It is a unique phenomenon in ancient China that women expressed their inner feelings by wearing different underwear. In ancient society, since women did not have the right to say what was in their minds, some chose to express their ideas through their underwear, where only their intimate partners could witness what they wore under their outer garments.

There were dozens of styles of underwear worn by ancient women, such as xieyi, xinyi, baowa, moxiong, zhuyao and dudou, to name a few. Be it square-shaped, diamond-shaped, triangular, a semi-circle, "graceful inverted bud shaped", or the propitious ruyi style ("satisfactory"), this huge variation of styles will never be matched in the monochromatic climate of modern underwear.

It is also said that the amazing variety of ancient brassieres was owed to the fact that women's outer garments were strictly governed by rank. Their only chance of distinguishing themselves from other women was through individualist styles of underwear.

The brassieres of ancient China carry a deep cultural essence. For example, the front part is usually rounded and short while the back is square and much longer. This echoes the traditional theory that advocates harmony between heaven, earth and humans. Lace is often found near the shoulders, chest and waist, and is used to accentuate curves. Delicate patterns are embroidered to cover seams and to make images a harmonious whole.

Seemingly simple, traditional Chinese underwear is painstakingly difficult to make. The making involves dozens of techniques, including embroidery, sewing, pasting, patching, embellishing and rolling. All are used together to deliver different themes. Tragically, many techniques have been lost over the ages.

Page:

1

2