The Implicit Beauty and Open Beauty of Tang Dynasty's Aesthetic Taste from Tang Dynasty Noble Women's Clothing Features

Abstract

The Tang Dynasty was a period when feudal society prosperous developed. At that time people's material life were very plentiful, thus brought their love for better life into the pursuit and praise of beauty. The women, especially the noble women because their particularity of gender and identity, at the time they gradually became a social beauty carrier. The notice and praise from men and even the whole society to noble women made them to search and create beauty from all kind of aspects. Clothing which are the best way to reflect the beauty connotation naturally became the best filed for these women to show and create beauty. Whether the early Tang's graceful narrow sleeve dress, or the dashing Hu Fu and Men's clothing in flourishing period of Tang Dynasty, all reflect Tang people, especially the Tang dynasty noble women's unique aesthetic vision in different periods. Overall, there are two aesthetic features of the Tang Dynasty noble women's clothing features: First is the implicit beauty under the influence of Confucian doctrine and feudal Etiquette ; Second is due to Tang people's appreciation of human body and more focus on realism, thus pay more attention to women's curves, so their clothing showed the healthy open beauty. Keywords—noble; women; clothing features; aesthetic; implicit; open I. INTRODUCTION Tang Dynasty was a society which adores beauty, from the magnificent Tang three-color glazed pottery to the beautiful and harmonious Tang music dance, from the spiritual sculpture to the amazing calligraphy, Tang peoples pursuit of beauty was self-evident. After a nation meets their basic survival needs, it is bound to turn into a higher life demand, which is the pursuit of a higher quality lifestyle. In Tang Dynasty the nation was prosperous and the people were strong and powerful, the culture was prosperous too, people can enjoy their lives, thus brought their love for better life into the pursuit and praise of beauty. The women, especially the noble women because their particularity of gender and identity, at the time they gradually became a social beauty carrier. In Tang Dynasty, there were three combination changes for nobles women's clothing styles, include Slip Skirt, Hu Fu and women wear mens clothing. In early Tang period women s clothing were mostly similar with Sui Dynasty, upper body wear a short sleeve jacket, lower body wear tight dress with the waistband up to the armpit and with silk ribbon tie, Slip Skirt appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, in Han Dynasty it began to become popular among the Central Plainss Han women , in the thousands of years history development, although it has been impacted by other species popular clothing, but always maintain Slip Skirt this basic style and it became the typical clothing of Han Women in feudal society; in flourishing period of Tang Dynasty, Hu Fu from the exotic area, with its new clothing styles favored by the majority of noble women, especially the Uighur ethnic clothing styles was quite popular among the noble women. Under this influence, women wear mens clothing also was in vogue for a time; since the late Tang Dynasty, Hu Fu fashion was fade, more traditional Han clothing restored, the improved Slip Skirt clothing with big sleeves again became the major clothing for women. From these styles which lead the clothing trends at the time, we could not only see the prosperity, splendid, broad and free clothing culture, but also we can see the influence to womens clothing caused by Tangs aesthetic taste. Overall, there are two aesthetic features of the Tang Dynasty noble women's clothing features: First is the implicit beauty under the influence of Confucian doctrine and feudal Etiquette ; Second is due to Tang peoples appreciation of human body and more focus on realism, thus pay more attention to women's curves, so their clothing showed the healthy open beauty.