3 millennium trends From Shang Dynasty silk to the extremely hot 'Neo Chinese Style'

The era of minimalism is over. 2026 is the year of iconic patterns. In today's video, we will, dissect, the origin of the modern Hanfu fever, the Shang Dynasty. Why is, upper and lower clothing, the most intelligent costume structure in history? How is it that rustic hemp and delicate silk from ancient times are dominating avant-garde collections? Click now to see that Thuong fashion is still, living, in the wardrobes of young people today. Welcome to the episode, Three Millennium Trends, From Shang Dynasty Silk to the Extremely Hot, Neo-Chinese Style, on the channel, Legends of Style. Fashion during the Shang Dynasty, 1600 BC to 1046 BC, was the period in which the core characteristics of traditional Chinese costumes were formed. With extremely strict social class distinctions through materials, colors and patterns. A. Main costume structure, upper and lower clothes. In the Shang civilization, the structure of upper and lower robes was often not simply clothing but also a language, that affirmed the social order and primitive aesthetics of the Chinese people. Here are the specifics about this structure. 1. Upper garment, top shirt. This is the part of the shirt worn on the upper half of the body. With technical characteristics that shape future hanfu. Design. Cape-shaped shirt, short to about the knee. Collar, gao lan hu nyat. The most important feature is the crossed collar. The right flap overlaps the left flap, forming a Y-shape. Wearing the left flap over the right flap, left flap, at that time was considered outdated or only used for the deceased. Sleeves. Sleeves in the Shang Dynasty were often narrow and close to the arms. With distinct cuffs, not baggy sleeves like later dynasties. How to fix? The shirt does not use buttons or buttons but is fixed with a belt, sash, tied around the waist. 2. Casual lower, lower skirt. The lower body is not pants but a wrap skirt. Design. A long strip of fabric wrapped around the hips, reaching to the ankles. Gender differences. Both men and women wear skirts, usually. However, men's dresses were often simpler, while aristocratic women's dresses may have many layers or slight pleating. 3. Socks, kilo cover. This is an indispensable accessory in the official upper and hathuang structure. Position. A rectangular or trapezoidal cloth hanging from the waistband, covering the front of the knees. Function. Initially used to protect knees when kneeling or working, but gradually became a status symbol. Aristocrats' sacrificial socks were often embroidered with extremely sophisticated patterns, such as dragons, phoenixes or Thao Theat masks. 4. Belt system and attachment accessories. Wide belt, usually made of silk or leather. For the martial arts class like Fu Hao, Fu Hao, they can wear many belts with different colors at the same time to distinguish their positions. Yupei, people of the Shang dynasty began to have the habit of hanging carved jade pieces on their belts. The sound of jade colliding when walking is considered a sign of elegance and ceremony. Summary of aesthetic rules. This structure complies with the principle of heaven above, earth below. Upper clothes represent heaven, usually using dark colors. Warm tones such as red, black, lower clothes often symbolize earth, usually using light colors or cool tones such as light yellow. Green, to express the harmony between humans and the universe. B. Materials and textile techniques. During the Shang civilization, 1600 B.C. to 1046 B.C., the textile industry reached a sophisticated level, not only creating costumes but also shaping the class division system through materials and patterns. 1. Main types of materials. Shang dynasty costumes used four main groups of materials depending on social status. Silk, the most noble symbol, reserved for royalty and nobility. People of the Shang dynasty mastered the process of raising silkworms, reeling silk and weaving thin silk, gauze, patterned silk, shi, or smooth silk, wang. Raimi, hemp. Most common in daily life. Hemp fiber has durable, cool properties, suitable for agricultural climates. Finer hemp fabrics were also used by the nobility as underwear or summerwear. Kudzu. Woven from kudzu fiber. This fabric is rougher and harder than hemp. Often used for slaves or to make heavy work clothes. Leather and fur. Used for winter and military clothing, leather armor. 2. Advanced weaving techniques. Shang dynasty artisans developed the foundational techniques for Chinese textiles. Jacquard weaving. Jacquard weaving. A weaving technique has appeared to create embossed patterns directly on the fabric surface using a vertical loom. Creating geometric patterns or clouds and waves. Twisted weaving technique. Luo. A weaving style that creates tiny holes on the surface. Helping silk fabric become breathable and light like clouds. A precursor to see-through silk later. Producing ribbed yarn. Using the technique of adjusting warp tension to create fabrics with ribbed surfaces. Increasing durability and aesthetics. 3. Dyeing and decoration techniques. Natural dyeing. Using minerals, red from cinnabar, and plants, green from indigo, to dye dark and lasting colors. Red and black are the two most difficult colors to dye, so they are usually reserved for the upper class. Embroidery. Motifs such as taodi masks, dragons, and phoenixes are hand embroidered with brightly colored silk threads onto silk fabric. Directly painted. Some types of ceremonial costumes are also directly painted with divine symbols or embellished with crushed gold dust, jade. This development turned Shang China into the world's earliest silk production center. Laying the foundation for the legendary silk road later. C. Hairstyle and jewelry. In the Shang civilization, 1600 BC to 1046 BC. Hairstyles and jewelry were not only beauty but also symbols of power. Religion and clear class division. 1. Hairstyles. People of the Shang dynasty attached great importance to hair, considering it an inviolable part of the body. 2. Shen Yun. Both noble men and women wore their hair in a high bun on the top of their head or at the nape of their neck. The most popular bun style is a twisted bun, then a brooch is used through it to secure it. 3. Braided hair. Some archaeological artifacts, such as stone statues in Anduang, show that people at this time also braided their hair into long braids and wrapped them around their heads. Hats and head scarves. Noble men often wore hats made of animal skin or stiff silk fabric. Shaped like small crowns to hold up their buns. Civilians often wear simple scarves to facilitate work. 2. Jewelry. Shang dynasty jewelry reached its pinnacle in carving techniques on rare materials. Hairpin. This is most important item. Material. Nobles used brooches made of jade or animal bones, such as tiger bone. Deer bone, while commoners used wooden or bamboo brooches. Shape. The head of the brooch is often carved with the shape of a phoenix. Pheasant are extremely sophisticated mythical beasts. Jade. The king of all types of jewelry. The Shang people believed that jade had a soul and protected the wearer. Jade pendants. Pei. Jade pieces shaped like dragons. Fish or birds are worn on the belt, and when walking, they will emit an elegant collision sound. Earrings and bracelets. Round or ring-shaped jade bracelets are worn to show noble status. Copper jewelry. In addition to jade, green copper is also used to make buttons, belt hooks and other decorations attached to military mandarins hats. 3. Typical accessories for noble women. At the tomb of Fu Hao, a female general and queen of the Shang dynasty. Archaeologists found hundreds of pieces of jewelry. More than 500 jade items include necklaces, brooches and earrings. Many round bronze mirrors appeared for the first time, reflecting the sophisticated beauty habits of upper-class women. In short, hairstyles and jewelry during the Shang dynasty aimed at solemnity and dignity and placed special emphasis on jade as a standard for morality and social class. D. Military uniform. Military costumes of the Shang dynasty were China's most primitive armor models. Designed to serve large-scale battles, up to tens of thousands of people, and affirm the position of aristocratic generals. 1. Body armor. Because iron forging technology had not yet appeared, armor was mainly made from durable natural materials. Leather armor. The most common type of armor is made from a piece of cowhide. Rhinoceros skin or raw elephant skin wrapped around the chest to protect vital organs. Scale armor. Some high-end armor is made up of small pieces of leather or seashells. Turtle shells woven together like fish scales, giving the wearer more flexibility when moving. Lacquer technique. Leather is often covered with many layers of lacquer, usually red or black, to increase hardness, waterproofness and aesthetics. 2. Helmets. War helmets were the most typical equipment of Shang dynasty soldiers. Material. Usually cast in bronze, the hat is shaped like an inverted bowl, protecting the top and sides of the head. Thao Theat pattern. The front of the hat is often embossed with a Thao Theat mask, mythical monster, or a tiger or dragon head to intimidate enemies. Inner lining. Underneath the copper helmet there is often a leather or fabric lining to reduce injury upon impact. 3. Shields. Structure. Shields of the Shang dynasty were often rectangular in shape, slightly curved in the middle, made from wooden or woven bamboo frames. Reinforcement. The outside of the shield is covered with animal skin or small copper plates to increase its ability to resist arrows and spears. Shields for infantry are more compact than shields for charioteers. 4. Weapons that come with the outfit. Military uniforms cannot be separated from the typical weapons set. Quah, dagger axe, the most common type of weapon, used for hooking or slashing. Yu, large, intricately decorated bronze axes were symbols of power for generals like Fu Hao. 5. Military hierarchy. Generals and nobles wear elaborate lacquered leather armor, bronze helmets decorated with pheasant feathers, and many jade pendants at their belts. Ordinary soldiers usually do not have body armor, only wear thick ramey clothes, leggings on their legs and use rattan or bamboo shields for self-defense. E. Influence on modern fashion. Shang dynasty fashion had an indirect but profound influence on modern fashion, mainly through laying the foundation for Hanfu, the traditional costume of the Han people, which is having a strong revival in contemporary Chinese culture and fashion. Specific effects include. 1. Form the basic outfit structure. The costume system of upper clothing is lower than normal, short shirt and long skirt, and the gaolan hunyat, collar style, crossed flap. Tying the right flap over the left flap, formed during the Shang dynasty was the model for Hanfu through later dynasties. This structure is currently reproduced in modern Hanfu designs and also traditional costumes of neighboring countries such as Kimono, Japan, or Hanbo, Korea. 2. The development of silk weaving. The Shang dynasty's strong development of silkworm farming and silk weaving created China's most iconic and high-quality material. In modern fashion, silk is still a luxury material, widely used by Chinese and international designers, expressing luxury and Asian cultural heritage. 3. Cultural and aesthetic factors. Although it has not had a direct influence on the everyday clothing styles of modern people, aesthetic and symbolic elements from the Shang period are still applied. Patterns, dragon and phoenix motifs, and especially taotie masks from bronze and Shang dynasty costumes, are the inspiration for embroidered and printed patterns on today's clothes and accessories. 4. The use of bold colors such as red and black. Popular with Shang aristocrats, remain dominant and powerful colors in modern Chinese fashion culture. 4. Contemporary Hanfu movement. The most obvious influence is the explosion of the Hanfu movement among Chinese youth. Fueled by historical films and social media, the movement revives traditional clothing, including designs based on prototypes from early periods such as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Many contemporary Chinese fashion designers are incorporating these traditional elements into their collections. Creating a Neo-Chinese style, or China Chic style. In short, Shang fashion was the first building block that shaped the identity of Chinese clothing. And its basic principles and symbolic materials continue to inspire the modern fashion industry. At the end of the video, we can clearly see, even though three millennia have passed, the aesthetic principles and symbols of power from the Shang dynasty are still an endless source of inspiration. Fashion is a cycle, and that ancient beauty is still shining on modern catwalks. Don't forget to like, share and subscribe to discover more interesting cultural stories. See you in the next episode on the channel, Legends of Style. In the next episode we will come to human fashion in ancient Greek civilization, classical period. Greece is a symbol of the art of draping. Wear clothes are not just for wearing but are a work of physical art.