Color Consciousness
Women sometimes chose bright colors that combined in striking contrast, for example, red and green or yellow and blue with black, gold or silver selvedges that emboldened the overall visual effect. Others preferred more understated shades in similar hues that gradually lightened or darkened to produce a harmonious effect.
Patterns and Ornaments
Women of old China wore underwear decorated in the artistic motifs of their time, such as landscapes, flowers, birds, clouds, myths, legends and literary characters. In addition to being decorative the designs signified specific states and were also symbolic. A magpie and plum blossoms, for example represented happiness, as it was an image reminiscent of the Chinese idiom defining a person radiant with joy. Auspicious symbolism included bats, representing good fortune, and lotus with fish, which invited wealth.
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