University of Rhode Island  
Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design

Dr.Linda Welters and Dr. Margaret Ordonez: History of Chinese Textiles

 by Ashley Thomas 

On Wednesday March 1, 2006, Dr. Margaret Ordonez and Dr. Linda Welters came to speak to our class about the history of Chinese textiles and apparel. Dr. Ordonez began by introducing the class to Chinese textiles and their methods of production. The Chinese have been credited with the development of the draw loom which allows warp yarns to be raised in order to create a pattern on the fabric. In addition to this method, they had many other ways of creating patterned and textured textiles such as damasks, brocades, velvets, tapestries, appliqués, and French knots. Certain fabrics had meanings assigned to them, usually having to do with social status. Silks were reserved for royalty and the very wealthy while cotton, usually dyed indigo, would never be worn by the royal. 

            The Chinese used many different religious symbols and motifs in their textiles such as conch shells which signified Buddhism, or fans which symbolized Taoism. They also used the “Universe motif” in textiles such as robes and wall decorative hangings. This motif consisted of the water which connected to land which then connected to the sky. One important symbol seen in Chinese textiles was the use of rank squares. These squares were found on the front and back of robes, and were used to denote rank. Each rank had a different symbol, usually an animal, to distinguish their rank in society. There were 23 ranks that existed in the Chinese culture, such as city officials who were represented by a peacock and military officials who were represented by animals such as the bear. This tradition of rank squares ended with the Revolution in the 1900’s when heritage was no longer a thing to be proud of.

            Dr. Welters then began to speak to the class about Chinese dress, which was considered political, symbolic, and significant of rank. She began by establishing the fact that Chinese dress is not the same as Japanese or Korean dress because they each have very different styles. There were two very different groups inhabiting China historically: the nomads and the sedentary inhabitants. Each of these two groups had very different styles of clothing and garment construction. The nomads, who lived in the Steppes of China, were hunters and horseriders. They created garments such as trousers, boots, paired aprons and jackets based on the shape and availability of animal skins. The sedentary inhabitants lived in the Plains of China where they cultivated fibers, wove fabrics on narrow looms, and sewed clothes such as robes, aprons, vests, trousers, skirts and hats. When a nomad dynasty came to power, they began using cloth to make their garments, but kept the same cutting method they had been using for years. Color was another important symbol used in Chinese dress. Yellow was an Imperial color, used in the dragon robes of royalty. Red signified family events such as weddings or births, white was considered an informal color that signified autumn and mourning, and black was considered a winter color and a color for older people. 

Many longstanding Chinese traditions ended at the onset of the Revolution in 1911, such as bound feet, covered hands, and rank squares. Since then, Chinese dress has seen much change. The cheung sam, the traditional Chinese garment based on Manchurian robes, began to slim its silhouette, giving it a Westernized appearance. In the 1950’s it became shorter, and was then outlawed in China under Mao, while women in Hong Kong were still able to wear it due to the fact that they remained a part of the British Commonwealth until 1999. By 1978, trade had opened up between China and the United States, and there was a resurfacing of interest in Chinese textiles. This renewed interest could be seen in Yves St. Laurent’s fashion show which featured Chinese-style hats and updated versions of rank squares. Since then, many Chinese and Chinese-Americans are becoming famous through design, acting, and business. Anna Sui and Vivian Tam are two designers who have made names for themselves in the fashion world, while Gong Li and Ziyi Zhang are now famous actresses of Chinese descent. The Chinese culture, both past and present, is beginning to make its way into Western fashion and beyond.