[PDF] CHINESE LIFE AND FASHIONS - CORE

711_510584631.pdf

CHINESELIFEANDFASHIONS

ByEILEENCHANG

ThuanicknorecommendationtotheladiuamongourJor

tMm,t&Ord."fa&hion."6p"J/caJorilnlJ.weahotddmentionJor thll.ofourmalecontai"titananonf08hi01I4.anamtuinllofmodemOhina.

Thi8utheaulhor'.i"mcrgaft""IIiaplea_reto

pruelllotlrreader88UChtCJlema&""MiuOllanll, pm80

Mil.ha&producednoIonlflthuc1Iarminglnaal80

iuupruaive

16l1o-18DO

C

OMEandseetheChinesefamilyon

thedaywhentheclotheshanded downforgenerationsaregiventheir annual8UJlJ1inglThedustthathas settledoverthestrifeandstrainoflives livedlongagoisshakenoutandsetdancingintheyellowsun.Ifever memoryhasasmell,itisthescentof camphor,sweetandcosylikeremem beredhappiness,sweetandforlornlike forgottensorrow.

Youwalkdownthe

pathbetweenthebamboopoles,flanked oneachsidebythewallsofgorgeous silksandsatins,anexcavatedcorridor inalong-buriedhouseoffashion.You pressyourforeheadagainstthegold embroideries,sun-warmeda momentago butnowcold.Thesunhasgonedown onthatslow,smooth,gold embroideredworld.

Wefind

ithardtorealizethat lessthanfiftyyearsagoit seemedaworldwithoutend.

ImaginethereignofQueen

Victoria.prolonged

tothelength of threecenturiesISuchwas thestability,theuniformity, theextremeconventionalityof China undertheManchusthat generationaftergenerationof womenclungtothesamedress style.

260YEARSOFFORMALIZATIONthroughouttheChin

Dynasty(1644-1911),theclas

sicalensemble wasajacket- and-trouserscombination.Insize andlengththejacketcorrespondedto themodemswaggercoat.Thecollar wasverylow;hugesleevesandtrousers gaveafeelingofstatuesquerepose.The sleevesmeasuredovertwofeetinwidth butwerelatersomewhatmodified. completecostumeincludednotonlythe "GreatJacket"wornoutsidebutal.sQo "IntermediateJacket"(shownonly oninformaloccasionswhentheGreat

Jacketwasremoved),andthetightly

fitting"SmallJacket"worninbedand usuallyofsomeenticingshade,peachor "liquidred."Ontopofallthis the"Cloudy-ShoulderedSleevelessJack et,"socalledbecauseofitsbroad edginginthepatternofstylizedcurling clouds,strikingagainst plaindarkground.

Underthoselayersofclothing,

theidealChinesefemale,petite andslender,withslopiugshoul dersandahollowchest,made herselfpleasantlyunobtrusive, oneofthemostdesirablequali tiesinawoman.Historyshows: thateventhemorespectacular virtues-hackingoffanarm, forinstance,whenitwasac seenbyastrangerin itsentirety-thoughmuch eulogizedbythevulgar,were neverquiteapprovedbythe intelligentsia,forawoman shouldnotattracttoomuch attentionorgethername

CHu\ESE

inthesteamybreathofmen. \l'omenwhosoughtdistinctioneven bysuchhonorablemeanswereseverelycen· surednomentionneedbemadeofthose whoclaimed attentionbysomedisturbing deviationfrom theacceptedmodeof attire. fur-linedjackets,butinpickingtheright jacketsonehadtorefertotheseason ratherthantheweather.Inearlywinter "SmallFurs"wereworn,startingwith

Persianlamb,proceedingupthescale

with "purplelamb,""pearlylamb," ermine,squirrel,andthenontothe "IntermediateFurs"-"squirrelback," Thestrictestformali7..ationprevailedin"foxleg,""Japanesesword";thenthe the matteroftheskirt,wornoutaidethe"GreatFurs"-whitefox,bluefox,"west troWlersonceremonialoccasions.Madeernfox,""blackfox,""purplesable" ofeithergauzeorcrepe,itwasusuallythelastnamed,however',beingconfined black, butonfestivedaysredforthetothosewithofficialrank.Menfrom wifeandpinkfortheconcubine.Ofthelower-middlecla.'VJdownwards,much ooune,redwastabootothewidow,whomoreaccustomedtowearingfurthan wutoblack;butshemight,theirmodemcounterpart.s,generallycon afteradecentnumberofyearshadtentedthemselveswithsheepskinand elapsedherbereavement,wear"gold-and-silverfox"-aninexpensive lavenderor"lakeblue,"providedthatpatchworkofthewhiteandyellowparts herpanmt8-in-lawwerestillalive.TheonthebellyThefurlinings. narrowp1eat8,numberingstuckoutshowilyhalfan uptoahundred,Bervedasinchor80atthecuffsand aofthehems. femininegrace.Thethor-Youngladiesbrightened oo,pbndtooksuchtinyupthebleakwintermonths. ..".walkedandwiththe"ChowKwuen

Hood,"namedafterthe

...thathistoricalbeautyWang

Wlible-lJat.aChowKwuen,animperial

.u,yiJDperoepf.iblequiverhandmaidinthesecondcen- wh'ereMChowKwuenturyADSheisalways

J.nmeteenth-eenturyversIon. •

......'~.picturedonhorseback,with hoW8Vll'tramp,afurhoodandadespondentexpre.ssion, tnlDp,aonherwaynorthtomarrythekingof inthefolds.E\renmQretheHuns,whomitwasChina'spolicyto thebridalalsopleated,andpacify.Hercelebratedhoodhadthe red,halfaninohgrandsimplicityofthemodemEskimo hangingwhichHoUywoodmadepopular. withalittlebellattached.TheideaW88Butthenineteenth-centuryChinesever towalkinsuchamannert·hattheresiongayandahaunl-asatin butafainttinkle,likethatofthecapofthekindwornbymen,butfur beII8onadistantinadyingwind.andwithalargeredpomponon DaMewerenotabolishedtilllongtopandapairofpinksatinribbonstrail af&DoRevolution,inthe1920's,wheningbehind,attheendsofwhichgold gatheredakirtewithmorebillowysealsweresewnwhichmadeabeU-like effectcameintovogue.tinkle. BULBS

Theleaftheterodoxyinthewearingof

furstheparvenu.Sinceonlya few weekswere888ignedtoeachkindof fur,one wasveryliabletowearfursout of1!ea8OI1.Inanunexpectedlycold

Octoberitwaspermissibletowearthree

DETAILS

Thisexcessiveattentiontodetails

charaoterizedtheChinesecostumeof thatera.Inmodemhatsanddresses thedetaiL'Jalwayshaveapoint-tobring outthecoloroftheeyes,tocreatethe illusionofabosom,tolengthen,to

THEXXth

1890-1910

DAJlSEL8

Itwas,ofcourse,notassimpleas

that.Therewasaboveallthewaxand waneThefirstchangecame neartheendofthedynasty,inthe thirty-secondorthirty-thirdyearofthe reignoftbeEmperorKwangHsu,wben thorailways,nolongeranovelty,began toplayavitalpartinlifeand thewhimsandofhighsociety in thegreatcommercialportewere swiftlvintroduced intotheinterior.The sizeclothesdwindled.Foratime, thetraditionalpipingsand stillprevailed,buttheysoongaveway tothesinglelineof"wickbinding," thiJldelicate.Inperiodsofpolitical lmrest andsocialupheaval-theRenais sanceinEurope,forinstance-tigbt- fittingclotheswhicballow forquick movementalways comeintofavor.Jerkinsin fifteenth-centuryItalywere so tightthatslitsbadto bemadeatthejointsofthe body.Chineseclothesju.st stoppedshortofbursting open intheturbulentdays whentheRevolutionwasin themaking.Thelastem peror,

Pu-yi,reignedfor

onlythreeby tbenthejacketclunglike a sheathtothearmsand body.And8uchwerethe wondersofChinesecorset ingthateventhenwedid notseetherealistic ofafemininefigure,but ratherthedisembodiedcon ception, oneofByzan tineseverityandPre

Raphaelitespirituality:slim,

ThetroublewitholdChinese

thattheydidnotknow theall-importanceofbrevity.Afterall, awomanisnotaGothicoathedral.And evenwiththelatter,thediffu.sionof interestbytheheapingupofdistracting detailshasoccasionedmuchoriticism.

ThehistoryofChinesefashions

almostexclu.sivelyofthesteadyelimina tionofthosedetails. .. !,:~.,~ "'Yf; .II 1./ \to""Ii!1,/ ' n ~"f-\, ,~:..-~ ,~~~ }.":'".,'~\ "i.,)j .il~ ~..

Thitremendousamassing

ofbitsandbitsofinterest, thiscontinualdigression iJ'relevancy,thisdis sipationofenergyinthings whichdo notmatter, markedtheattitudetowards lifoof theleisurelyclassof themostlcisurelycountry intheworld.Ittookas muchtimoandenergyto appreciateastocreatesuch nicedistinctions between linealdesignsthat werealmostthesame,but notquite.

Thespaciou.sjacketwasoverloaded

'\litheither"threepipings,threebind ings," or"fivepipings,fivebindings," or"sevenpipings,sevenbindings."Se quinssparkledatthehemandtbe flapped-overopeninginpatternsoforchid, ()hrysanthemum,orplumblossom.The middleofthesleeve,atsome distancefromthebindings,featured aspecialkind ,oftrimmingbought inrollsa,boutseven incheswide,caUedthe "railings."Itconsistedof embroideredsilk "ithholes cutouttoformthecharac- tersand"lon gevity." shorten,tocallattentiontothewaist, toannihilatethehips,etc.Thedetails 'OfoldChineseclothes,however,were astonishingly pointless.Theywere purely decorative,andsometimesrather 'Obscurelyso.Noartistcould,forin .stance,havehopedforanyonetonotice his intricatedesignsontheBOlesofwom en'sshoes.exceptindirectlybythe imprintsleftinthedust.Thehomemade

801es,manufacturedfromcardboardand

pasteofoldcloth,hadwhite stitchingonadarkground,forming chaste, abstractpatternswithaMoslem touch.Theedgesoftheslightlyraised heelswerecoveredwithelaborate designs,infact,therewasnotasquare millimeteronthetinyshoethatwasnot alive"ithsomerhythmicmotif.

CHINESELIFEANDFASmONS61

littleatthe knees,whenceissued.tinytrouserlegs whichdropped.atimoroushintofeven tinier shoesapologeticallyattachedto theground.Therewassomethingin finitelypathetioabout those trousers,andinChinesepoetrytheterms "lovely" and"pitiful"wereidentical.

Theprotectiveinstinct,

alwaysstrongin men,wasstimulatedbythehard timeswhichsawthedeathoftheold order andthebirthofthenew.Women, formerlyintheir widegarments,nowfoundittotheir advantagetoactthe"damselindis tress."

Itwasalsoanageofextremes,with

theevilsofthegovernmentalanddo mesticsystemsintensified bydecay.We hadontheonehandthesweepingcon demnationof allthatwastraditional nay,allthatwastheyoung intelligentsia, and,ontheotherhand, iJJcreasedoppressionbytheoldand whowereshocked.intoaction.

B!,8tericalcontroversiesrageddayin

aDiIoutathome,inthenewspapers, inftl8t&urants,attheplayhouses.

Jb1mandpowderedleading

••ofwealthyconcubines, tJtll~..OD,oontemporarypoli ticstohisQDthe.1Jt;age.

Theatmosphereofemotional

inthehistoryofaland ofmoderationandgoodsense, suchathingasthe"Syoeecollar,"a stiffcollartothelevelofthe nose.Alongneokofswanlikegrace consequentlymuchadmired.This formidable collar,inadditiontothe hair4do~coUiureofthat period,wasaltogetherdisproportionate tothewillowylimbs andtorsoinfashion.

Thetop-heavy,un

balanced.effectwas oneofthesignsofthe times.

COIFFURESDIGNIFIED

BUTDULL

Theearlierhair-do

Shaving(prevalentfromthe

foundingofthedynastyinthemiddle of theseventeenthcenturytothe closeofthenineteenth,whenitfirstsensed thecomingdoom)wasclean-cutand matronly.Thehairwasgentlydrawn back,pulleddown alittleovertheears tocoverthem,andformedaknotat theback.TheYangchowstylehadthe knothigherupandtheSoochowstyle haditlowerdownthenapeoftheneck -Yangchow andSoochowbeingthenthe foremostcities,rivalcentersofwealth andsophistication,roughlyequalinposi tion toHongkongandShanghaitoday.

Awide,squarishforehead,alittlerounded

atthetemplestocompletetheovalout lineoftheface,washeldtobeideal.

Womenwithirregularhairlinesshaved

theirforehead.Insteadofrazorsthey usedacottonthreadpulledtohigh tension.

Ithadnohardeningeffecton

thehair-rootsandleftnobluishmark.

Younggirls

hadeitherplaitsortwo roundknotsofhairdonehighonthe sidesofthehead.Whentheymarried, before theyswitchedovertothegrown upooiffure, theybroadenedandheight ened theirforeheadsforthefirsttime withthemethoddescribedabove.

Theonlyexperiment

totemperthe monotony,thealarmingstateliness,of suoha hair-domadeinthemiddle of thedynasty.Ashortfringeabout oneinchlong,stickingoutalmosthori zontallyfrom theforehead,stayedin vogueforyears,thoughwenowconsider itextremelyunflattering.Forsome obscure reasonitwascalledeel'skyfull of stars."

Thegeneralfeaturesofthiscoiffure

werecaloulatedtogiveaself-sufficient,' sedentary,preoociouslyold expression symbolicaloftheCelestialKingdom,its confidenceinitsownstrength,itshappy imbecility,itsflashesofphilosophyand wisdom.

PROFUSIONANDCONFUSION

Thenoamethegreatshake-up.The

utmostconfusioninthematterofwomen's hair neartheendofthedynastyandthe beginningoftheRepubliccanwellbe imaginedfrom theaccountgivenby

THEXXthCENTURY

LinChin-Nan,(#..tJ),awell-known

novelistresponsiblefor thelarge-scale translationofpopnlarEnglishfiction intoclassicalChinese.inhisbookSketches ofFear ''WhenIwasyoung,awoman'shair knotwasusuallyintheshapeofaSycee. A littlelateritwasprolongedtothe shapeofaspoon,calledthe'Soochow

Hair-knot.'Twoknotsrightandleft

werecalledthePipaStyle.[Pi-pais aformofguitar.]Wire-mattingwas tuckedinsidethe'CastanetHair-knot'to giveitshape.The'RoundHair-knot' wasthemostcommonduringthislast decade,butrecentlyIhaveseenthe greatesteccentricities.Thehair-knot trailssolooselyonthebackthattohold itupyouhavetofixsomefalsehair underit,mattedtomaketwolittlehard saucers,whichcanbeobtainedinthe shope.Anotherstylehasthehairtwirled overtheforeheadlikespiritedserpents; somecall thatthe'RepublicanHair knot.'Occasionally,Iseeladiespassing byincarriageswhojustlettheirhair downandtieaknotattheendof it-Ican'tthinkofwhattocallthat."

Mr.Linenumeratesallthefamous

inancienttimes.Quiteapart fromthehistoricalvalueofsucharecord, itistofindthat,asfaras guessattheshapeoftheancient hair-do'sfromthepicturesquetitles,all themoderncreationsofWesternhair dressershavebeendonebefore,theonly differencebeingthattheoldChinesehair knotsweresolidwhilethemodernpuffs androllsarehollow.

Theearliesthair-knotsweremerely

hairtwistedtogetherwithnothingtotie itup.Akinginaboutthetwelfth centuryB.C.addeddanglingornaments ofpearlsandjadetomakethe"Hair-knot whichSwaysatEveryStep."Ching

HsiHuang,thefirst

emperorofunited

Chinaandthebuilder

oftheGreatWall, found pleasureinthe "Hair-knotwhieh

Risesabovethe

"Fallingoffthe

Clouds,"verybecom-horse"

ingtopetitemaidens,ifwearetobelieve thewritersofmodembeautycolumns.

LadiesattheHanCourtdesignedcoiffures

entitled"WelcomeSpring,"(withan eagerforwardtilt)and"TwoHeartsin

One,""Smoky,""JoyandMelancholy."

TheHanprincesseswerethefirstto

wea·rwigs.The"DoubleHair-knot," the"Half-turnedHair-knot,"the"Hair turnedHair-knot,"the"Hair-knotof theHomingBird,"the"Hair-knotof theComingMood,"andthe"Hair-knot ofSurrender,"charmedmanyanemperor intheTangpalaces.

Asidefrom

thosecourtfashions,the wifeofanofficialdressedherhairina stylecalled"FallingofftheHorse,"with atoweringpufftiltedononesideand plentyofsoftloopeflyingfree(which,by theway,isverypopularinprt'sent-day

Shanghai)."FallingofftheHorse,"in

vogueinTangChinajustbeforethecivil wars andtheinvasionofthefivebar bariantribes,wasreputedtobeanill omen,foreshadowingthetragicspectacles ofhigh-born ladiestakencaptiveby unrulysoldiersandborneoffstruggling onthechargers.Alsofashionableinthe capitalcityofChan-Anwerethe"Hair knotofHomelessWandering''(suggestive ofthe"wind-blown"bobofsomeYfal8 ago),the"Hair-knot8.180Japanese,"the "Hair-knotofOneHundredRinglets," andthe"LooseHair-knot,"orthe "Hair-knotofDisintegration." "Asforthelatest.ha.ir-style,"con cludes

Mr.Linwhowroteinthelastyears

oftheManchuDynasty,"thatwhichties afalseknotattheendofloose-hanging hair,alikely nameforitshouldbethe 'Hair-knotofDisintegrationandHome less'Vandering.'Whatanomen!The timesareindeedout-of-joint!Itremble tothinkofwhatistocome."

Inspiteofthiswelteroffantastic

hair-do'stochoosefrom,theonlyuni versallypopularstyleinthefirstdecades ofthetwentiethcenturywasthethick fringecutintheshapeoftheOhinese characterforman(A),apointedarch whichgavethefeaturesunderneatha melancholydownwardslant,asickly prettiness.

Theheavyfringeandthe

LIFE.urn

tallcollarcutacrossthefaceleftvery littleofthefacetobeseen.Theencased feelingtypifiedthesuppressed,unhappy atmosphereoftheage. JUTS womendonotwearhats nowadays,buttheyusedto.Thehat wasnothingbutablacksatinband aroundthehead.In theearlyChinperiod, thehat·lineonthe foreheadwasround,Changeoftho echoingtheroundedhat·line hairline.Lateritbecamepointedtomatch thepointedarchofthefringe.Jewelorna ments. caUed"HatEquilibriums"beoause theywerepla<,,edintheverycenterof thebrow,numberedasmanyasfivein theverybeginning.asingle verticalrowdown thebroadband.As thehataltereditsshapethejewelswere leftoutonebyone.Finallytherewas onlyroomfor apearl.The

J88twesawofthatpearlwasalsotho

lastofthehat.SincetheRevolution. lD11Jinerybaabeenalostart.

ItwuDOmereooincidencethatthe

"HatEquilibrium"Bimul taneoualywiththetraditionalemphasis onbalance.Republicanfound thehallowedprincipleofthegolden mean tohaveaz:etardinain fluenceonthegreatamountof destruotiveandconstruotive worktobedoneinthenew state.Itisnoticeablethatin

Chinaevenarenun

ciation wasdeliveredwithtact.

Thejewelsonwomen'sbats

droppedoffoneatatime,8088 toavoidanabntptbreakwith thepast. iththeManchuEmpire overthrown, therefollowed1\ periodofsuperficialenlighten ment.

Theinfancyofthe

Republic,wastimewhen

Rousseauisticwere

takenveryseriously.Students ofWesternculturehadgreat faithin"EveryManwithaVote," "AwaywithFilialPiety:'"Free

Love,"etc.Experimentswerealsomade

inpurelymentallove,withoutmuch success.Thetypicaloftheday -hairinthemiddletoforma knotoneachside,afringelongenough tocovertheeyebrows-hadanairof affectednaivite.

Clotheswereneverbefore80lightand

gay.The"TrumpetSleeve,"likethe

Westernbishopsleeve,onlyshorter,be

gantightandendedalittlebelowthe elbow,large,breezy,andfluttering.The jacketreachedonlytothehipe.The waistbeautifullymolded.Ladiesof theupperclas8esworeagatheredskirt, usuallyblack,whentheywentout,but athometheyhadononlyshortpants endingattheknee,whichwasalsowhere thesilkstockingsended-verydaringand provocative.Astockinetsashwithsilk fringes wastotieupthepants.

Naughtyladiesaboutafootofit

hangingdowninfrontunderthejacket.

Itwasdeclaredtobeoffranklyerotic

WESTERSTh'TLUENCE

MuchoftheinspirationinearlyRe

publicanstyles wasdrawnfromthe

West.ThecoUarwasatfirstreducedin

height,thenpractically awaywith.Theopencollar, round,square,heart-shaped, diamond-shaped;whitestockinet scarvC8foralleeasons;white silkstockingswithblackem broideriescrawlinguptheankles: takendirectlyfrom

Europeanfashionsoftheday.

Theindiscriminateimportation

ofthingsforeignwenttoBuohan extentthatsocietygirlsandpro fessionalbeautiesworespectacles forornament,sincespectacles wereasignofmodernity. New

Chinainastateof

unrest.cameandwent, eachtrailing hisowncloudofem ployees,civilgovernmentbodies, measU1'e8ofreform;andFashion trippedbehindonitslight,

THEXXthCENTURY

Dynastyhad

nobreakatthewaist.

Ahe-man,whenchal

lenged,would strikehis breastandprotestthat hewasnotonewho "woreclotheswithtwo sections,"thatis,he wasnowoman.A smallpointperhaps, butwomeninthe

1920'sweresupersen

sitive toimmaterial ofthis sort.Havingcheered themselveshoarsefor theWesternpam phleteerswhocham pionedthecauseof theirequalitywith mcn,theylooked aroundathumiliatingLate1920'. realityand,soured andangry,weredriventorejecttheir verywomanhood.Anewwaveofhard enedfeelingprevailedoverthegushing girlishnessoftheearlyRepublic.The firstlonggownsforwomenwereangular andpuritanical.Idealismanddainty escapismcouldnotforevermaintain inthefaceofrepeatedna tionaldisasters.Thefashionsnowhada curt,tightenedlook.Thelonggown, firstgivenwidesleeves,soon hadlong. narrowones.The"incense-stickbind ing"wasfineandround.Fringesand bangswentout.HairW88 pulledbackstraighttoforma buninthe"CoolingCoiftu.re."

WhenChinesewomenfirst

becamecurl-consciousin1928, theydrewtheirhairflat

R·ndsmooth.madehalfhearted

littlewavesattheends,and compromisinglyclippedthem intoanimitationbun.From thattimeon,Chinesecoiffures strictlyfollowedWestern thoughalwaysJagging ayearortwobehind.

THE'30'S

Inthe1930'stheelbow

lengthsleeveswerecylindrical.

THEDISILLUSIONED

LA

Theyear1921sawthe

adventofthelonggownfor women.This garment,the nativecostumeofManchu women,calledevennowthe "BannerGown"inmemory oftheEightBannersunder

1921whichtheManchuhordes

invaded

Chinainthe

seventeenthcentury,hadalwaysrunside bysideunnoticedwiththemaincurrent ofChineseflUlhions.Itwasand masculine.Manchuladies,whenthey firstsettleddowninChina,showedan inclinationtoswitchovertothesofter, morealluringChinese jacketandtrousers, butwereseverelyreprimandedbyim perialedicts.Thesuddenuniversal adoptionofthistribalgownWIUInot causedbyapopularrestorationmove mentbutbywomen'sdesiretocopy men.Women'sclothes inChinafrom timeimmemorialhadto the"blouse-and-skirt"institution,while clothessincethebeginningofthe fantastictoes,tryingtocatehup.The hemofthejacket,first,became round, thenV-shaped,thenhexagonal.

Theswiftchangesrenderedwomen's

clothespracticallyworthless inthepawn shops.Gonewere thedayswhenclothes were asagelessasjewelry,fetchingas apriceonthemarket. 8WIFT

Quickalterationsinstyledonotneces

sarilymentalfluidityorreadiness toadoptnewideas.Quitethecontrary.

Itmayshowgeneralinactivity,frustra

tioninotherfieldsofactionsothatall theintellectualandartistioenergyis forced toflowintotheohannelofolothes.

Inanageofpoliticaldisorder,people

werepowerlesstomodifyexistingcon ditions closertotheirideal.Allthey coulddoWIUItocreatetheirownatmos phere,withclothes,which constitutefor mostmenand allwomentheirimmediate

Welivein

ourclothes.

CHINESELIFEANDFABIDONB6L.

I I,. andsowasthecollar.Thetall collarwasrevived,thistimeuglier thaneverbecauseitnolongercut diagonallythejawbonesithad formerlybeeninordertogiveaheart shapedeffecttotheface.Itwasnow tubular,pressingthechinhardto makeitdouble.Noexcusecouldbe madeforsuchaexceptthatit actedanadequateexpressionofthe intellectualofthe'30's-an upright,remotelittlehead,theheadof aperchedontopofavoluptu ous,free-flowingfigure.

Whatsensuality

therewas,anddeliberate.

Themilitary-looking,double-brcasted,

belted cootoftheWestfellinwiththe stringentmood.WasittheOriental senseofmoderationwhichsoftcneditby wearingunderneatha.floor-lengthgown of aleekvelveteen,withscandalouslylong slits upthethighs,revealingthelong floppy pantsofthesamefabric,edged withsilverlace, ofharems?

Astrangecombinationitwas,symbolic

oftheeducatedwomenoftheday,aggres sivefeministsintheorybutrapaciously whenitcametothepoint.

SlllPLInOATION

Themostimportantoflatestinnova

tionsweretheremovalofthesleeves(a gradualandinfinitelycautiousprocedure, judgingfrom thenumberofyearsittook) andthereductionofboththeheightofthe collarandthelengthofthegown.Itall added uptoagrandsumofsubtraction thestrippingoffofallorna ments,eithernecessaryor unnecessary,toconformto principlesofthebarest functionalism.

Thenewesttrendspointto

aninclinationtogobackto theput,ingeneralaspectif notindecorativedetails.

Theyheraldre

vivalinmoreseriousfields.

FashioninChinaisnotanin

dustryunderthecontrolofafew greatfashionlikeLelong'sor

Schiaparelli's.Ourtailorshelp-

lessbefore thevast,un accountable strangewaves ofcommunal fancieswhich makethem selvesmani festfromtime totime.

Itisimpos

sible totell who starts thesefashioM, becausethe

Chinesedonot

greatlyprize originality,re gardingimita tion asagreat compliment,1942 sothatthefirstonetowearsomething different isinvariablyl08tamonghostof copycats.Shanghaiattributes;t,hebirth oftherecentmovementforwide,three quarterlengthsleevestoHongkong,and

Hongkong,withtheshirkingofrespon

sibility habitualtotheChineserace,lays theblameonShanghai.

Inpre-Revolutioncostumes,theindi

vidualwaswhollysubmergedintheform -theformbeingasubjectivereprescnta- tionofthehumanfigure,conventionalized alwaysinOrientalart,dictatedbya senseofline ratherthanfaithfulnessto· theoriginal.Post-Revolutionclothesalowly workedtowardstheoppositedirection-the' subjugationofformbythe figure.Twoyearsago,when wehadgottothesleeveless gown, nothingwasleftofthe gownbutamoldedtrunk, withbarearmsandneck. Tho returnofsleevesin1941 meanttheretumofform.It markedtheturnofthetide towardsformalization.

Onceagain,

Chinais

ingatthethresholdoflifo, moregrimandpractical time,surerofherownmind becauseofthelessons haslearnt.