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Overviews of Tennis Shoes History

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:09:11 +0200

When Kara started working at her new job, she learned that many of her co-workers participated in an office "tennis group" that met every Saturday for a quick game and lunch afterwards.

She had never really played tennis before and especially in any kind of organized team. Yet she really liked the new people she was working with, and wanted to take part in the tennis games.

Kara had no idea what to wear on the tennis court and the only athletic shoes she had were at least five years old and very well worn. They were actually tennis shoes but she had never used them for that.

As Kara checked out the latest additions to the vending machines at break, one of the office clerks, Nancy, mentioned Saturday's game. "So, Kara, are you coming to the tennis court with us on Saturday?" She had expected she would come by since Nancy was the one who organized the group. Ready to reply, Kara said "Yes, I would love to play. Count me in!"

Getting Ready To Play

Right after work, Kara set out to find some new tennis apparel and tennis shoes.

Although she did not expect to be the best player on the courts, she definitely wanted to make a good impression with appropriate women's tennis shoes that were designed for the sport.

In the elevator, she noticed Brian, another co-worker who was also fairly new to the company. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he asked Kara if she was going to attend the tennis game on Saturday. She told him that she was, but had to find some tennis shoes first. Incredibly, Brian said that he used to be an associate at a local sporting store in the tennis department and would be willing to help Kara find the necessary tennis gear.

He mentioned that K-Swiss womens tennis shoes were a very good make, and even better, headquartered in the USA!

They agreed to meet the next evening at a local coffee shop with internet access, so that they could chat and shop online for all of her purchases.

Kara couldn't believe her good fortune. She would be able to enjoy some java and chat with a nice, friendly guy, purchase her tennis shoes online, and receive them before Saturday's game.

The Start of Something New

As they browsed online, looking for a great pair of tennis shoes, Brian talked about the design and style of the best performing court shoes. He asked Kara if she knew what the earliest tennis shoes looked like and how they had changed over the years. She had absolutely no idea, so Brian filled her in.

Sneakers, or athletic shoes, were first introduced back in the 1800's and were very basic rubber soled shoes made by a shoemaker. They were not designed for optimum movement, comfort or performance, and were simply considered useful for a variety of sports.

One of the earliest names was "plimsolls", and Kara thought that was rather amusing. This kind of shoe was generally considered any kind with a rubber sole and usually canvas top with laces and was worn by both men and women.

As the need for more specific shoes for tennis became necessary, and the industrial revolution made manufacturing much easier, new kinds of tennis shoes were introduced to consumers.

In 1931, Adidas produced its first tennis shoe. It was very basic, and it was not until 1947 that a more specialized and sport specific tennis shoe was on the market.

By the 1950's, the market was expanding considerably, and the range of tennis shoes being manufactured was growing rapidly. Brian explained to Kara that tennis shoes today are designed with flexibility, durability, stability and traction in mind.

And there is a significant difference in the way that men's and womens tennis shoes are expected to perform. Mostly based on the fact that women's bodies are generally smaller and that women tend to look for different specifications than men.

Today's Tennis Shoe

Brian pointed out a variety of women's tennis shoes online and explained to Kara why they would be good choices. She really liked a pair of Divine Adidas tennis shoes and also a cute style from Diadora.

They were really quite affordable and would match perfectly with the tennis apparel she had already purchased online.

Brian agreed with her selections and told her that the white and pink Diadora Speed Shot's were designed with top performance in mind as well as good stability. Kara was immediately attracted to the high style and colors too.

There were also some nice Mizuno Wave Tornado 2 tennis shoes that Brian thought would look great on Kara and would also perform well. They came in a nice black, white and silver color and were built to excel on the court. They were lightweight, offered outstanding support and cushioning and even a gum rubber outsole that would be superb for traction and flexibility. As soon as she saw them, Kara knew that they were the ones. They suited her style and according to Brian, would be a good choice.

And on Saturday….

The game went well on Saturday, better than Kara had ever expected. Brian offered to play in the doubles match with her and they won! The rest of the group could not believe that Kara was so new to the game.

She was so happy! A new job, a new friend and a new sport that she enjoyed and could participate in with success. Kara was so glad that she had met Brian in the elevator and that he knew absolutely everything about tennis shoes. Brian’s help and knowledge had really impressed her.

And to think, it all started with a tennis shoe!

About Tennis Shoes

Tennis shoes, otherwise known as athletic shoes are purpose made shoes for sporting or other physical activities. With the change in fashion trends, tennis shoes and athletic shoes in general have become part of everyday wear.

Sponsor

Tennis Shoes Fast Facts

Fast Facts on tennis shoes:

Estimations show that the average tennis shoe will be worn for over 520 miles over its lifetime.

In most Spanish speaking nations â€˜tenisâ€™ has become the lexicon for sneakers.

In the United States alone, over 350 million sets of tennis shoes are purchased each year.

Over the past decade about 13 million pairs of tennis shoes have been recycled.

Tennis shoes can trace their ancestry back to the 1800's.

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Wedding rings make two souls One.

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:48:37 +0200

We will cast the two Atlantis wedding rings that are to be wedding bands in the same mold, from the same metal at the same time. This way the two wedding rings are actually one at the moment of their creation.

They are now unique wedding bands. Because this way one can be sure that the two rings are actually One.

When worn as part of a pair, it symbolizes the bond two people share, the solid, enduring, endless bond that connects them even when they're apart. Wedding Rings and men

A wedding band is a symbol of marriage.

This potent symbol of unity sends an unmistakable message about our marital status.

Atlantis rings are the perfect wedding bands. They are simply of a timeless beautiful design. The greatest gift lovers can give each another is the security and safety that only the Atlantis ring provides.

History of Egyptian wedding ring.

As chance has it, the oldest recorded exchange of wedding rings comes from ancient Egypt, about 4800 years ago.

In early Egypt, the ring was linked with the supernatural, a never-ending band linked with eternal love. For the Romans later, the ring's acceptance by a young lady was a binding, legal agreement and the girl was no longer free. Today we accept the ring as part of a religious ceremony when we marry in church.

Modern wedding traditions.

As time passes traditions change and, today, it is not only the brides who wear rings as a symbol of their lasting affection, but the majority of men also choose to wear this badge of fidelity and commitment.

The ring's band does not have to be gold. In early Roman times they used iron, for its symbolic strength. But that has been replaced in the third century with silver and gold because of its beauty while iron rusts. There are attractive alternatives for yellow gold, such as Silver or Electrum. You can also think about the hardness of the metal and the color of your wedding band.

Wear wedding ring left or right hand.

Most people wear the wedding band on the left hand. However, some European women wear the ring on their right hand. Some Scandinavian women wear three rings, one each for

engagement
marriage
motherhood.

Jewish brides have the ring placed on their index finger, since that is the finger with which they point to the Torah as they read. Early

Wedding Thimbles.

Puritans refused to wear wedding rings because they considered jewelry frivolous, yet in Colonial times, couples exchanged "wedding thimbles" - a useful and practical gift, and therefore acceptable - but after the wedding they often cut off the bottoms thereby creating rings. Whatever the culture, whatever the century, people have recognized the importance of sealing their unions with rings.

But why the third finger of the left hand?

There are many theories as to why this particular finger came to symbolize marriage. Both the ancient Romans and Egyptians believed that a vein - called the vena amoris in Latin - ran directly from that finger to the heart.

In medieval England, a bridegroom would slide the ring part way up his bride's thumb, index and middle finger, saying "In the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost" as he passed each one. He then put the ring on the next available finger - the third finger of the left hand. This practice was finally formalized in the 1500's when Henry VIII's son authored The Book of Common Prayer, which gives English modern Protestant wedding vows and decrees on which finger our wedding rings should go.

Do men wear wedding rings?

The practice of men wearing wedding rings is relatively new. Up until the middle of the twentieth century, it was mostly only women who wore wedding rings, perhaps a reminder of the days when women were regarded as property, or perhaps a harmless custom akin to women wearing engagement rings that their husbands do not. When World War Two broke out and many young men faced lengthy separations from their wives, men began wearing wedding bands as a symbol of their marriages and a reminder of their wives.

It was pure romance, a gesture of love and affection that has happily survived into modern times. The vast majority of men wear wedding bands these days.

Your Atlantis wedding band is far more precious than any photo album or fancy dress.

You will always be able to wear the ring you were married with when it is an Atlantis ring, even if for whatever reason the marriage has ended. The Atlantis ring is assumed to become as much part of the wearer as it is also a wedding band.

These days, many people take wedding bands and engagement rings for granted, and although they give these beautiful items of jewellery with integrity and love, they are often given with no real knowledge of the meaning behind them.

Both wedding bands and engagement rings are very special items of jewellery; in fact, they are more than just jewellery - they are the symbols of many emotions and promises such as:

Love
Commitment
Fidelity
Eternity
Honour

But where - and why - did these popular and sentimental pieces of jewellery stem from?

The History Of Wedding Bands

These items of jewellery have a history that spans many centuries and passes through many countries from all around the planet. Below, you will find a brief history of the wedding and engagement ring, as reported from country to country.

EGYPTIANS

The now-famous wedding band is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt, where it is said that plant sections were fashioned in to circles to signify never-ending and immortal love. It was thought that the fourth finger (which we now know as the ring finger) contained a special vein that was connected directly to the heart, and therefore this became the official finger for the wedding band.

ROMANS

The Romans also agreed with the Egyptians with regards to the wedding ring finger and its meaning, but rather than offering wedding bands as a symbol of love, they awarded them as a symbol of ownership. Roman men would "claim" their woman with the giving of a ring.

ASIANS / ARABS

Puzzle rings were a complex type of jewellery that were once popular in Asia, and these jewels had the charming knack of being able to fall apart and put back together again - if you knew how to do this, of course. Wealthy Middle Eastern men then began to use these rings as wedding bands for their wives, who were often forced to wear a puzzle ring when their husband was away. The husband would know upon his return whether any of his wives had been disloyal by removing the ring whilst he was away, because the ring was designed to collapse upon removal and could only be put together again if you had the skill and knowledge required.

EUROPEANS

Several centuries ago, the Europeans became rather taken with what we would class as an engagement ring, but was then called a Poesy Ring. This ring was given to a loved one as a form of promise, and signified fidelity and love. The Poesy Ring was offered as a pledge of eternal togetherness, much as today's engagement rings are offered as a promise of eternal marriage.

AMERICANS

During Colonial times, all items of jewellery in America were prohibited due to their apparent moral worthlessness. Instead, a more practical thimble was given as a token of love and as a pledge of eternal togetherness. However, after they were married, the women tended to remove the bottom of their "engagement thimble" to form a type of ring.

History Of Engagement Rings

The engagement ring of today also has its own varied and interesting history, some of which is explored below. Engagement rings have been known by many different names, have symbolised a variety of different things and have not always been made of precious metals and stunning gems!

GREEKS

The ancient Greeks are thought to have been the forerunners in the rising of the traditional engagement ring. Given as a token of care and affection, the rings used by the Greeks were known as betrothal rings and were given before marriage. However, the giving of these rings was not always a pre-requisite to marriage and was often given in the same way as a friendship ring might be given today.

ROMANS

As seen by their use of the wedding ring, ancient Romans weren't the most sentimental of people, and the early version of their "engagement ring" were thought to have carved keys on them. It has been debated that this could have been to symbolise the woman's right to access and own half of everything following marriage. However, the more sentimental like to think that the key may have been a key to her husband's heart.

ROYALTY AND THE AFFLUENT

Engagement rings as we know them today - stunning gems encased in precious metals - became popular in around the fourteenth or fifteenth century, when the affluent and the royals began to exchange and wear these jewels. However, these items were so expensive that nobody other than the royals and the rich could afford to exchange them. It was to be many centuries before these engagement rings would become more popular or traditional.

Why a ring?

The purpose of engagement rings and wedding bands is to convey deep emotions of eternal love, eternal happiness, eternal commitment, and eternal togetherness. In fact, these rings signify eternity - between the giver and the recipient. A ring, of course, is a complete circle with no break and no end or beginning, which means that it just goes on and on - it is eternal.

And, since folklore has it that the fourth finger of the left hand has a vein leading directly to the heart, it is only natural that both engagement and wedding rings would be worn on this particular finger, which was once reputed to be a direct route to the heart.

Summary

In short, it is clear that the giving of a ring in honour of a union, betrothal, and marriage has been going on since ancient times, and although it may not always have been as glamorous and romantic as it is today, it was still a way of exchanging a contract of betrothal or marriage.

Thankfully, today's wedding bands and engagement rings are not made of hair, grass, plants or twine as they may have been in ancient times, but of beautiful metals set with stunning gems, such as platinum, titanium, white gold, gold, sapphires, diamonds, rubies and emeralds. These incredible items of jewellery are likely to remain as popular as ever as the centuries go by, and even as the rest of the world advances in to a futuristic and technological age, it's hard to imagine a day where a beautiful diamond engagement ring doesn't melt the heart of its recipient.

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Women's Swimwear in the 20th Century

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:43:16 +0200

1920's Athletic Tank Suits
1930's Bathing Suits
1940-60 Corset Like Swimsuits
1960's Lycra Women's Swimwear
The Bikini of 1946
Tan Through Swimwear

Go back to Victorian and Edwardian Past Swimwear Go to sports fashion before 1960.

1920's Athletic Tank Suits

Fashion history was shocked into the 20th century with some of the newer all revealing figure hugging swimsuits that revealed the body limbs more clearly than ever before.

Liberated from long skirts, young women of the twenties wore a figure hugging wool jersey sleeveless tank suit.

Left and right - bathing beauties in the 1920s and below in 1928

The swimming suit was ideal for the androgynous athletic figure that fashion suited best in the 20s. It looked very similar to male swimming costumes of an earlier era.

The swimsuit legs stopped at an unflattering point mid thigh and beneath the swimsuit legs were built-in modesty shorts.

Swimsuits were often in dramatic abstract patterns or stripes and those with poorer figures covered them up with wraps.

Whilst the new bathing cap of the 1920s, ideally suited to bobbed hair was not unlike the cloche hat of the same era. Find women's swimwear brands and shops at passador.com...

Right 1929 White/black cotton swim costume and white rubber belt.

1930's Women's Bathing Suits

Feminine cotton printed bathing suits often with little over skirts to hide the thighs gradually replaced the ugly 20's fashion. The 20's suit which sometimes sported cutout sections in the midriff panel disappeared as it evolved into a two piece garment. By this era most of us would recognise the late 1930's swimsuits as one that bears some relationship to swimwear of today.

Hollywood stars also added glamour to the swimsuit so that bathers needed to consider having one in the latest fashion. Esther Williams and Dorothy Lamour along with films featuring synchronised aqua swimming whipped up interest in figure hugging costumes with higher cut legs and which revealed every body contour. Right 1931 playsuit for the beach. Try Poppiswim Retro Swimwear Boutique for retro styles.

1940-60 Corset Like Swimsuits

In the 1940s, corset manufacturers saw a gap in the market. Corsetry was losing ground, but the new more revealing swim suits really needed experts to design garments that hid faults in a woman's shape. They achieved this by adding stretch tummy control panels to hold in the stomach. Manufacturers also used bra cups and boning to give bust support. Costume could then be worn either strapless or with small straps that buttoned onto the inside.

Women still continued to wear all in one swimsuits in the 1950s. They also took great care to cover up their hairstyles with a swimming cap or bathing cap, usually holding their head well out of the water when swimming. The swimming caps shown left were decorated with plastic petals or leaves to make them appear prettier than a bald fitting bathing cap.

The bikini was still thought of as risqué and best suited to film stars and exotic dancers. Right - Corset like swimsuit 1950-60

A wide range of fabrics including lined cotton, stretch Lastex and elastic ruched waffle nylon was popular for a while. Zips were still used in the centre back of swimsuits retaining the corset like appearance until the early 1960s.

The swim suits of the 50s and early 60s were cut straight across the top of the leg in the form of a modesty apron that hid the separate matching fabric crutch. Subtle changes occurred in a few years and the modesty apron style soon looked old fashioned. See more pictures of swimsuits in the 1950s section.

1960's Lycra Women's Swimwear

By the mid 1960s, fabrics were mainly nylon or Lycra or a mix of the two materials. The all important factor was stretch and pull on like a pair of panties.

The front panel of the garment and crotch were both cut as one. Other variations include little pleated or flared over skirts with the idea of covering saddle bag thighs.

By the late sixties swimsuits had revealing side mesh net panels or cut out midriffs filled in with see through plastic rings. Right -1960's swimsuit with plastic rings and mesh midriff.

The swimsuit did its best to keep up with competition from the two piece bikini by abbreviating it even further by cutting the legs higher as well as straight across. What is now thought of as high leg is much higher than the high leg of 1970 over 30 years ago and the phrase 'low leg' is now used to name the sixties high cut leg.

Many women still prefer a swimsuit for the beach, but especially like it for swimming. Some body shapes, especially the thicker waisted simply look better in a one piece than a two piece costume. But even those with good and slimmer figures sometimes just look much better in a one piece and many say they find a one piece more comfortable.

As the years have gone on it has become possible to buy swimwear in a wide range of cup sizes. One of the best brands for giving a good shape to the fuller body is Gottex swimwear. They use individual cup sizes, and stretch control tummy panels combined with clever cutting to create a good silhouette. Expect to pay over £80 for a Gottex swimsuit.

Don't be afraid to wear what you feel most comfortable in and remember to take a matching cover up sarong or big shirt or wrap over skirt so you can feel totally at ease walking that hundred yards to the ice cream kiosk!

The Bikini of 1946

Bikinis were seen in Crete thousands of years ago. After that pictorial evidence of 200 A.D., suggests that bikini clad women were cavorting in Sicily's Piazza Armerina.

The modern version was patented by Louis Reard in 1946. His design was more akin to the skimpy string 1970's bikinis. Bikinis made news then and as versions have become skimpier they have always attracted attention. When the Bikini was named its impact was likened to the test atomic explosion on Bikini atoll. Right - Cotton batik bikini worn by a teenager - 1980s

But its impact was nothing as radical as the G-string or even more revealing - the thong also called the Brazilian tanga. The tanga was worn more and more often in Europe and America in the 1980s and became very usual by the 1990s among the young. With it came a boon in pubic waxing and the Brazilian wax. Now in 2006 many women have taken this a step further opting for laser hair removal, which over the required sessions becomes permanently removed.

The introduction of Lycra initially promoted in the UK by Marks & Spencer has meant that Bikinis are flexible and mould to the body contour giving a better fit. Legs are cut higher now than ever before and frequently expose both bottom cheeks. Some garments are now so brief that women remain totally covered up by an oversized shirt or T-shirt or sarong wrap, removing it only for a timed sunbathing session.

Women who are larger can easily shop for swimsuits that fit by using internet services. Marks & Spencer for swimsuits or Littlewoods are a good choice for year round purchasing of swimwear.

Tan Through Swimwear

The most recent innovation in swimwear in the 1990s has to be tan through fabrics used for swimwear. These fabrics allow you to tan through the fabric without showing the nude body.

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1950s Teenage Fashion - Fashion History...

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:40:34 +0200

Teenagers
1950s Teenage Consumers
Teenage Fashion Idols
Typical Late 1950's Teenagers - Old Photos
Teddy Boys or Neo-Edwardians
Dudes
Beatniks

The Growth of Teenagers as a Market Force in 1950's Society

Teenagers

Until 1950 the term teenagers had never before been coined. Children were known as girls and boys were known as youths once they displayed signs of puberty. Then young people were grown up at 18 and fully adult legally at 21 when they often married and set up a home of their own, even if it was a rented room. Getting married was a way of showing the adult world that you belonged to their world and was a way of escape from puberty.

1950's Teenage Consumers

During the 1950s a range of influences including film, television, magazines and the rock music scene created a new market grouping called teenagers. Teens made themselves known. A sudden flurry of consumer goods denied to war torn Europe were available and a consumer boom was actively encouraged.

These single young people with cash from paid work soon had their own fashions, own music, own cafes, own milk bars and by the end of the decade even their own transport in the form of fuelled scooters. Teenagers suddenly dominated style in clothes, haircuts and even travel abroad. A generation gap began to emerge between parents and teen offspring. It seemed almost unholy at the time and was viewed as rebellious, but compared to later anti-fashion and anarchic movements it was all rather innocent.

Teenage Fashion Idols

American influence on European teenagers was huge. Rock and Roll idols including Elvis Presley, Bill Hayley, Jerry Lee Lewis and film stars James Dean and Marlon Brando set fashions almost unwittingly. The main looks for teenagers were greasers and preppies.

Greasers followed the standard black leather and denim jeans look set by Marlon Brando in "The Wild One" (1953) and later emulated in the 1978 film called "Grease". They raced about town on motorbikes and were consider outrageous.

Preppie qualities were neatness, tidiness and grooming. Teen girls wore full dirndl or circular skirts with large appliqués on their clothing. Neat pleated skirts were also popular. The pleated skirts were made from a then new fabric called TERYLENE (polyester) which helped maintain razor sharp sunray pleating.

The skirts were supported by bouffant paper nylon or net petticoats. On top, teens wore scoop neck blouses, back to front cardigans, tight polo necks or three quarter sleeve white fitting shirts often with a scarf knotted cowboy fashion at the side neck. These teen clothing fashions that originated in America, filtered to Britain in watered down fashion.

Old Photos of Typical Late 1950's Teenagers.

1956 - 57

Typical teenagers of the 1950s wearing general fashions of the day. Nothing too extreme, but very much in fashion with a fair bit of grooming evident.

Note the wonderful layers of net petticoats under Vera's skirt. These male teens are wearing standard male fashions of the day with token attention to small fashion details such as the narrower tie. The teen boy on the left has suede shoes.

It's important to remember that more conventional young men wore this type of clothing than teddy boy gear. Men still did national service and this had an effect of a 'uniform' mentality approach to dress of wearing pressed, neat clean clothing.

The BBC states 'Between 1945 and 1963, 2.5 million young men were compelled to do their time in National Service - with 6,000 being called up every fortnight.' This basic blazer or jacket look was favoured by the majority of youths and is fairly conventional but was in that era thought quite sharp.

Growing up in the 1950s I recall far more young teen men dressed like those in the picture above, than as the 'typical teddy boy look' so often used as an image of the 50s.

My thanks to Vera for the use of these images.

Teddy Boys or Neo-Edwardians

As the site is about female dress my interest in developing male dress entries is very limited. Even though this site does not really deal with male dress, the Teddy Boy was an important look in fashion history of the 1950s. As an extreme look it is remembered and all conventional looks of the day tend to be overlooked. It is worth remembering that when costume history documents a look it is almost ways in retrospect and hones in on the final extremes of any look.

A site visitor recently wrote to tell me that he felt the teddy boy style originated in the forties by spivs and was then taken up by teenagers in the very early 50's. He maintains that the Teddy Boy clothes of the early fifties would not be recognised as a Teddy Boy by most people today. So here are a few points below on the memorable extremes of the teddy boy look.

It is known that in England, a group of young men who rejected the shabby, but functional clothes styles worn by their fathers began to long for elegant fashions. From around 1949 this was expressed as a liking for Edwardian style velvet trimmed skirted coats and specific accessories. This fashion is thought to have really originated when 500 Jamaicans arrived in Tilbury in 1948 on board the ex troop ship "Empire Windrush" in response to the UK's government plea to the Caribbean for workers. They wore Zoot suits and the Edwardian look is thought to have been an adaptation of the suit the Jamaicans were seen wearing about the East End towns.

Until 1951 the Edwardian look suits were custom made. In August 1951 reports state that the Edwardian look was gaining support in America. By November 1951 the Edwardian look had percolated to the UK factory tailoring trade as a new trend.

By 1952 in London's East End this fashion was taken on by semi skilled adolescents formed groups, who lurked in cafes and hung around street corners. The self imposed uniform that gave them group identity was that of the Teddy Boy. Even though some groups were violent, many who wore Teddy Boy clothes were not. They simply wished to break away from the conforming clothes of the day.

Traditionally Teddy Boys or Neo-Edwardians sported the "Drape" a long knee length, single breasted wool jacket with narrow contrasting lapels and cuffs either of velvet or satin and plenty of pockets. They wore contrast or matching narrow drainpipe trousers, brocade waistcoats, stiff shirts and shoestring ties or bootlace slim Jim ties topped off with suede shoes. Teds also wore crepe soled shoes which helped with the dance movements of jiving.

Teddy Boy clothes were not cheap to buy and when custom tailored, usually cost up to £100 for one outfit. An ordinary mass produced drape suit cost approximately £20 and shoes £3. So sporting a new suit indicated to peers how well an individual was doing money wise. At this time a Teddy Boy would have earned between £5 and £12 a week.

A site visitor has written to tell me some fifties facts - The 'Crape' sole shoes originated during the second world war and looked nothing like the Brothel Creepers seen in the 50's, George Cox the company who first made the Brothel Creeper is still in business and making the Creeper.

The boys slicked back their hair with Brilliantine into a wavy Quiff style with long sideburns and because of the way the hair was finished to the back of the head, the style was brushed back to meet in the middle with the finishing touch of a comb run down the centre back ,thus giving the look of a DA (ducks arse). The most common Hair cut was called a Tony Curtis taken from the way he wore his hair.

Lots of Teddy Boys had Bikes in the fifties, the rocker style was born from the Teds who wore Drapes at weekends but leathers on the bike, by the early 60's Rockers were a major style. A trip to the Ace Cafe in London is well worth a visit to learn about Rockers. (Thanks to Chris for input on these few paragraphs).

The fashion for Teddy Boy clothes spread across the world, even to the USSR. In the USA teen fashion fads were paralleled by youths who wore leather jackets instead of a drape, sometimes leather trousers, but often jeans, all accessorized with a shiny motorbike. The film West Side Story captures this era perfectly as does the later retrospective film Grease.

These skirt pattern images are courtesy of anothertimevintageapparel and are typical of the full skirts worn by teddy girls for rock n'roll or jiving.

The pony tailed girlfriends of Teds wore eye make up and took every fashion to excess. Their favourite outfit was a close fitted black sweater and calf length skirt, or toreador pants or circle skirts with low cut tops all perfect to display the body when dancing.

By 1956 the Teddy Boy movement was on the wane in the UK and by 1958 was fading rapidly as teenagers fixed on new fashions influenced by American pop and cinema culture and a nod to the Italians.

Dudes

Dudes were another kind of dandy who were American in origin. They wore spanking clean white socks, white buckskin shoes, 5 buttoned jackets, trousers with top waist pleats and turn ups. The outfits were often enlivened with coloured bead belts or jazzy patterned hats, with for example polka dots. An exaggerated version of this was favoured by Little Richard.

Beatniks

As the trend for a beatnik look developed, oversized chunky long sweaters with huge cowl collars were worn over slim fitting pencil skirts or slacks with stirrups. The girls usually had a French pleat hairstyle or showed the start of a beehive. Wearing all black was a favourite choice for beatniks.

Conclusion

As a new, more liberated society evolved, teenagers became a marketing man's dream. 1950's teenagers had comparatively huge spending power compared to pre 1950 youth. Their spending power enabled them to make self indulgent purchases, sometimes with even more freedom than adults. The teenagers were keen to find special clothes designed just for teens. Eager to capture this extra cash, manufacturers began to look toward the teenage market concentrating on younger desires rather than the desires of the middle aged and elder populations. Ironically as the population once again ages in the noughties, marketers have begun to focus on the very same generation that held influence over the economy in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Belt (clothing) history overview and dev...

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:38:06 +0200

For other belts, see Belt.

A number of different belts.

A belt is a flexible band, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing, and it serves for style and decoration.

[hide]

1 History
2 Variants
3 See also
4 References

[edit] History

Belts have been documented both for male and female clothing since the Bronze Age. Both sexes used them off and on, depending on the current fashion, but it was a rarity in female fashion with the exception of the early Middle Ages, late 17th century Mantua and skirt/blouse combinations between 1900 and 1910. Art Nouveau belt buckles are nowadays collector's items.

In the militarain periods, particularly the latter half of the 19th century and up until the first World War, the belt was strictly a decorative part of the uniform, particularly among officers. In the armed forces of Prussia, Crimea, and other Eastern European nations, it was common for officers to wear extremely tight, wide belts around the waist, on the outside of the uniform. These tightly cinched belts served to draw in the waist and give the wearer a trim physique, emphasizing wide shoulders and a pouting chest. Often the belt served only to emphasize a waist made small by a corset worn under the uniform, a practice which was common especially during the Crimean Wars and was often noted by soldiers from the Western front. Political cartoonists of the day often portrayed the tight waist-cinching of soldiers to comedic effect, and some cartoons survive showing officers being corsetted by their inferiors, a practice which surely was uncomfortable but deemed to be necessary and imposing.

In modern times, men started wearing belts in the 1920s, as trouser waists fell to a lower, natural line. Before the 1920s, belts served mostly a decorative purpose, and were associated with the military. Today it is common for men to wear a belt with their trousers; women tend to wear them for more decorative functions.

Since the mid 1990s, the practice of sagging has been popular at times among young men and boys. This fashion trend consists of wearing the trousers very low on the hips, often exposing the underwear and buttocks of the wearer. This urban style, which has roots tracing to prison gangs^[1]and the prohibition of belts in prison, due to their use as weapons and devices for suicide) has remained popular into the 21st century, particularly among pubescent boys. A belt may or may not be worn with this style - if a belt is used, it is cinched tightly at the mid-buttock region, with the effect that the trousers of the wearer are being held up by genitalia underneath. Many public schools now enforce belt-wearing, often only for the male population, and requiring the belts to be worn tightly at waist level with a tucked-in shirt.

[edit] Variants

A police officer's duty belt.

One specialized type of belt is the utility belt or Police duty belt, which includes pockets for carrying items that the wearer needs for prompt use and loops to hang larger items. Police officers, soldiers, and repair personnel are typical roles which use this kind of belt. A famous fictional example is Batman's utility belt.
The sash is another variant of the belt, generally decorative or even ceremonial.
A cummerbund is a belt-like decorative garment worn about the waist.
A common sight in fantasy and roleplaying characters is the excessive use of belts in all different sizes on one's person. Usually they are used either for securing clothing and armor, but others just have several belts around the arms, legs, neck, waist, hips, and across the chest for decoration. Sometimes they are used in place of eyepatches or to decorate weapons.
A studded belt is typically made of leather or similar materials, and is decorated with metal studs. Studded belts are often a part of punk, emo, skater and metal fashion.

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1950s Undergarments in Fashion History

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:29:26 +0200

1950s Girdles

In the 1950s, glamour was what women wanted most. They had been deprived in the war and they had seen the Hollywood stars that had curves, nipped waists and breast uplift that almost reached their necks.

A variety of girdles existed to help achieve those contours and they are shown here in advert form. Most women and girls still wore girdles or opted for one of the newer lighter garments called a roll-on or some chose the opposite, a sturdy all in one corset. Twilfit were one of the household names for roll-ons and bras in the 1950s.

1950s Bras and Corselettes Adverts from 1953

In 1950s underwear, other support existed in the form of the all in one corselette such as this example by Roussel of Regent street selling at 8 guineas for this made to measure item. This was an expensive corselette at the time and was featured in The Queen magazine of the Coronation in 1953. The upper bra has a cleavage gap for low cut décolletage.

Roussel Corselette

Another corselette of the time also featured in 1953 The Queen magazine was the Marquise which also took into account the need for low cleavage unhampered by visible centre fronts of a bra.

It has a beautifully structured upper bra with the perfect cleavage gap for low cut décolletage. It would be wonderful to find such an interesting, well constructed corselette or bra top today. The company advertises swimwear here too and it is interesting to note that swimming corsets of the era looked much like this corselette.

Illa Knina Corselette - The Strapless Marquise With Deep Plunge

Coronation Controlette by Berlei 1953

My favourite advert of the Coronation Edition of Queen magazine was this one right which shows a magnificent corselette from Berlei, priced at just under £7. The name for it is wonderful and it's called the Coronation Controlette.

1953 General Underwear Kayser Bondor Advert

Other underwear by companies like Kayser Bondor advertised all their underwear in one large advert like the one below.

This shows what the average woman of the 1953 era may have chosen to wear for underclothes dependant on the top garment. The items would have been available in the new nylon and also in pure cotton.

I particularly recall my mother wearing Broderie Anglaise petticoats such as the full slip at the very top of the image. This thumbnail makes a nice enlargement.

Sweater Girl Glamour 1950s

Brand names like Maidenform, Berlei, Triumph and the British Marks & Spencer bras under the St. Michael label, all sold excellent bras that gave the correct pointed, circular stitched, conical shape of the era.

The conical bra was the 1950s bra that gave the support silhouette for girls who longed to emulate the curves of film star sweater girls like Lana Turner and Jane Russell famous for the cantilever bra. Bras began to be revolutionized by the use of nylon, making them lighter, prettier and easier to wash. The pointed pre formed conically stitched bra was actually a fashion accessory, as without one, the sweater girl look was certainly not complete.

The K Line Bra English Rose Bra & Suspender Belt 1953

The two bra adverts below from 1953 put some emphasis on the use of new materials such as nylon and contouring the body in a lighter less stiff way. Bras in cheaper ranges include those by K. This K bra advertisement of 1953 clicks through to see construction details in close up.

Below - K Line Bra Advertisement and and English Rose Bra & Suspender Belt Advert 1953

Women also made their own bras from paper patterns or magazine guidelines for making bra and French knicker sets. The fabric they used was sometimes parachute silk, parachute nylon or old satin wedding dresses.

Advances in Fabrics for Underwear

After the War, once textile technology advanced, we saw new developments in all 1950s underwear items and many started to purchase what began to be called lingerie. The advert below emphasise that the suspender belt and 1950s bra are in the new easy care nylon fabric, but just as pretty in a broderie anglaise style.

Soon Elastomerics transformed foundation garments with power net fabric. The old elastic bra backs and straps were replaced by the newer elastomeric family of modern stretch yarns Courtauld's Spanzelle or Lycra fittings. Overstretched rotted rubber bits that made bras and girdles lose their grip were gone forever.

The suspender belt also disappeared from the average wardrobe by 1970 as tights (pantyhose) were the easier simpler alternative. Stay up stockings with a self adhesive grip also made an appearance.

Ironically as power dressing returned in the 1980s there was a boon in more sensational lingerie of this type fuelled by programmes like Dynasty where characters lounged in all in one teddies and bodysuits.

Pretty form following underwear had been lost for 20 years when practicality was the only priority. Suddenly lingerie sales took off and soon women were wearing what was once underwear as outerwear and intended to be seen.

Now women can browse sites like Figleaves. There you can choose any lingerie item from a corset to self adhesive silicone cups or a structured bra to a balcony bra known as a 5 minute bra as it is mostly put on deliberately to be removed 10 minutes later. Maybe those women of the 1950s were more knowing than we give them credit.

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Introduction to chinese Silk wear histor...

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:21:05 +0200

Development of Chinese Silk

According to archeological evidence, silk and silk fabric emerged in China at least 5,500 years ago. The cultivation of the silkworm can be traced back to the third century BC. It was said that the demigod Leizu, a legendary figure of prehistoric China, was the first to plant mulberries and raise silkworms.

During the Zhou Dynasty (11th century-256BC), a special administration was set up to manage sericulture (silkworm breeding) and silk production. The famous Silk Road to the Middle East and Europe started under Zhang Qian. Under imperial order, he started his diplomatic mission to the West from 138 BC to 126 BC. Gradually, sericulture and silk production techniques spread to other countries. Chinese silk was highly prized among the wealthy of the ancient Roman Empire. Today, Chinese silk still enjoys its reputation for high quality throughout the world.

The business of raising silkworms and unwinding cocoons is now known as silk culture or sericulture. It takes an average of 25-28 days for a silkworm, which is no bigger than an ant, to grow old enough to spin a cocoon. Next, farmers (usually female) will pick them up and place them one by one onto piles of straws. Then each silkworm, with its legs stretched out, will attach itself to the straw and begin to spin.

The next step is unwinding the cocoons, a process that is usually done by "reeling" women. The cocoons are heated to kill the pupae, which must be done at the right time; otherwise, the pupas are bound to turn into moths. (Moths make a hole in the cocoon, an event that makes reeling useless.)

To unwind the cocoons, first they are put into a basin filled with hot water. Then the reeling women find the loose end of the cocoons, and then twist them. Afterwards, the women carry the cocoons to a small wheel for unwinding. At last, two workers measure them into a certain length and twist them into so-called "raw" silk, which then are dyed and woven into cloth.

An interesting fact is that about 1,000 meters of can be unwound from one cocoon, while 111 cocoons are needed for a man's tie, and 630 cocoons are needed for a woman's blouse.

The Making of Silk

The making of silk generally refers to the process of dividing raw silk from cocoons into strands horizontally and vertically, before weaving them together into pieces of fabric.

The actual manufacture processes of various silks vary, but can be generally categorized into two types: sheng zhi and shu zi.

In the sheng zhi process, weavers weave the raw silk into fabrics first, and then scour (clean) and bleach the fabrics. This process, which has lower costs and a shorter process, is currently the major way of making silk.

In the shu zhi method, weavers scour and bleach the longitude and latitude silks from cocoons first before actually weaving them. The woven products no longer need further processing and can be directly used. The method is usually used to produce advanced silk fabrics like brocade.

Before the silk is woven, a lot preparations need to be done beforehand, like soaking the raw silk to soften the product. Meanwhile, as silk is very apt to absorb moisture, to make the silk damp-proof is very important before the weaving.

In terms of the silk pattern, the weaving methods can be generally divided into the common and jacquard methods. The former refers to the flat silk fabrics that have no weaved patterns, while the latter refers to the fabrics that are usually done by a jacquard loom (a loom that is mechanized to weave specific patterns).

When the silk fabrics are ready, the next step is the dyeing process (which is crucial in the whole procedure of making colorful and beautiful silk). With the dyeing technologies, the raw silk can be turned into flawless silk with patterns and colors to people's desire.

In ancient China, once the cloth had been weaved, embroidery was used to give the cloth its delicate, often brilliant patterns. The Four Renowned Embroideries of China were regional in their origin: Su embroidery originated from East China's Jiangsu Province; Yue embroidery originated from South China's Guangdong Province; Xiang embroidery originated from Central China's Hunan Province; and Shu embroidery originated from Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The Silk Kingdom

Silk, as a symbol of ancient Chinese culture, has not only weaved an excellent picture in the nation's civilization history, but also has made indelible contributions for the advancement of human beings. For thousands of years, Chinese silk has been known for its superior quality, exquisite patterns, and rich cultural connotations.

Several thousand years ago, when the silk trade first reached Europe via the Silk Road, it brought with it not only gorgeous silk apparel and decorative items, but also the ancient and resplendent culture of the Far East. From then on, silk was regarded as the emissary and symbol of Eastern civilization. The earliest silk article discovered to date is approximately 4700 years old, unearthed from a tomb dating from China's Liangzhu Culture (c. 3300-2200 BC).

According to an ancient Chinese legend, the Silkworm Goddess appeared to the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese people, after he had vanquished his adversary Chi You. She presented him with silk fibers spun from her own mouth as a sign of respect. The Yellow Emperor ordered the fibers woven into cloth and made into silk apparel, which he found exceedingly soft and comfortable.

Lei Zu, the Yellow Emperor's wife, searched until she found some caterpillars capable of spinning silk fibers from their mouth. She raised these silkworms by feeding them mulberry leaves she picked herself. Later generations came to worship Lei Zu as the Silkworm Goddess, and the Yellow Emperor as the God of Weaving.

Sericulture, including cultivating the mulberry plant, raising silkworms, and producing silk fabric, has been an essential form of labor in China throughout the millennia, as China is the birthplace of sericulture. Raising silkworms and reeling the silk from their cocoons was ancient China's greatest achievement in the use of natural fibers.

As long ago as the Neolithic Age (c. 12,000-2000 BC), the Chinese ancestors had invented flat-weaving and figured-weaving techniques, and were tinting cloth using natural (red pigment) vermilion dye. With improvements in looming devices and printing and dyeing methods, more varieties of silk were developed and a comprehensive system of cloth dying evolved. China possessed the most advanced silk dying and weaving techniques of the ancient world.

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Han Chinese clothing-tranditional dress...

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:17:31 +0200

Hanfu ,also known as Hanzhuang ,Huafu ,or guzhuang (meaning "ancient clothing"), and sometimes referred in English sources simply as Silk Robe^[1] (especially those worn by the gentry) or Chinese Silk Robe refers to the historical dress of the Han Chinese people, which was worn for millennia before the conquest by the Manchus and the establishment of the Qing Dynasty in 1644. The term Hanfu derives from the Book of Han, which says, "then many came to the Court to pay homage and were delighted at the clothing style of the Han [Chinese]."^[2]

Han Chinese clothing is presently worn only as a part of historical reenactment, hobby, coming of age/rite of passage ceremonies, ceremonial clothing worn by religious priests, or cultural exercise and can be frequently seen on Chinese television series, films and other forms of media entertainment. However, there is currently a movement in China and overseas Chinese communities to revive Han Chinese clothing in everyday life and incorporate in Chinese festivals or celebration.

Some costumes commonly thought of as typically Chinese, such as the qipao, are the result of influence by brutal laws (Queue Order) imposed by Manchurian rulers of the Qing Dynasty, and are regarded by some advocates as not being "traditionally" Han. Technically, the Qing dynasty and afterwards would be considered modern China, so the qipao would be modern clothing and not traditional. Today, most Han Chinese wear western-style clothing in everyday life. Some urbanites wear modified or modernized traditional clothes, while many in the countryside still use distinctive peasant dress.

Many East Asian and Southeast Asian national costumes, such as the Japanese kimono, the Korean hanbok and the Vietnamese áo tứ thân, all show influences from Hanfu, as historically these countries were part of the Sinosphere.

[hide]

1 History
- 1.1 Garments
- 1.2 Hats and headwear
2 Style
- 2.1 Informal wear
- 2.2 Semi-formal wear
- 2.3 Formal wear
- 2.4 Court dress
3 Ethnic identity
4 Gallery
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

History

A Tang Dynasty portrait of Confucius showing him in Hanfu of the Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

12th century Chinese painting of The Night Revels of Han Xizai (韩熙载夜宴图) showing musicians dressed in Hanfu

Hanfu has a history of more than three millennia, and is said to have been worn by the legendary Yellow Emperor. From the beginning of its history, Hanfu (especially in elite circles) was inseparable from silk, supposedly discovered by the Yellow Emperor’s consort, Leizu. The first solidly historical dynasty known of in China, the Shang Dynasty (c.1600 BC-1000 BC), developed the rudiments of Hanfu; it consisted of a yi, a narrow-cuffed, knee-length tunic tied with a sash, and a narrow, ankle-length skirt, called shang, worn with a bixi, a length of fabric that reached the knees. Vivid primary colors and green were used, due to the degree of technology at the time.

The dynasty to follow the Shang, the Western Zhou Dynasty, established a strict hierarchical society that used clothing as a status meridian, and inevitably, the height of one’s rank influenced the ornateness of a costume. Such markers included the length of a skirt, the wideness of a sleeve and the degree of ornamentation. In addition to these class-oriented developments, the Hanfu became looser, with the introduction of wide sleeves and jade decorations hung from the sash which served to keep the yi closed. The yi was essentially wrapped over, in a style known as jiaoling youren, or wrapping the right side over before the left, because of the initially greater challenge to the right-handed wearer (the Chinese discouraged left-handedness like many other historical cultures, considering it unnatural and unfortunate).

In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the "deep robe" (shenyi) appeared a combination of tunic and skirt. The upper and lower halves were cut separately but sewn as a single unit. An additional change was the shaping of the left side of the costume into a corner, fastened on the chest. Perhaps because of Confucian influence, disapproving of a hierarchical society in favour of social mobility based on personal merit, the shenyi was swiftly adopted. There still existed an elite however, and they monopolised the more ornate fabrics and grandiose details.

[edit] Garments

The style of Han Chinese clothing can be summarized as containing garment elements that are arranged in distinctive and sometime specific ways. This maybe different from the traditional garment of other ethnic groups in China, most notably the Manchurian influenced Chinese clothes, the qipao, which is popularly assumed to be the solely recognizable style of "traditional" Chinese garb. A comparison of the two styles can be seen as follows:

Component	Han	Manchu
Upper Garment	Consist of "yi" (衣), which have loose lapels and are open	Consist of "pao" (袍), which have secured lapels around the neck and no side openings
Lower Garment	Consist of skirts called "change/shang" (裳)	Consist of pants or trousers called "ku" (褲)
Collars	Generally, diagonally crossing each other, with the left crossing over the right	Parallel verticle collars with parallel diagonal lapels, which overlap
Sleeves	Long and loose	Narrow and tight
Buttons	Sparingly used and concealed inside the garment	Numerous and prominently displayed
Fittings	Belts and sashes are used to close, secure, and fit the garments around the waist	Flat ornate buttoning systems are typically used to secure the collar and fit the garment around the neck and upper torso

Shenyi (深衣) a type of Han Chinese clothing commonly worn from the pre-Shang periods to the Han Dynasty. This form is known as the quju (曲裾) and worn primarily by women.

A complete Hanfu garment is assembled from several pieces of clothing into an attire:

Yi (衣): Any open cross-collar garment, and worn by both sexes
Pao (袍): Any closed full-body garment, worn only by men in Hanfu
Ru (襦): Open cross-collar shirt
Shan (衫): Open cross-collar shirt or jacket that is worn over the yi
Qun (裙) or shang (裳): Skirt for women and men, respectively
Ku (褲): Trousers or pants

People are also able to accessorize with tassels and jade pendants or various ornaments hung from the belt or sash, known as pei (珮).

[edit] Hats and headwear

On top of the garments, hats (for men) or hairpieces (for women) maybe worn. One can often tell the profession or social rank of someone by what they wear on their heads. The typical male hat or cap is called a jin (巾) for commoners and guan (冠) for the privileged. Officials and academics have a separate set of hats for them, typically the putou (幞頭), the wushamao (烏紗帽), the si-fang pingding jin (四方平定巾; or simply, fangjin: 方巾) and the Zhuangzi jin (莊子巾). A typical hairpiece for women is a ji (笄) but there are more elaborate hairpieces.

Traditionally, the Chinese wear their hats indoors as well as outdoors unlike their Western counterparts. This is mainly because most hats are too impractical to take off and carry around.

[edit] Style

Another type of Han Chinese Shenyi (深衣) commonly worn from the pre-Shang periods to the Han Dynasty. This form is known as the zhiju (直裾) and worn primarily by men

Han-Chinese clothing had changed and evolved with the fashion of the days since its commonly assumed beginnings in the Shang dynasty. Many of the earlier designs are more gender-neutral and simple in cuttings. Later garments incorporate multiple pieces with men commonly wearing pants and women commonly wearing skirts. Clothing for women usually accentuates the body's natural curves through wrapping of upper garment lapels or binding with sashes at the waist.

Each dynasty has their own styles of Hanfu as they evolved and only few styles are 'fossilized'.

[edit] Informal wear

Types include tops (yi) and bottoms (divided further into pants and skirts for both genders, with different terminologies qun for females and shang for males), and one-piece robes that wrap around the body once or several times (shenyi).

Shenyi (深衣): a long full body garment

Quju (曲裾): diagonal body wrapping
Zhiju (直裾): straight lapels

Zhongyi (中衣) or zhongdan (中單): inner garments, mostly white cotton or silk
Shanqun (衫裙): a short coat with a long skirt
Ruqun (襦裙): a top garment with a separate lower garment or skirt
Kuzhe (褲褶): a short coat with trousers
Zhiduo/zhishen (直裰/直身): a Ming Dynasty style robe, similar to a zhiju shenyi but with vents at the side and 'stitched sleeves' (i.e. the sleeve cuff is closed save a small opening for the hand to go through)

Two traditional forms of ruqun (襦裙), a type of Han Chinese clothing worn by women. Cuffs and sleeves on the upper garment may be tighter or looser depending on style. A short skirt or a weighted braid (with weight provided by a jade or gold pendant) is sometimes worn to improve aesthetics or comfort of the basic ruqun.

A typical set of Hanfu can consist of two or three layers. The first layer of clothing is mostly the zhongyi (中衣) which is typically the inner garment much like a Western T-shirt and pants. The next layer is the main layer of clothing which is mostly closed at the front. There can be an optional third layer which is often an overcoat called a zhaoshan which is open at the front. More complicated sets of Hanfu can have many more layers.

For footwear, white socks and black cloth shoes (with white soles) are the norm, but in the past, shoes may have a front face panel attached to the tip of the shoes. Daoists, Buddhists and Confucians may have white stripe chevrons.

[edit] Semi-formal wear

A piece of Hanfu can be "made semi-formal" by the addition of the following appropriate items:

Chang/shang: a pleated skirt
Bixi (蔽膝): long front cloth panel attached from the waist belt
Zhaoshan (罩衫): long open fronted coat
Guan or any formal hats

Generally, this form of wear is suitable for meeting guests or going to meetings and other special cultural days. This form of dress is often worn by the nobility or the upper-class as they are often expensive pieces of clothing, usually made of silks and damasks. The coat sleeves are often deeper than the shenyi to create a more voluminous appearance.

Men and women in xuanduan formal wear at a Confucian ceremony in China.

[edit] Formal wear

In addition to informal and semi-formal wear, there is a form of dress that is worn only at certain special occasions (like important sacrifices or religious activities) or by special people who are entitled to wear them (such as officials and emperors).

Formal garments may include:

Xuanduan (玄端): a very formal dark robe; equivalent to the Western black tie or white tie
Daopao/Fusha (道袍/彿裟): Taoist/Buddhist priests' full dress ceremonial robes
Yuanlingshan (圓領衫), lanshan (襴衫) or panlingpao (盤領袍): closed, round collared robe; mostly used for official or academical dress

The most formal Hanfu that one can wear is the xuanduan (sometimes called yuanduan 元端 ^[3]), which consists of a black or dark blue top garment that runs to the knees with long sleeve (often with white piping), a bottom red chang, a red bixi (which can have a motif and/or be edged in black), an optional white belt with two white streamers hanging from the side or slightly to the front called peishou (佩綬) (like adding a white bow tie on a Western dinner suit to convert it to a full evening suit), and a long black guan. Additionally, wearers may carry a long jade gui (圭) or wooden hu (笏) tablet (used when greeting royalty). This form of dress is mostly used in sacrificial ceremonies such as Ji Tian (祭天) and Ji Zu (祭祖), etc but is also appropriate for State occasions.

Taoist priests celebrating a rite. Although rarely worn in everyday life, Hanfu remains an important part of the religions of China and its culture, such as Taoism (Daoism).

Those in the religious orders wear a plain middle layer garment followed by a highly decorated cloak or coat. Taoists have a 'scarlet gown' (絳袍) ^[4] which is made of a large cloak sewn at the hem to create very long deep sleeves used in very formal rituals. They are often scarlet or crimson in color with wide edging and embroidered with intricate symbols and motifs such as the eight trigrams and the yin and yang Taiji symbol. Buddhist have a cloak with gold lines on a scarlet background creating a brickwork pattern which is wrapped around over the left shoulder and secured at the right side of the body with cords. There maybe further decorations, especially for high priests ^[5].

Those in academia or officialdom have distinctive gowns. This varies over the ages but they are typically round collared gowns closed at the front. The most distinct feature is the headwear which has 'wings' attached. Only those who passed the civil examinations are entitled to wear them, but a variation of it can be worn by ordinary scholars and laymen.

[edit] Court dress

Court dress is the dress worn at very formal occasions and ceremonies that are in the presence of a monarch. The entire ensemble of clothing can consist of many complex layers and look very elaborate. Court dress is similar to the xuanduan in components but have additional adornments and elaborate headwear. They are often brightly colored with vermillion and blue.

Court dress refers to:

Chaofu (朝服): ceremonial dress of officials or nobility
Mianfu (冕服): ceremonial/enthronement dress for emperors

The practical use of court dress is now obsolete in the modern age since there is no reigning monarch in China anymore.

[edit] Ethnic identity

According to Tang Dynasty scholar Kong Yingda's official commentary to Zuo Zhuan and Shang Shu, Chinese clothing plays an important role in the Chinese ethnic identity. It says, "In China, there is the grandeur of rites and social conduct; that is why it is called Xia (夏). There is the beauty of dress and decoration; this is called Hua (華) ^[6]." The words Hua and Xia combine to form the word Huaxia (華夏), which is a name that is often used to represent the Chinese civilization. ^[7] ^[8]

[edit] Gallery

Tang Xuanzong and his audience in Chinese official/academical dress	Yuanlingshan robes of a Tang emperor	Court ladies of the Tang from Li Xianhui's tomb, Qianling Mausoleum, dated 706.	A painting of Tang Dynasty women playing with a dog, by artist Zhou Fang, 8th century.
A painting of Bai Juyi in robes that are standard for literati gentlemen	A Tang Dynasty earthenware figurine of a woman in a hood and robes.	A modern sketch of male literati Hanfu	A modern sketch of female Hanfu
A group of Chinese Taoist priests wearing Zhuangzi jin caps	Taoist priest in 'scarlet gown'	Taoist priests and priestesses

Costumes of Ethnic Minorities in China

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:12:36 +0200

Clothes of Chinese ethnic minorities are flowery and colorful, extremely exquisite, and highly distinctive. They constitute an important part of the rich history and culture of the ethnic groups.

A pleated skirt

Every aspect of their garments, such as raw materials, textile technology, fashion and decoration, retains a distinct characteristic of the ethnic group and the locality. The Hezhen ethnic minority people, who mainly make a living on fishing, used to make clothes with fishskin. The hunting ethnic groups, such as Oroqen and Ewenki, used roe skin and animal tendon to stitch up their clothes. The Mongolians, Tibetans, Kazakstans, Khalkhases, Yugurs, etc., who are mainly engaged in stockbreeding, make their apparel mostly from animal skin and hair. And, farming ethnic minorities usually take the locally produced cotton or hemp thread as raw materials to spin cloth and silk and make clothes.

Ethnic minorities' spinning and weaving, tanning and felting techniques boast a long history. For example, bombax cloth of the Li ethnic minority, woolen fabric of the Tibetan, Adelis silk of the Uygur, fur products of the Oroqen have enjoyed a worldwide reputation all along.

There are numerous clothing designs and forms in Chinese ethnic minorities. Generally speaking, they can be classified into two types: long gowns and short clothes. People usually wear a hat and boots to match long gowns, and headcloth and shoes to match short clothes. The gowns take various forms: the high-collar and big-front type worn by the Mongolian, the Manchu, the Tu and so on; the collarless tilted-front type worn by the Tibetan, the Moinba and so on; the tilted-front type worn by the Uygur and other ethnic minorities; and so on. As for short clothes, they fall into two types: trousers and skirts.

In terms of fashion of skirts, there are pleated skirts, tube skirts, short skirts, one-piece dress and so on. In any kind of clothes, no matter it is the gown, the coat, the skirt, or the trousers, different ethnic minority groups employ different structures, techniques and styles. Take high-collared big gowns for example. Some of them have kick pleat, some don't have any kick pleat, some have kick pleat both in front and on the back, and some have front and back kick pleat and edging all around. Women of the Li, the Dai, the Jingpo, the De'ang ethnic minorities and so on all wear tube skirts, but those tube skirts worn by the Li are brocade skirts made of cotton, those worn by the Jingpo are woolen multicolored skirts, those worn by the De'ang are skirts with horizontal stripes, and those worn by the Dai are usually skirts made of common cloth.

Costumes of ethnic minorities vary greatly not only with different nationalities, but also with different branches and different regions within the same ethnic group. Difference can be seen from province to province, from county to county, and even from village to village. Costume is the most obvious symbol of an ethnic group, and in the history, many ethnic groups were named just according to their garments.

In a vast country like China, with so many ethnic groups and an unbalanced social development, styles of clothes vary a lot due to different economic lives, cultural levels, natural environments and geographical conditions and climatic conditions. This is one of the characteristics of folk garments.

Some techniques of Chinese ethnic minorities such as embroidery and batik are much developed, and are widely used in making clothing adornments. This is another feature of their costumes.

Embroidery is a technique generally favored by all ethnic groups, and it is usually used in the headband, the waistband, the apron, and some rapid-wearing parts such as the border of the front, the round shoulder, the lower hem, the wristband, the bottom of trouser legs, the edge of the skirt, etc., being both decorative and practical. Embroidery techniques include cross-stitch work, applique, embroidering and so on; methods include surface, twine, chain, net, stab and stack embroidery, etc; patterns include natural scenes, auspicious patterns and geometric patterns and so on.

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China traditional Life Etiquette and Sho...

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:09:07 +0200

In China, there are many established practices concerning shoes, many of which have become standard life etiquette. For example, shoes are presented to a baby one full month after its birth; newlyweds have to wear wedding shoes at their wedding ceremony; shoes embroidered with the Chinese character fu are often given as birthday presents to elderly people; and at funerals, the children of the deceased have to wear filial shoes. Among the various shoe-related customs, wedding shoes have played an extremely important role in one's marriage since ancient times.

Presenting Shoes When Delivering Betrothal Gifts

In ancient times, males were referred to as qian (symbol of heaven in the Eight Trigrams, or the eight energies in the t'ai chi martial art), and females, as kun (symbol of earth in the Eight Trigrams). Women's shoes are therefore called kun shoes.

During the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), when a woman was getting married, she usually wore a pair of wooden sandals painted with colorful patterns and fastened by colorful ribbons, both of which were seen as auspicious symbols.

During the Southern Dynasty (420-589), if a man was to take a wife, he had to first present to the woman a new pair of silk shoes when delivering betrothal gifts. The custom continued in many places, such as in Ningbo and Yinxian cities of today's Zhejiang Province in East China, during the dynasty's Guangxu Period. According to the local matrimonial customs at that time, when a marriage was settled, the woman's family would find out the shoe sizes of the man's grandparents and great-grand parents. Then, the woman would painstakingly make elaborate shoes for them. When delivering betrothal gifts, the man would give jewelry, silk, cattle, food, and wine to the woman's family, who would hold a feast to entertain. Afterwards, the woman's family would give the man the self-made shoes in return, which were meant to show their daughter's filial piety to her future in-laws.

Shoes to Show the Bride's Needlework

The shoes made by the bride, though not necessarily for herself, are a must among the bride's dowry in many places. In the Shangluo Region of North China's Shanxi Province, every woman, prior to her marriage, has to make a pair of shoes for every member of her fiancé's family.

On the wedding day, after the wedding ceremony, the bride has to distribute the shoes she has made to every family member, who will try on the shoes on the spot and make some comments. The shoes, in addition to showing the bride's needlework, also signify that the bride will respect the elder, love the young, and get along well with the whole family.

The "Sifting Shoes" Custom

There is an interesting custom called "sifting shoes" among today's Zhuang Ethnic Minority people today. When two young people get married, the bride's sisters escort her to the bridegroom's family. Then a wedding ceremony is held, in which the bride and bridegroom make formal bows to the groom's parents. After that, the escorts sing songs together before the bridegroom's family lay out the wedding banquet, during which the ritual of tea or wine serving is held. As the escorts are beginning to take leave, a young man brings out a sift (container of sort) and begins "sifting shoes".

Usually, the escorts will decline politely before putting the shoes they bring with themselves into the sift. Every time the man receives a pair of shoes, he will put a red packet into the container and then presents it to the escort as he shakes the container and sings songs of gratitude. He does this until he has "sifted" shoes into red packets for all the escorts.

Auspicious Wedding Shoes

During the wedding ceremony, the bride usually wears special wedding shoes. For example, in Southern Fujian Province, the bride has to wear a pair of shoes embroidered with patterns of a turtle or a deer, which symbolizes blessing, happiness, and longevity after marriage.

In southern Zhejiang Province, making shang jiao xie (shoes worn while stepping into the sedan chair) before getting into the sedan is akin to praying for auspiciousness.

Either the bride or others can make the wedding shoes. These kinds of shoes are made with red and green cloth and usually with a soft sole, and are worn by the bride as she steps into the sedan chair. In some places, relatives who are thought to have good fortune make such shoes, while in other areas, they are made by the bride and another single girl on the morning of the wedding day.

All about Wedding Shoes

In the Haizhou Region of East China's Jiangsu Province, wedding shoes are known as xi xie or "happy shoes". Before liberation (in 1949), when a girl was getting married, she usually wore a pair of happy shoes, which were made with red cloth or silk and were sometimes embroidered with flower patterns in the front part. With the increasing appearance of leather shoes after liberation, the bridal wedding shoes gave way to the leather ones. The bridegroom's first pair of shoes after marriage should be made or bought by the bride.

In the Longquan Area of Sheeting Province, there are many regulations on the bride and bridegroom's wedding shoes. For example: The bride usually wears pink or orange wedding shoes, which are made by a girl whose parents are still alive or a grandma who has witnessed three generations. The front uppers are embroidered with a pair of phoenixes picking peony flowers. Inside the shoes is a lining of white cloth, on which is embroidered a pair of the Chinese character "喜," meaning happiness.

On the wedding day, the bride wears this pair of shoes to get on and off the sedan chair, as well as for the following three days. After that, the shoes will be put away. When the first child she bears reaches one month old, she wears this pair of shoes to meet guests to show that she is a first-time mother. The bridegroom's shoes, on the other hand, are made with black cloth by the same kind of people who make the wedding shoes for the bride, and can be worn until they are worn out.

Variety of Wedding Shoes

Wedding shoes have different names in different places.

In ancient times, wedding shoes were also called "Zodiac Shoes", since a propitious date was chosen for the wedding ceremony. When getting on the sedan chair, the bride always wore a pair of yellow shoes, which were changed to red ones upon her arrival at the bridegroom's family.

In some places, wedding shoes refer to shoes worn while making formal bows to the bridegroom's parents at the traditional wedding ceremony, and are therefore named cai tang xie or "stepping hall shoes". In other places, wedding shoes refer to those worn by the bride when changing her hairstyle on the wedding day, featuring a thin sole, red lining, and embroidered flower patterns. After that, the bride has to change to another pair of shoes, and throw the wedding shoes under the bed to show her determination of not marrying again.

In the old days, the bride often wore a pair of soft-sole shoes when spending the night in the nuptial chamber softened by candlelight. When in bed, the bridegroom would take off the shoes for the bride, and then look at the drawings inside the shoes together.

There is another kind of wedding shoes called hui men shoes". A month after marriage, the brides' family usually invites the bride to live with them for several days, which is known as hui men. The bride can live there for a month if accompanied by the bridegroom. Otherwise, she can only live as long as her mother-in-law allows, usually eight or eighteen days. During her stay at her parents' home, the bride has to make each member of the bridegroom's family a pair of shoes, which are the so-called hui men shoes.

Note:

Inflatable Boxing Gloves

Flock Lined Gloves

Plastic Anti Static

Disposable Plastic Gloves

Long Sleeve Gloves

glove and scarf

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Leather Hand Gloves

incredible oven glove

Leather Golf Glove

professional boxing gloves

double palm glove

hat scarf glove

hat and gloves

examination vinyl gloves

fire fighting glove

Medical Latex Gloves

Working Leather Gloves

car wash glove

childrens boxing gloves

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Goatskin Leather Gloves

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Ancient Chinese Clothing (Chinese Tradit...

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:05:27 +0200

In ancient society people lived in crude caves, naked. During the New Stone Age they invented bone needle and began to sew simple winter dress with leaves and animal skins. With the development of the society, people were engaged in agriculture and they started to spin and weave, even sewed coats with linen.

In the class society, dress became the token of social status. It was from the Xia and Shang Dynasties that dress system came into being in China. In the Zhou Dynasty, the system was perfected. From then on the distinctions as to color, design and adornment of dress were strictly made among the emperor, officials and the common people.

China is a multi-national country. Each nation has a traditional culture of its own. The mutual support and inspiration among different nationals made Chinese dress more plentiful and glorious.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the economy boomed and people led a quiet life. People from different countries gathered in Changan and Luoyang to promote the international cultural exchange. Particularly the culture of

middle Asia deeply influenced Chinese dress system.

On the other hand the ideology also directly influenced dress and adornment. During the Warring States period, many vassal states were competing with each other, hence the patterns of dress and adornment became diversified. During the Sui and Tang, the unity of ancient China and the prosperity of economy brought about new thoughts, and the dress became splendid, particularly the decolIetage appeared. Because of the intensity of the feudal ideology, the patterns of dress and adornment gradually became conservative from the Song and Ming Dynasties. Influenced by western cultures, the designs were more fitting and tasteful from late Ming.

The patterns of ancient dress were classified into two groups:"coat-and-skirt" and "one- piece". "Coat-and-skirt" were mainly worn by women and "one-piece" by men.

Stringent rules are made for the color of ancient dress and adornment. Yellow is the most valuable color as a symbol of center. Green, red, white and black symbolize the East, the South, the West and the North respectively. Green, red, black, white and yellow are pure colors applied by the emperors and officials. The common people could only apply the secondary colors. With the development of the society, the colors of the dress, which are more harmonious and form a partial contrast, replace that of remote ages, which was very simple. These changes make the dress and adornment splendid.

The geometrical patterns, the pictures of animals and plants were widely adopted on ancient dress and adornments. Before Shang and Zhou, the patterns were primitive, succinct and abstract. After Zhou the patterns became much neater. The compositions were balanced and symmetric. During the Tang and Song more attentions were paid to the compositions. From the Ming and Qing Dynasties most of the patterns were realistic, and the flowers, animals and mountains-and-waters were all really true to life.

The articles of clothing of past dynasties are one chapter of Chinese long history and culture. They are not only the reflection of the politics and economy of a given society, but also the great contributions for world civilization.

An outstanding characteristic of traditional Chinese clothing is not only an external expression of elegance, but also an internal symbolism. Each and every piece of traditional clothing communicates a vitality of its own. This combination of external form with internal symbolism is clearly exemplified in the pair of fighting pheasant feathers used in head wear originating in the battle wear of the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). Two feathers of a ho bird (a type pheasant good at fighting) were inserted into the head wear of warriors of this period to symbolize a bold and warlike spirit.

Archaeological findings of 18,000 year-old artifacts such as bone sewing needles and stone beads and shells with holes bored in them attest to the existence of ornamentation and of sewing extremely early in Chinese civilization. Variety and consistency in clothing were roughly established by the era of the Yellow Emperor and the Emperors Yao and Shun (about 4,500 years ago). Remains of woven silk and hemp articles and ancient ceramic figures further demonstrate the sophistication and refinement of clothing in the Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th century B.C.).

The three main types of traditional Chinese clothing are the pien-fu, the ch'ang-p'ao, and the shen-i. The pien-fu is an ancient two-piece ceremonial costume of a tunic-like top extending to the knees and a skirt or trousers extending to the ankles. The ch'ang-p'ao is a one-piece garment extending from the shoulders all the way to the heels. The shen-i is a cross between the pien-fu and the ch'ang-p'ao; it consists of a tunic and a skirt or trousers like the pien-fu, but the tunic and the skirt are sewed together and essentially one piece like the ch'ang-p'ao. Consequently, the shen-i was the most widely worn of the three types. Typical of these three types of clothing were wide and voluminous sleeves and a very loose fit. Tunic and trousers or tunic and skirt, utilized a very minimum number of stitches for the amount of cloth used. So because of their relatively plain design and structure, embroidered edgings, decorated bands, draped cloth or silks, patterns on the shoulders, and sashes were often added as ornamentation. These varied designs came to be one of the unique features of traditional Chinese dress.

Darker colors were favored over lighter ones in traditional Chinese clothing, so the main color of ceremonial clothing tended to be dark while bright, elaborate tapestry designs accented. Lighter colored clothing was worn more frequently by the common people for everyday and around the house use. The Chinese associate certain colors with specific seasons: green represents spring, red symbolizes summer, white represents autumn, and black symbolizes winter. The Chinese are said to have a fully developed system of matching, coordinating, and contrasting colors and shades of light and dark in apparel.

- Chinese Style Clothes --- the Vogue of the Day
- Traditional Style Dress Comes Back Into Vogue

Today, Fashion designers use a mixture of traditional and modern ideas to create new fashions. These new fashions also incorporate age-old motifs such as guardian deities, lions, and masks of Chinese opera characters. Chinese bronze is another source of printed, woven, embroidered, and applied design for clothes. Some of the distinctive designs include dragons, phoenixes, clouds, and lightning. Motifs from traditional Chinese painting also end up in woven or printed fashion designs.

In modern society, men are seen at social occasions wearing the dignified and refined traditional Chinese long gown, and women often wear the ch'i-p'ao, a modified form of a traditional Ching Dynasty fashion, on formal occasions. The variations of height, length, width, and ornamentation of the collar, sleeves, skirt, and basic cut of this Oriental fashion are limitless.

Many accessories such as macram are used to decorate shoulders, bodices, pockets, seams, and openings of clothing, as well as belts, hair ornaments, and necklaces. Some successful examples of combinations of modern and traditional fashion elements are the modern bridal tiara, based on a Sung Dynasty design and the Hunan Province style of embroidered sash made in the traditional colors of pure red, blue, and green. From these examples, it can be seen how traditional Chinese dress is the foundation of modern fashion. However, the Chinese have also adopted many Western styles of clothing such as business suits and jeans.

Woman's upper garment of sky blue gauze and elaborate borders
Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Length 97.5 cm, greatest width 143 cm, sleeve hem widths 46 cm, hem widths 93 cm
The garment with low stand-up collar and wide sleeves opens on the right with two pairs of double toggles. The sky blue gauze is woven with a pattern of endless knots and stylized shou characters. A very wide border in several stripes of varying widths, including two black narrow stripes, and variously embroidered with bats, plum blossoms and bamboo, and floral sprigs ornament the collar, the opening, the hems and the sleeves. Garments with this style of decorative border were very trendy in the late Qing period.

Note:

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Complete Guide to Chinese Wedding

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:01:16 +0200

Chinese wedding culture is a vital part of Chinese tradition. Many rituals and customs have been lost in course of history, but many are observed even today. It is practiced in honor of family value and respect to committed relationship, the holly marriage.

We offer this printer-friendly version of a complete guide to Chinese wedding in hope you could print it and read it at your convenience. Blue color text is hyperlinks which will leads to that particular ritual or product and service.

Chinese Wedding Customs and Rituals Before the Wedding

Proposal & Betrothal

In Chinese Culture, a marriage is considered the joining of two families. Thus the parents of the bride's and groom's get involved in their wedding planning from very early on. Two families pick an auspicious date as the Betrothal Day. This is a formal meeting between the parents of the perspective bride and groom. The groom's family presents various proposal gifts that represents fertility and prosperity in Chinese culture, which is also known as "Grand Gift" or "Guo Da Li". All gifts should come in even numbers, meaning "good things double" in Chinese culture. Thus, the two are considered officially engaged.

Chinese Wedding Cakes

After the betrothal meeting, both families will make wedding announcement to their relatives and friends by sending out "Double Happiness Cakes" along with wedding invitations. This is the Chinese style wedding cakes also known as "Dragon & Phoenix Cakes". These are baked cake with dragon and phoenix imprint on the surface. Some styles have fillings made of lotus seed paste, red bean paste or green bean paste.

The wedding cakes are usually presented to the bride's family by the groom's family as part of the proposal gift. Bride's family will then present some of the cakes to worship their ancestors and send the rest of cakes to friends and relatives along with wedding invitations. Quantity of cakes to be sent depends on seniority of guest or relationship with the family. Nowadays, the wedding cakes are usually served to the guests at the wedding instead of the western style wedding cakes.

Chinese Wedding Dowry

The bride's family then prepares dowry and give a list of the dowries to the groom's family. Dowry is mostly composed of daily necessities for the new home, such as bedding, linen and dining set, etc. In the old Chinese culture, girls start learning needle work at young age, and prepare plenty of shoes, socks, table cloth etc, as part of her dowry. This is also an opportunity for the bride's family to display their love for their daughter as well as their wealth.

Bridal Bed Setting (An Chuang) Ritual.

A few days before the wedding, the bride's family send dowry to the groom's family, or the couple's new home nowadays. The groom's family will invite a respected female relative or friend to "set the bridal bed" at the new home. In some part of China in the old days, a unmarried young boy will be invited to sleep in the bridal bed the night before the wedding to bring fertility to the newlyweds.

Chinese Wedding Decorations

The two families decorates the bridal house and the reception site for the upcoming wedding ceremony. Lots of lively colors, red in particular, is used in Chinese wedding decoration. Red banners used for wedding is called "happiness banners", which is an essential part of the wedding decorations. It's decorated on both sides of the doors of the newlywed's home and the reception site. The Chinese writing on the banners are rhythmic poem praising the adorable couple and the perfect marriage.

Papercut of Double Happiness, dragon and phoenix are widely used at Chinese wedding.

Wedding Day Ceremony

In the morning of the wedding day, "hair dressing" (Shang Tou) ritual is performed for the bride. A "good luck woman", woman with living parents, spouse and children, will come to help dressing up the bride's hair. The woman should also say auspicious words while tying up her hair in a bun, a style of married woman. The groom's family perform "capping" (Jia Guan) ritual for the groom at their home. These rituals in Chinese culture symbolize that they are entering adulthood.

Chinese Wedding Door Game

Then the groom sets out to the bride's home, and he will inevitably be blocked at her door by her friends, and the bridesmaids will play door game with the groom and his attendants.

Door game originated from ancient time which implies that the bride is a lovely girl and her family and friends do not want to marry her away. The groom will be blocked at the bride's door, and her friends will try to stop him from entering by asking questions about the bride, a way to test if he really cares about her. They may also do other tricks to delay the bride's leaving. The groom will try to buy his way in by presenting "Li Shi", token money wrapped in red envelops. Door game is a joyous and good-natured "bargain" game essential in Chinese wedding.

When the bride finally goes out to ascend the car, a bridesmaid will hold a red umbrella over her head, meaning "raise the bark, spread the leaves." Other relatives will scatter rice, red bean and green bean on her. The red umbrella protects the bride from evil spirit, and the rice and beans are to attract the attention of the gold chicken.

When the bridal sedan, equivalent of motorcade nowadays, arrives the groom's home, firecrackers and music with gongs and drums greets the bride. The bride will leap over a iron basin with lit charcoal inside. It is a ritual to bring prosperity and keep evils away.

Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony

Then at the official ritual that equals to the wedding vow in western wedding, the newlyweds kneel three times, to the heaven and earth, to the ancestral tablets and their parents, then to each other. The kneeling part has been replaced with bowing in modern Chinese wedding. The bride then present tea to the parents and relatives in sequence of seniority. Those who receive the tea usually give the bride gifts such as jewelry or Li Shi money wrapped in red envelope. Thus it's the end of the ritual and the wedding proceeds to the banquet venue.

Chinese Wedding Food

Certain types of food are commonly served at the Chinese wedding banquet, which include fish, roast suckling pig, pigeon, chicken cooked with red oil, lobster and desert bun with lotus seeds stuffed inside. The pronunciation of fish is the same as "abundance", meaning the newlyweds will have plentiful of wealth. Roast suckling pig is usually served whole, a symbol of the bride's purity (virginity). Pigeon implies peaceful future. Chicken also means phoenix, cooked in red oil to symbolize the wish for a prosperous life ahead for the newlyweds. Lobster is literally called "dragon shrimp" in Chinese. Having lobster and chicken together at wedding banquet indicates that the dragon and the phoenix are hormones together, and the Yin and Yang elements in this family is balanced.

Most oriental caterers can give you an idea of the menu.

Chinese Wedding Dress

The color red is considered good luck, a strong color that can drive away evil spirits. The traditional Chinese wedding dress in northern China usually is one-piece frock named Qi Pao, embroidered with elaborate gold and silver designs. Brides from southern China usually wear two-piece dress named Qun Gua, Kwa or Cheongsam, also elaborately adorned with golden phoenix and dragon.

In the old days, a piece of red veil is part of the bride's costume to cover her face during the wedding ceremony. Newlyweds would see each other's face for the first time in their lives at their wedding night.

In modern Chinese wedding, the bride changes dresses at least 3 times at the wedding day. She would start with western style white wedding gown for a church for civil ceremony. Then at the tea ceremony, she would change to traditional Chinese bridal dress, which she will wear to the reception too. Before the end of the banquet, she would change into a cocktail dress, and great the guests, and then see them off at the door, thus this dress is also called "Song Ke" (See Guests Off) dress.

Chinese Wedding Night Ritual

The night of the wedding, the bridal room will lit dragon and phoenix candle to drive away the evil spirit. This is a Chinese version of unity candle. The newlyweds will drink wine from two cups tied together with a red string, arms crossed from each other. This is the formal wedding vow in Chinese culture. Then the bride will be offered dumplings that's boiled half-raw. The pronunciation of "raw" is the same as giving birth to children, a indication of family prosperity.

Post-wedding Customs

The next morning of the wedding, the bride should get up early and make a meal for the groom's family to demonstrate that she is well-nurtured. Three days after the wedding, the groom and bride will go back to visit the bride's parents.

Frequently Asked Questions by Bride and Groom at Chinese Wedding

Q: When should I start preparing for my wedding?
A: You should start preparing 6 months before the wedding. Since marriage in Chinese culture is considered the joining of two families, you need to arrange a proposal and betrothal meeting for parents from both families. You will also need to make arrangement for wedding gown, banquet venue or church if you so choose... More at Check List>>>

Q: How do I choose an auspicious wedding date?
A: You should choose a even number date for the wedding. The more even numbers the merrier, e.g., Saturday, October 28, 2004. Sometimes, people choose date with special meaning, e.g. lunar calendar September 9th is a festival for family reunion, and the Nine means "forever"...Sign up for China Bridal Newsletter...>>>

Q: I want to have a Chinese wedding, but my in-laws are Christians, how can I combine a church wedding with a traditional Chinese wedding?
A: In modern China, more and more young couples favor a church wedding for its solemn surrounding and the holly wedding vow. You may combine the two styles together and cater to both families. First, perform traditional Chinese rituals at home, e.g., hair-dressing ritual, tea ceremony, etc. Then after the bride has served tea to her in-laws and bowed to the ancestral tablets, proceed to the church to exchange wedding vows. After the banquet, you can continue to have the traditional bridal chamber party at the wedding night... More at Wedding Procession...>>>

Q: How many dresses should I prepare for my wedding, and what kind of dresses do I need?
A: The bride change dresses a few times during the wedding while the groom changes once or does not change. In the morning, the bride is usually dressed in traditional Chinese wedding gown. She won't change until after she has served tea to her in-laws. Then she changes to western style white wedding gown for the ceremony in which the newlyweds will bow to the heaven and the earth, the ancestor's tablets and to each other. At the wedding banquet, the bride changes to a formal day time gown, and the newlyweds will serve wine to every guests at the wedding. The last one is a night gown she wears when she sees the guests off at the end of the banquet. The groom usually is dressed in a Chinese men's traditional gown in the morning, then change to cocktail suit before the banquet.. It is also acceptable to wear a formal suit instead of cocktail suit... More at Chinese Wedding Dresses...>>>

Q: Some of the Grand Gifts are hard to find, can I substitute with something else?
A: Generally speaking, you can always substitute Grand Gifts with cash, particularly named Li Shi, usually wrapped in red envelope. The Li Shi money usually comes in $99 or $999, as the pronunciation of Nine is the same as "long and forever." However, presentation of Grand Gifts is a symbolic gesture of appreciation to the bride's family for raising her and marrying her away. Many traditional gift shops have Grand Gifts items in stock... More at Gift Shops...>>>

Q: Is there any formal wedding vow in Chinese wedding?
A: There is no formal wedding vow in Chinese culture. The closest ritual is to have the newlyweds drink wine from two cups that are tied together by a red string. The newlyweds cross their right arms and drink at the same time. That's considered the gesture of binding commitment by the two... More at Wedding Day Rituals...>>>

Q: What is the Tea Ceremony at a wedding reception?
A: The Tea Ceremony is when the bride arrives the groom's home, and serve tea to her new in-laws. She will hold the tea cup with both hands, kneel in front of her parents-in-law, and serve it. After the groom's parents, she will serve tea to every one on the occasion, with a sequence of seniority. Those who accepted the tea are supposed to give her gift such as Li Shi money or gold and jade jewelries wrapped in red envelope... Prepare gifts for the bride...>>>

Q: What is the appropriate wedding banquet menu? How can I explain the meaning of the dishes to non-Chinese guests?
A: Certain foods must be served at wedding, which include fish, roast suckling pig, pigeon, chicken cooked with red oil, lobster and desert bun with lotus seeds stuffed inside. The pronunciation of fish is the same as "abundance", meaning the newlyweds will have plentiful of wealth. Roast suckling pig is usually served whole, a symbol of the bride's virginity. Pigeon implies peaceful future. Chicken also means phoenix, cooked in red oil to symbolize the wish for a prosperous life ahead for the newlyweds. Lobster is literally called "dragon shrimp" in Chinese. Having lobster and chicken together at wedding banquet to indicate that the dragon and the phoenix are hormones together, and the Yin and Yang elements in this family is balanced... Most important of all, do not forget to serve Chinese Dragon and Phoenix wedding cakes...>>>

Frequently Asked Questions by Guests to a Chinese Wedding

Q: I am invited to a Chinese wedding, what gift should I bring for the newlyweds?

A: The most common Chinese wedding gift is cash wrapped in red envelope, also named Li Shi money. Check is acceptable, of course. However, if you are not a close relative or friends, go ahead and buy any gift you think is appropriate. Whatever you buy, do not give the couple a FAN as gift since the pronunciation of fan is "san", which means "disperse" in Chinese, thus considered a bad omen... Gift Ideas at our Shop...>>>

Q: Can you teach me some auspicious words for congratulations to the newlyweds?
A: Bai Tou Xie Lao, meaning "may you two grow old together, and be each other's companion when your hair are white." Bai Nian Hao Ho, meaning "may you happily together for a hundred years."

Q: Any taboos at a Chinese wedding?
A: Certain people should not attend Chinese wedding, i.e., pregnant women and someone whose immediate family member just passed away... However, for the younger generations, these are not considered taboo anymore. Learn more at Do's & Don'ts...>>>

Do's & Don'ts at Chinese Wedding

Don't 1:
At the proposal meeting, the groom's family will present the bride with an alive goose. The bride's family should not kill the goose and eat it because the goose represents the groom. If the goose is quiet when it is turned over to the bride's family, it indicates that the groom has good personality. Otherwise, it indicates the groom is quick-tampered. The bride's family should leave the goose to a pond where it will grow by itself.

Don't 2:
Bride's friends will try to block the groom from entering the bride's room on the morning of the wedding day. But the friends will have to watch time since a auspicious timing is already chosen for the bride to depart her home.

Don't 3:
When the bride departs her home, and ascends the car, she should change to her formal shoes, thus to indicate that she did not take away even the good luck from her parents.

Don't 4:
When the bride enters the groom's home, the mother-in-law and sister-in-law should not face the door, watching the bride walk in. This is to avoid confrontation in the future.

Don't 5:
Pregnant women and people whose family member just passed away should not participate in the wedding ceremony, nor to touch the newlyweds' clothing or anything in the new home.

Note:

Double Wire Loop

Wireless Panic Button

brake shoe lining

Plain Belt Buckle

Plastic Belt Buckle

Rhinestone Belt Buckles

Curtain Tieback Tassel

LED Belt Buckle

machine embroidery lace

loop and hook

Military Belt Buckles

Mesh Bag Zipper

organza sheer ribbon

Iron-On Embroidered Patch

Citizen Printer Ribbon

Thermal Printer Ribbon

Black Lace Trim

Electronic Belt Buckle

electrical push button

color camera button

fly fishing hook

electrical power cords

industrial push buttons

Letter Belt Buckle

cleanroom vinyl gloves

fashion leather gloves

Latex Exam Gloves

leather work glove

leather boxing gloves

apparel

Chinese wedding dress VS Western wedding...

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:57:19 +0200

A simple wedding dress seen at Thornbury Castle, England, in 2004

A wedding dress or wedding gown is clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.

Western culture

Weddings performed during and immediately following the medieval era were often more than just a union between two people. They could be a union between two families, two businesses or even two countries. Many weddings were more a matter of politics than love, particularly among the nobility and the higher social classes. Brides were therefore expected to dress in a manner that cast their families in the most favorable light, for they were not representing only themselves during the ceremony. Brides of an elevated social standing often wore rich colors and expensive fabrics. It was common to see such brides wearing bold colors and layers of furs, velvet and silk. Brides of a lower social standing often copied the elegant styles of wealthier brides as best they could.

The woman to the far right is wearing a typical wedding dress from 1929. Up until the late 1930s, wedding dresses reflected the styles of the day. From that time onward, wedding dresses have traditionally been based on Victorian styles.

Over the centuries, brides continued to dress in a manner befitting their social status—always in the height of fashion, with the richest, boldest materials money could buy. The poorest of brides wore their best church dress on their wedding day. The amount of material a wedding dress contained also was a reflection of the bride's social standing and indicated the extent of the family's wealth to wedding guests. Today, there are wedding dresses available in all price ranges, and Western traditions have loosened up to include a rainbow of colors and variety of lengths, which are now considered acceptable. Women may purchase ready-made gowns, wear a family heirloom, or they may choose to have a dressmaker create one for her.

Wedding dresses have traditionally been based on the popular styles of the day. For example, in the 1920s, wedding dresses were typically short in the front with a longer train in the back and were worn with cloche-style wedding veils. This tendency to follow current fashions continued until the late 1940s, when it became popular to revert to long, full-skirted designs reminiscent of the Victorian era. Although there has always been a style that dominates the bridal market for a time, and then shifts with the changes in fashion, a growing number of modern brides are not choosing to follow these trends. This is due in large part to non-traditional and non-first-time weddings, and women who are marrying later in life.

Today, Western wedding dresses are usually white, though "wedding white" includes creamy shades such as eggshell, ecru and ivory. One of the first women to wear white at her wedding was Mary Queen of Scots, when she married François II of France. However, white was not then a tradition but rather a choice and one considered inauspicious, since white was the official colour of mourning in France at the time.

White did not become a popular option until 1840, after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Victoria had worn a white gown for the event so as to incorporate some lace she owned. The official wedding portrait photograph was widely published, and many other brides opted for a similar dress in honor of the Queen's choice. The tradition continues today in the form of a white wedding, though prior to the Victorian era, a bride was married in any color except black (the color of mourning) or red (which was connected with prostitutes). Later, many people assumed that the color white was intended to symbolize virginity, though this had not been the original intention. (It was the color blue that was connected to purity.) Today, the white dress is understood merely as the most traditional and popular choice for weddings, not necessarily a statement of virginity.

[edit] Eastern culture

Taiwanese couple dressed Western-style for keepsake photos in the park (1989).

Many wedding dresses in China are colored red, the traditional color of good luck. In modern Chinese weddings, the bride usually opts for the white Western dress or changes from a white gown to a red gown later in the day and sometimes a gold-colored gown later on. In Japan, brides will often wear three or more dresses throughout the ceremony and subsequent celebrations with a traditional kimono, white and colour dress combination being popular.

In northern parts of India, the traditional color of women's wedding garments is red, a color symbolizing auspiciousness. Green, a colour symbolizing fertility, is also commonly used. Nowadays, many women opt not to wear red and choose other colors. South Indian weddings traditionally use white or cream-colored saris. Indian brides in Western countries often wear the sari at the wedding ceremony and change into traditional Indian wear afterwards (like lehnga, choli, etc.).

Note:

curtain fabric lace

computer printer ribbon

Emergency Push Button

Retractable Extension Cords

illuminated push button

Scrolling Belt Buckle

Striped Grosgrain Ribbon

Wholesale Satin Ribbon

The Fabric of Marriage: Wedding Dresses

apparelhistory — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:51:35 +0200

"For every married woman across the nineteenth-century America, her wedding was the most significant event of here life. In those few moments, no matter how elegant or humble the surroundings ..... she permanently committed herself to the man standing there at her side clasping her hand." ¹

When 20 year old Queen Victoria made her wedding plans the ideal of what a brides dress should look like was changed for all future brides and even today a lovely white dress is the dream of every bride.

Weddings Before Queen Victoria's

Before this famous wedding a royal bride wore heavy state robes of materials such as brocade and velvet. Not so with the everyday bride. American weddings were simple things usually held in the bride's home.

A Massachusetts country wedding in 1827 was described in this way. Neighbors and relatives were crowded into a farmhouse parlor with the bride and groom in front of the minister. He joined the couple's hands together and led them through a short exchange of vows.

"Most American couples were wed by a clergyman at the home of the bride, in such informal ceremonies of republican simplicity." ² The bride wore the best dress she had or could make whatever that might be.

Interestingly white had been worn for weddings earlier simply because during the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth white linen homespun dresses were the usual for best dresses. Many young women made such a dress for her wedding as it could be worn after her wedding for other occasions. If she had the means she could even purchase sheer cotton mull, cambric or dimity for a finer white dress. ³

A new trend developed in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. Wedding dresses were more often made of printed cotton or lightweight wools perhaps with some silk mixed with the wool. Florals and strips were popular. Such dresses could not only be used as a best dress but could also be a traveling dress.

Queen Victoria's Dress Sets a New Standard

Then came the wedding of the century. Queen Victoria's wedding wasn't just the talk of the town, it was the talk of the western world. "Thousands and thousands of newspapers and periodicals were shared, reaching women in remote new settlements hungering for fineries and romance. Queen Victoria's wedding was the talk." ⁴

As soon as this famous wedding occurred the ideal of a proper wedding changed. Women were advised to wear a white gown and veil with her head crowned with artificial white orange blossoms. One difference from the custom today was that the bridesmaids were to wear white dresses as well, though in a simpler style.

The truly elegant wedding was to be a held in a church but this did not mean that all brides suddenly wore white and got married in a church. Most weddings would still be at home and the bride would wear the best dress she could afford. She may have dreamed of something more elegant but would not mind too much as simpler weddings were quite acceptable. Even some brides who could afford a white wedding gown sensibly chose a nice dress or two piece suit that she could continue to wear after her wedding.

The Wedding Bonnet

One small token she might be able to afford was a white wedding bonnet. She would wear a dress that could be worn again and again for special occasions but her wedding bonnet could be kept as a special memento in remembrance of her wedding day. The picture on the left is an example of this.

By the last decades of the nineteenth century it was more possible for young women to wear a white dress simply because the fabric needed was affordable and readily available. Even in remote areas could be ordered through a catalog. In addition Buttrick and later McCall's patterns were available so anyone with sewing skills could make their own dress or someone in the family could make it for them. As the twentieth century proceeded the wearing of a white bridal gown became more and more common.

Quilts have long been made either for a wedding gift or actually made by the bride herself in anticipation of marriage. Although the patterns used varied greatly one that was popular in the mid 19th century was the appliqued Rose of Sharon Quilt pattern. "The name of the block comes from the song of Solomon: "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.' The verses are generally recognized as celebrating the passion and love between a man and a woman and honoring the sacrament of marriage." ³

^Note: