang Dynasty was a period when the polity and economy were highly developed and culture and art were thriving.

Women's dress and personal adornments during the Tang Dynasty were outstanding. The clothing materials were exquisite, styles were natural and elegant, and adornments were beautiful. Although garment styles followed those of the Han (206BC-220AD) and Sui Dynasties (581-618), they were also influenced by Western art and culture.

The national power of the High Tang was especially strong. Trading and cultural exchanges with Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Persia and other countries gradually became frequent. The government also dispatched emissaries, received emissaries and allowed access to foreign students.

As a result of this open door policy, eclectic and romantic styles of dress emerged within China.It was fashionable for women to wear Hufu (garments of the Tartars or those who lived in the Western Regions). After the High Tang, the influences of the Hufu style lessened and women's garments became more baggy and loose. For example, the width of an ordinary women's sleeve was always more than 1.3 meters.

After the reign of Tang Emperor, Gaozong, purple became the clothing color of officials above the third grade; light red for officials above the fifth grade; dark green for officials above the sixth grade; light green for officials above the seventh grade; dark cyan for officials above the eighth grade; light cyan for officials above the ninth grade; and yellow for ordinary people and those who did not live in the palace.

The style of Tang Dynasty garments also diffused into neighboring countries. For instance, Japanese kimonos were made with the official colors of the Tang Dynasty, and Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) also adopted the advantages of the dresses of the Tang Dynasty. The dresses of the Tang Dynasty were mainly made of silk and were famous for softness and lightness. The dress makers of the Tang Dynasty boldly adopted the features of foreign garments in terms of forms and adornments and infused them with preexisting Tang Dynasty style. In doing so they created something special and entirely unique.