Tang Dynasty Women Wore THESE Stunning Outfits 1000 Years Ago

Hello everyone, welcome to Yatalking. I'm Sylvie. Strapped skirt, layered outfits, women wearing men's clothing. They may sound like modern trends, but Tang Dynasty women were already trying them out over 1,000 years ago. Today, let's travel back to Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and see how women expressed their fashion sense in ancient China. The basic outfit for Tang women had three main pieces, skirt, blouse, and pei. In an old Chinese book called Xuan Yuan Lu, it says, a young servant held a box. Inside was an old blue skirt, a white blouse, and a green pei. This shows that, no matter if they were rich or poor, Tang women commonly wore a skirt, blouse, and pei. Historical paintings and writings show that one of the most popular skirts of the Tang was the strapped skirt. This style might remind you of traditional Japanese clothing from the Nara period. That's because Japanese fashion was heavily influenced by the Tang Dynasty. Women in Tang loved bright colors, like red, yellow, and green for their skirt. The blouse was usually a fitted narrow-sleeved top tucked into the skirt. On top of the blouse, many women also wore a short-sleeved jacket called banbi, which means half-sleeve. From early to the peak of the Tang Dynasty, if a woman didn't wear a banbi, people might think her outfit was out of style. But by mid-Tang, as the trend of the plum beauty became popular, clothes got looser and banbi was worn less often. The pei was a long decorative scarf draped over the shoulders, similar to a modern silk shawl. Some believe the pei was inspired by Indian or Asian grace. But over time, it became an iconic fashion item for Tang women. Elegant women would drape the pei over their shoulders, letting it float as they walked, adding a graceful and stylish touch. Tang Dynasty women didn't just care about clothing. Their makeup was also unique and fashionable. Some of their makeup trends still seem bold and modern today. First, gradient lips. Tang women in the late period liked to fade their lip color, similar to today's Korean-style gradient lip makeup. Second, blood blush makeup. This meant painting bright red among the eyes, similar to today's sunburn blush trend. Then, huadian. Women put small flower-shaped stickers on their foreheads, always made from gold foil, fish scales, or flower paste. And last, slanted blush. Women painted diagonal red marks on their cheeks, a little bit like blush, but much more dramatic. This style might look unusual now, but at that time, they were a way for women to express beauty. Tang women loved fashion so much that even the emperor got involved. Legend says Princess Anle designed a skirt made from hundreds of bird feathers. It quickly became the most popular luxury trend in the capital, Chang'an. Soon, women all over the city hunted birds for their feathers to make similar skirts. Another story is that Emperor Wenzong saw that women's clothing was becoming too expensive, so he passed a rule. Women's skirts could not use more than five bolts of fabric. Anything more was considered wasteful. And do know, at that time of the Tang fashion, some skirts were made with up to eight bolts of fabric. Tang women didn't just follow traditional dress codes. They also wore men's clothing. Used to performed at court just like the men. During the period of Wu Zetian, some women even wore official hats and men's robes, showing their power and independence. From strapped skirts to flowing From dramatic makeup to women wearing men's wear, Tang dynasty women were true fashion pioneers. Even today, their style and creativity continue to influence modern fashion trends. Thank you for watching this video. Welcome to subscribe and share the Yatalking channel, and see you next time!