Introduction: A Morning in Early Ming China

Imagine a typical morning in early Ming Dynasty China (1368-1644). A common woman rises from her bed, preparing for the day by dressing in the fashion of her time. Her clothing choices reflect not just personal preference but the complex social norms, sumptuary laws, and evolving aesthetics of one of China’s most fascinating historical periods. This article explores the remarkable journey of women’s fashion through the nearly three centuries of Ming rule, tracing how political changes, economic development, and cultural exchanges transformed what women wore from head to toe.

Foundations of Ming Women’s Wardrobe

The early Ming period saw women’s clothing maintain relatively simple, practical forms influenced by the dynasty’s founding principles. Under the Hongwu Emperor’s strict sumptuary laws, commoners’ wives and daughters were restricted to wearing light-colored garments without elaborate decoration.

The basic undergarments consisted of:
– Moxiong (抹胸): A form of breast-binding undergarment also called “waist-chest” or “happy joined skirt”
– Zhuyao (主腰): A sleeved version of the moxiong, vividly depicted in Ming-era illustrations where female characters wore red zhuyao in combat scenes

For lower body garments, women wore:
– Kun (裈): Basic underpants
– Ku (袴): Loose outer pants
– Xiku (膝裤): Decorative leg coverings resembling modern knee-high socks, often with intricately embroidered edges as seen in archaeological finds like those from Lady He’s tomb (1580s)

The Layered Look: Outer Garments and Their Evolution

The standard daily outfit followed the “ruqun” (襦裙) system – separate upper and lower garments. The upper pieces included:

– Ao (袄): Thickened jackets with lining, for colder weather
– Shan (衫): Lighter unlined tops for warmer seasons
– Banbi (半臂): Sleeveless or half-sleeved overgarments with origins dating back to Sui-Tang period (581-907 AD)

Early Ming jackets tended toward fitted silhouettes, as evidenced by a surviving永乐 period (1403-1424) outfit from a Madam Zhou in Jiangnan region. Her ensemble featured:
– A narrow-sleeved short ao with swastika-patterned grid designs
– A banbi worn over it with delicate floral embroidery at the collar

The lower body featured:
– Horse-face skirts (马面裙): The most iconic Ming skirt with flat front/back panels and pleated sides
– Pleated skirts (满褶裙): Fully pleated alternatives like the “yellow plain silk grand-pleated skirt” worn by Empress Xiaoduan

The Flourishing of Mid-Ming Fashion (15th-16th Century)

As Ming prosperity grew after 1450, women’s fashion became increasingly elaborate. The imperial court remained the trendsetter, with styles like:

Yunjian Tongxiu Ao (云肩通袖袄)
– Jackets with “cloud-collar and through-sleeve” gold-woven patterns
– Worn as formalwear by palace women in paintings like “Emperor Xianzong’s Lantern Festival Pleasures”
– Adopted by nobility, evidenced by artifacts like Princess Wu’s (d.1504) gold-phoenix patterned burial ao

Horsehair Skirts (马尾裙)
– Imported from Korea during 1460s-80s
– Created voluminous silhouettes using horsehair stiffeners
– Became such a craze that officials wore multiple layers until banned in 1488

The Hongzhi era (1488-1505) saw new trends:
– Very short tops barely covering the skirt waist
– Skirts with decorative “knee-bands” (膝襕)
– Depicted in artworks like “Summer Scene of a Peddler” showing a girl in emerald top over red gold-banded skirt

Late Ming Extravagance (1570s-1644)

By Wanli period (1573-1620), fashion underwent radical changes:

Standing-collar Jackets (竖领对襟袄)
– Featured metallic buttons sometimes jewel-encrusted
– Showcased lavish “eyebrow strips” (眉子) decoration
– Found in royal tombs like Empress Xiaoduan’s and Lady Sun’s

New Silhouettes
– Extremely long, narrow-sleeved tops (up to 3 chi/~1m) leaving only 2-3 inches of skirt visible
– Shorter versions for working women and maids
– Documented in watercolor paintings commissioned by the Empress Dowager

Luxury Textiles
– “Everywhere-gold” (遍地锦) brocades with full gold-ground patterns
– Shift from knee-bands to extravagant hem-bands (底襕) on skirts
– “Mud-trailing skirts” (拖泥裙) with 20-30cm wide bottom decorations

Cultural Significance and Legacy

Ming women’s fashion reflected the dynasty’s unique position in Chinese history:
– Early styles showed Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) influences like the cross-collar banbi
– Mid-period incorporated foreign elements (Korean horsehair skirts)
– Late Ming extravagance mirrored the booming商品经济

These sartorial developments demonstrate how:
– Political decrees (like Hongwu’s clothing restrictions) shaped fashion
– International exchanges introduced new materials and styles
– Economic prosperity enabled greater individual expression
– Technical advances in textile production allowed more complex designs

Today, Ming-style hanfu has seen a major revival among Chinese youth, with particular admiration for:
– The elegant horse-face skirt structure
– The sophisticated layering techniques
– The harmonious color combinations
– The symbolic patterns and motifs

From the simple outfits of early Ming commoners to the glittering court fashions, these clothing traditions represent a high point in China’s sartorial history that continues to inspire designers and history enthusiasts worldwide. The archaeological discoveries, tomb paintings, and textual records have preserved this vibrant legacy, allowing modern people to appreciate the aesthetic achievements of Ming dynasty women and the skilled artisans who clothed them.