Chang'an - Nobles all over Chang'an have recently been sporting the new, extensive style that is sweeping through China. Men and their wives are now wearing long, flowing silk garments in bright colors. This new fashion is currently being seen all over the Imperial City, especially in the courts.
Although robes have been popular in the past, there have never been as bright and colorful as some of these. The emperor and his sons wear yellow, the imperial color, and his grandsons are wearing purple, the color of promise and potential. Most nobles are wearing different colors such as red, symbolizing luck and happiness, or others like blue and green. Colors have become so important that there is now a law passed that states that only wealthy people can wear bright colors, and peasants found wearing them will be punished.
"The new way of dress is very bright and colorful, and I think it suits our court very well," says Zangzu, a member of the royal court. "Both men and women seem to like it, and everyone looks great."
While the colors are similar, the current fashion of dress does vary from men to women. A noble man can be found wearing a robe with sleeves so wide they need to be weighed down so they don't flap in the wind. They are also wearing large, elaborate hats that symbolize their position and status in the court. The hats are made out of many materials, such as lacquered cloth and leather, and can be shaped into many different things.
Women, on the other hand, are wearing a long, colorful skirt and jacket with a short sleeved shirt. Their shoes are made out of brocade, a silk cloth that has patterns woven into it, and the woman's long hair is usually tied into a topknot on top of their head which is held in place by precisely carved combs and hairpins. Most women are also wearing thick, white make-up so they don't look like a tan peasant working in the sun.
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