China Chic: East Meets West (review)

For the many readers who are accustomed to narratives steeped in the history of Chinese dynasties, political events, and imperial edicts, this volume offers the opportunity to view how this history was reflected in one form of material culture: dress. For other readers, whose interests have up to now been confined to the study of the cut, symbolism, and embellishments of Chinese dress, the authors link sartorial change to specific historical periods and their regulations from the Han (206 B.C.E.- 220 C.E.) through the post-dynastic era. Particular attention is given to the Tang dynasty (618-907), the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the Republican period (1912-1949), and the People's Republic of China (1949- ).

The authors introduce their theme by quoting A. F. Legendre, who adhered to a long-standing view that is held even today:

With Chinese clothing, it is the same as with houses: there is no change over periods of thousands of years. In China, one ignores fashion: even the most progressive mandarins, the most elegant taitai (grandes dames), dress themselves now as did the contemporaries of Confucius; and their clothing does not differ from that of workers except in the richness of the material.

(p. 1)

Immediately they repudiate Legendre, stating that he is "profoundly mistaken," and at once proceed to produce evidence from photographs, posters, and literature to validate their contention that there has, in fact, been significant change.

The book is divided into two principal parts. Part 1, in four chapters, addresses the Chinese preference for silk; the controversial subject of footbinding; the post-dynastic styles of Chinese clothing, particularly the cheongsam (also spelled cheungsam or referred to as the qipao); the influence of the Republican period (1912-1949) with its quasi-military "Sun Yat-sen Suit"; and the People's Republic of China (1949- ) with its "Mao Suit." The final chapter synthesizes a "China Chic," highlighting the work of Western designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and John Galliano and important Chinese and Chinese American designers.

Part 2 elaborates on the topics just mentioned. Tomb murals and figurines from the Tang dynasty clearly substantiate that there were modifications in dress due to the influence of Silk Road commerce, when the capital city was thronged with foreigners and the Chinese adopted nondomestic, particularly Turkish, styles. It highlights fashion transitions evident at the end of the Qing dynasty as the dragon robe regalia dramatically shifted to the Western military style and variations of the Western school uniform. The May Fourth Movement period (about 1915 to the 1920s) culminated in a debate over puritanical simplicity and unisex styles for men and women. It also saw the loose-fitting qipao as a hybrid remnant of Manchu dress. Later, personal identity in footwear centered on the choice between "lotus shoes," Western high heels, and a new variation of the Manchu shoe with platform soles. The development of the cheongsam in Hong Kong became associated with the modern "chic" Chinese woman as the colony was returned to the mainland.

The final chapter looks at dress under Communist rule, with all its severe social and political repercussions, as represented in contemporary poster art and photographs. Authors of previous studies, in their discussions of Chinese dress, have alluded to the connection between historical and political developments, but none have provided citations as complete and illustrations as well chosen as does this volume, which satisfies a long need for this kind of specificity.

The authors, like their predecessors, however, confine most of their comments to the dress of the elite when discussing clothing styles of the dynastic periods. Statuettes, and even murals, from burial sites rarely give insight as to what was being worn by peasants. Evidence becomes available on the clothing of commoners with the advent of photography and the Communist poster, and the book...