china research- Tangzhuang
Tang-Zhuang
The Tangzhuang, a traditional Chinese
coat, developed from the Magua of the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1911). It combines traditional Chinese elements and western solid cutting
methods. Its basic style includes a Mandarin collar, front opening and knotted
Chinese buttons. Shoulder pads are inserted for better fit.
Literally, Tangzhuang means Chinese
clothes in the Tang Dynasty
(618-907), but the modern version bears no relationship with the clothes of the
Tang Dynasty. The modern one evolves from a kind of Manchu clothing. Because it
was worn by leaders from different countries in APEC in 2001, it became famous.
From then on, this new kind of clothing has been regarded as Chinese Tangzhuang
and has enjoyed a great popularity among Chinese people and overseas.
Four characteristics are distinctive
for the Tangzhuang. The Mandarin collar with front opening is a traditional
Chinese clothes style. The opening is symmetrical and the collar stands
straight up. The Chinese knots, being hand-made, are used as buttons as well as
decorations. Another characteristic is the fabric, which usually is a
traditional cloth such as brocaded silk.
Adding the western solid cutting method and shoulder pads made the clothes fit
better.
Based on these four characteristic,
more and more styles are being invented by the designers. Currently, there are
three main types: traditional style, national style and fashion style. The
traditional style has all the Chinese traditional elements. The colours are
usually red, black and sapphire blue. The patterns are usually “Tuanhua”, a
kind of Chinese flower pattern. This kind of clothing was usually worn during
traditional Chinese festivals or wedding ceremonies and it is popular around
the world. The national ones use traditional elements but change the Tuanhua
patterns into poems and other traditional auspicious designs. It was usually worn for leisure. The fabric was usually
cotton rather than brocade.
Though
humble and simple in its appearance, this Chinese traditional costume known
as the Tangzhuang can be worn both as a casual wear and a formal
wear. The origins of the Tangzhuang can be traced back to the end of the Qing
dynasty (1644–1911). Derived from the magua, a Manchurian item of clothing,
which Han Chinese were forced to wear during the Qing dynasty, the Tangzhuang
is normally worn by men, although women sometimes wear them as well.
In Chinese culture, the Mao suit, the western suit, and the Tang suit are the main forms of formal dress for men on many occasions. The Tangzhuang is made in different colours, most commonly red, navy, gold, black and green. One common design is the use of Chinese characters as monograms such as Fu (happiness) or Shou (longevity) to spread good luck and wishes.
Four characteristics are distinctive in the Tangzhuang. The Mandarin collar with the front opening is a traditional Chinese style. The opening is symmetrical and the collar stands straight up. The Chinese knots, being hand-made, are used as buttons as well as decorations. Another characteristic is the fabric, which is usually a traditional cloth such as brocaded silk. The method of western solid cutting and shoulder pads, makes the Chinese jacket fit better.
Based on these four characteristics, several other styles are being invented by the designers. Currently, there are three main types: the traditional style, the national style, and the fashion style. The traditional style has all the Chinese traditional elements. The colours are usually red, black and sapphire blue. The pattern is generally ‘Tuanhua’, a kind of Chinese flower pattern. This kind of clothing was mostly worn during traditional Chinese festivals or wedding ceremonies. This style is quite popular around the world.
The national ones use traditional elements, but change the Tuanhua patterns into poems and other traditional auspicious designs. It was usually worn for leisure. The fabric used is usually cotton rather than brocade.
https://asianinspirations.com.au/asian-culture/chinese-suit-tangzhuang/
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