Clothing in the Ming Dynasty brought a new perspective to traditional clothing. Each dynasty in China brought with it essential characteristics to Chinese culture. A lot of clothing influences developed throughout the era, and Ming Dynasty clothing are usually described by historians as magnificent and graceful at the same time.

Women’s Clothing

Most women wore three collars with narrow sleeves during this dynasty. This is what made up their upper clothing most of the time. Pleated skirts were also popularized in this period and made clothing more graceful for women. Light colors became very popular during the start of the Ming Dynasty. Embroidered capes also became part of the ensemble for women’s clothing. It was worn over the shoulders which were called “Rosy Cloud Cape” due to its rosy and cloud-like shape.

Men’s Clothing

The traditional clothing for men during this dynasty was depicted with broad sleeves and circular collars. Most of the men also wore a drooping strap with black silk ribbons and soft chuddar. Tunics were also worn by men during this dynasty. These had short sleeves and reached the knees. Most of these clothing were made of silk that was very popular during this dynasty. A padded jacket was worn over the upper garments to keep them warm during winter.

Circular buttons were popularized during this dynasty. Metal buttons became part of their clothing and collars were made circular instead of symmetrical, which popular during the Song Dynasty. Proportions of the upper and lower garments during this time were also inverted. Jackets that topped the upper garments were made to become longer to make sure that the exposed skirt was shorter. The Ming Dynasty clothing was made part of the essential culture of the ancient China. We can see a lot of these traditional clothing in museums all over the world. The Ming Dynasty was truly influential when it came to traditional fashion in ancient times.