In the Ming Dynasty, the colors of women's clothes were restricted to purple, purplish green, peach and other shallow colors. Red, yellow and black were strictly forbidden. The underwear "Zhuyao" resembled a jacket, with laces near the waist, which could be adjusted to show off the female's curves.

Qing Dynasty saw the bloom of the well-known "Dudou," or bellyband. Usually, a bellyband is made into a diamond shape. Lace is placed near the neck and the waist to be fastened and to accentuate the curves of the torso. The lower part of a bellyband is an inverse triangle to cover the belly. Designs of tigers, scorpions, snakes and geckos were embroidered to ward off evil spirits. Themes of love, such as lotus and pairs of mandarin ducks, were also common on bellybands. Silk and cotton were the most used materials. Sometimes gold chains were also used by women from affluent families, while silver and copper chains were adopted by the middle-class.

Because of the Republic of China's openness to the outside world, "Majia," something similar to the western corset, became popular among women.

Author: Jing

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