Debunking the “Conservative Song Dynasty” Stereotype

Popular culture often presents us with a stark contrast between Tang and Song dynasty fashion – the former imagined as a time of bold, revealing styles for women, the latter as an era of prudish concealment under the influence of Neo-Confucianism. This persistent myth suggests that Song women were “wrapped up like zongzi” to protect their virtue from prying eyes. However, a closer examination of historical evidence reveals a far more nuanced and surprisingly liberated reality of women’s fashion during China’s Song era.

Tang vs. Song: Reassessing the Fashion Narrative

The common perception stems largely from modern cinematic portrayals in productions like “Curse of the Golden Flower” and “The Empress of China,” which exaggerate Tang dynasty openness while presenting Song styles as restrictive. Even respected scholars like Dutch sinologist Robert van Gulik reinforced this view in his 1960s work “Sexual Life in Ancient China,” contrasting Tang necklines that “revealed most of the chest” with Song styles that supposedly covered everything.

Yet surviving visual evidence tells a different story. As we examine Song paintings and textual sources, we discover that Song women enjoyed remarkable fashion freedom, particularly through the popular “innerwear as outerwear” trend that showcased rather than concealed the female form.

The “Moxiong + Beizi” Revolution: Song Dynasty Style Icons

The quintessential Song ensemble consisted of two key pieces: the moxiong (抹胸), an elegant undergarment or bodice, and the beizi (褙子), a stylish open-front overdress. This combination created a look both sophisticated and subtly sensual.

The moxiong itself was a fashion statement – crafted from luxurious silks in vibrant reds, pinks, and oranges, often embroidered with floral patterns or auspicious symbols like phoenixes. Historical records mention one valued at 13,000 cash (equivalent to thousands today), demonstrating its status as a prestige item.

Worn beneath the beizi – a versatile garment ranging from waist-length to knee-length with distinctive side slits – this ensemble allowed the moxiong to peek through the open front. Paintings show women from all social strata adopting this style, from palace ladies to market vendors.

Visual Evidence: Fashion Freedom Across Social Classes

Numerous Song paintings document this widespread fashion phenomenon:

– Liu Songnian’s “Gambling at Tea Market” depicts a tea seller in revealing attire
– Liang Kai’s “Eight Eminent Monks” shows a water-fetching woman displaying red undergarments
– The “Silk Weaving” scroll portrays ordinary housewives in low-cut tops
– Religious figures like Daoist priestess Lu Meiniang appear in open-necked robes
– Even divine beings in temple murals wear what we’d call “cleavage-baring” outfits

Court fashion led the trend, with poetry describing noblewomen’s “silk bodices covering snowy bosoms” and entertainers’ “jade-like chests adorned with golden phoenixes.” Chen Ke’s poem thanks a friend for gifting his wife an exquisite landscape-patterned bodice – a surprisingly modern act that reveals Song society’s relaxed attitudes.

Beyond the Palace: Everyday Fashion Statements

The beizi+moxiong combination transcended class boundaries:

– Palace women in Xiao Zhao’s “Auspicious Omens for the Revival” display the style
– Elite ladies in Liu Zonggu’s “Walking on Moon Terrace” and Qian Xuan’s “Ladies Enjoying the Evening Cool” adopt it
– Court musicians in the “Music Performance” scroll wear it in performance
– Street performers in “Variety Show Actors” don the same look
– Ordinary mothers in “Playing Ball Under Banana Trees” wear it while playing with children
– Nursing women in Li Song’s “Skeleton Performing Puppetry” reveal the practical low-cut design

Even when wearing traditional ruqun dresses, Song women maintained elegant décolletage, as seen in Li Song’s “Listening to the Zither” and the “Illustrations of Women’s Classic of Filial Piety.”

Textual Corroboration: Fashion in the Historical Record

Written sources confirm what paintings show:

– The “History of Song” records beizi as standard court dress
– “Dreams of Splendor of the Eastern Capital” describes matchmakers wearing them
– “Record of a Dream of Glory” mentions singing girls advertising wine in red beizi
– Zhu Xi’s family rituals prescribe beizi for women’s formal wear

The term “unfastened collar” (不制衿) describes this intentionally revealing style that swept from palace to commoner during the Xuanhe period (1119-1125), becoming a nationwide phenomenon.

The Aesthetics of Song Fashion: Subtle Sensuality

Compared to Tang exuberance, Song style favored slender silhouettes and refined elegance – what scholar Meng Hui calls “understated sexiness.” The partial reveal of undergarments through translucent summer silks created sophisticated allure rather than bold provocation.

This fashion freedom reflects broader Song social openness before later dynasties imposed stricter norms. As van Gulik correctly noted about post-Song periods, Yuan, Ming and Qing imperial portraits show progressively higher necklines, culminating in the restrictive Qing styles that anachronistically appear in paintings of Song figures like Li Qingzhao.

Conclusion: Rethinking Song Dynasty Women’s Lives

The evidence overwhelmingly contradicts the “conservative Song” stereotype. Far from being “wrapped like zongzi,” Song women enjoyed fashion choices that balanced elegance with personal expression. Their style legacy reminds us that historical assumptions often say more about our projections than about the past’s complex realities. The Song dynasty emerges not as a time of repression, but as an era of nuanced, sophisticated femininity expressed through intentional, artful dressing.