Tang suit is a term used to describe a type of Chinese jacket. The term "Tang suit" (Tangzhuang) was coined by Chinese individuals living in other countries.
The Tang Empire (618-907) was so well-known around the world as the most rich and powerful dynasty in the history of China's feudal civilization that foreigners refer to overseas Chinese people as "the Tang people," their neighborhoods as "Chinatowns," and the garments they wear as "Tangzhuang" (Tang suit).
Origin of the Tang Suit
The Tang Dynasty was ancient China's most successful, prosperous, splendid, and beautiful time. As a result, the Chinese traditional garment is known as "Tang suit." Actually, the term "Tang suit" has nothing to do with the Tang Dynasty.
The Tang suit, which evolved from Magua during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), may be dated back to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). It is a Manchurian style of attire that was adopted by the Han Chinese during the Qing Dynasty. It's a short tunic with round and high collars and lapels that fasten down the front. Only noblemen, aristocrats, and government officials wore it at the time; however, it was subsequently embraced by the general public in modern times.
This type of attire is frequently seen as a national costume for men, while it is also worn by women.
The Zhongshan suit, the western suit, and the Tang suit are now the main formal dress for many men in Chinese communities for various occasions. The Tang suit comes in a variety of hues, the most frequent of which are red, dark blue, gold, and black. The use of Chinese characters to spread good luck and wishes is a popular design.
Features of the Tang Suit
In Chinese culture, a Tang suit (or Tangzhuang) comes in two styles, each of which is startlingly different. One is real Tang-era clothing originating in Hanfu, and it has a button-less yi that overlaps the right border to the left and is linked with a sash and an ankle-length shang, giving the impression of being free, easy, and graceful.
The other is the Manchu male's jacket, which evolved from Magua of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and features a Mandarin collar, a frog (a knob formed of intricately knotted strings), and a duijin (a kind of Chinese-style jacket with buttons down the front). It's also known as Pseudo-Tangzhuang presently.
Changes, advancements, and improvements have occurred frequently over the lengthy history of traditional Chinese clothing. Chinese apparel, on the other hand, may be distinguished from others due to its distinct qualities. Some of the common elements include a cross-collar with a right-hand junction, no buttons, and waist tying with a sash. In addition, there are numerous other details that distinguish the unrivalled design of Chinese apparel.
The two fundamental types of traditional Chinese clothes are the blouse with skirt and the long gown. For thousands of years, they have been co-used and co-existed in history.
Men tended to choose long gowns, while women favored blouses and skirts.
Appearance: The longitudinal direction is emphasized to make the body appear longer. The neck falls organically; there are no exaggerations on the shoulders; the sleeves are long enough to cover the hands; and the skirt is long and tubular in shape.
Tailoring: Straight-line cutting with a plane. The clothing have a simple structure as a result of this. There are usually only two structure lines from armpits to two sides, and no armholes or shoulder pads, whether it's a gown, a shirt, a blouse, or a jacket. As a result, the cloth can be laid flat.
However, this tailoring process frequently focuses on the front and rear of the body while ignoring the sides, which hides the beauty of the body curve.
Specific Areas Information: Collars come in a variety of styles, including cross, round, and straight. When Chinese style buttons first appeared, they could be used on the center front, the twisted front, and from the collar to the right armpit, among other places. The gowns or skirts usually include two full-length slits on either side, or four; one each on the left, right, front, and back... Clothing designers have used these crafts for millennia to exhibit quintessential Chinese aspects, and they continue to do so now. Slits on the sides and a straight collar are the most common.
Decoration: Inlay, inserting, bordering, coiling, and stitching are some of the most prevalent techniques for decoration. Simple-tailored garments become vibrant and lovely thanks to these crafts. Embroidery is the most well-known and popular of all of them. This style has been an intrinsic element of Chinese culture for over 2000 years, with a millennia-long history.
Materials: Kudzu fabric, ramie fabric, and hemp fabric were the first materials utilized to make clothing. Silk was developed some 4,700 years ago, and it quickly became a popular material, particularly among the upper class. Silk was, and continues to be, one of the greatest contributions the Chinese people have made to the world. It paved the way for large-scale commercial connection between the Orient and the West, which became known as "The Silk Road." Cotton, which was widely utilized during the time of the Yuan (1271 - 1368 AD) and Ming (1368 - 1644 AD) dynasties, was another important material introduced from India.
Colors: The Five-Element Theory has a big influence on the colors of traditional Chinese clothing: cyan, red, black, white, and yellow, which represent the five elements. The other colors are secondary colors, while these are pure colors. In most dynasties, only the highest classes wore pure colors. They were also wearing hues that were popular among the general public. Blue, such as indigo calico and batik fabrics, was another popular hue among the people. Ancient Chinese people preferred brilliant colors for color matching in order to make their garments magnificent and lovely.
Patterns: It is customary for Chinese people to use patterns to communicate their well wishes. This is reflected in the clothing arts, which range from high-end silk to low-cost calico. Animals, plants, flowers, mountains, buildings, geometrical patterns, and other fortunate designs can all be found on clothing. They're not only lovely, but they're also meaningful. Dragons on an Emperor's robe, for example, denote that the Emperor is the "son of the heavens."
Tang Suit with a Classic Design
Magua, rather than Hanfu, was the source of today's Tang suits. A traditional Tang suit design uses Chinese characters to represent good fortune and best wishes, such as Fu (literally meaning happiness in Chinese) and Shou (literally meaning longevity in Chinese), which is immensely popular among the Chinese people due to its cultural connotation.
International Influence of the Tang Suit
In history, the Tang suit has had a significant impact on the clothing styles of Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Vietnam. The Japanese kimono is based on the pao of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and it has since become the country's national garment.
Hanfu from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and pao from the Tang Dynasty combined to create Korean traditional clothing (618-907).
Tang Suit of Modern Times
The differences between the Western-style suit and the Tang suit were discernible at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when Hong Kong and Macau compatriots distinguished the Western toilette from the Chinese toilette based on the differences between the Western-style suit and the Tang suit.
At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shanghai in 2011, the host, Jiang Zemin (the former Chairman of the PRC), delivered silk-embroidered Tang suits to the heads of foreign countries, sparking a worldwide rush to wear Tang suits.
Tang suits, a vital component of traditional Chinese culture, are worn by overseas Chinese people during the Spring Festival every year, attracting a large number of curious foreigners to try them on.
On special occasions, an increasing number of young Chinese people prefer to wear Tang suits rather than Western-style suits and dresses. Tang suits are also preferred by Chinese TV presenters while emceeing TV broadcasts, particularly at Spring Festival Galas.
