Chinese Boys' Clothes: Chronology--People's Republic



Figure 1.--Army caps were very popular among young boys during the period immediately after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). This boy was photographed in 1982.

The success of the Communist Revolution led by Mao-Tse-Tung in 1949 brough a massive change in clothing styles. Throughout China traditional clothing was discarded for more modern Western styles approved by the Communist. European had appeared in Chinese coastal cities in the first half of the 20th century and might be worn by China's small educated middle class, but most Chinse wore largely traditiona; clothing until the Revolution. The Revolution was a thorough wide spread social revolution affecting life style and clothing in even the most remore villages of China. Boys might wear short pants in the summer and long often baggy trousers in the winter. The Young Pioneer red sacrves were everywhere. Fashion itself was looked down own as unecessary, even subversive. Contacts with the West were curtailed as China looked to the Soviet Union and state planning to run their economy. Businesses and private land holdings were nationalized. Everyone was incouraged to think alike and dress alike. The desire was to put everyone on an equal footing. Another major even more radical change occurred during the Cultural Revolutuion (1966-76), one of the most violent and tragic episodes in modern Chinese history. Major Chinese traditions such as respect for ones's elders were attacked, Red Army style uniforms became very popualar for boys. Since the end of the Cultural Revolution fashion along with a Western market economy has returned to China. Increasingly young Chinese are pursuing their on individual like styles and dressing like their counterparts in the West.

People's Republic (1949-66)

The success of the Communist Revolution led by Mao-Tse-Tung in 1949 brough a massive change in clothing styles. Throughout China traditional clothing was discarded for more modern Western styles approved by the Communist. European had appeared in Chinese coastal cities in the first half of the 20th century and might be worn by China's small educated middle class, but most Chinse wore largely traditional clothing until the Revolution. The Revolution was a thorough wide spread social revolution affecting life style and clothing in even the most remote villages of China. Boys might wear short pants in the summer and long often baggy trousers in the winter. The Young Pioneer red sacrves were everywhere. Fashion itself was looked down own as unecessary, even subversive. The Communists made "Labor is honor" a popular political slogan. Elegant fashionable clothing made of expensive fabric were discouraged if not dangerous to wear. They were replaced by the gray Chinese tunic suit worn by Communist Party cadres as army and labor uniforms. People altered their western suits and long gowns into Chinese tunic suits or uniforms. Some finding it difficult to change wore the new fashions over their elegant clothing. The stylish qipao no longer matched the lifestyle of Revolutionary China and were gradually replaced by the Lenin suit--a Soviet style dress. This suit had a large turned down collar, side buttons, and side pocket. Woman wore this suit with now fashionable short hair, giving an impression of neatness and simplicity. This suit was first popular in the cadre school and then rhe universities, and gradually spread to the larger society. [Chang] Contacts with the West were curtailed as China looked to the Soviet Union and state planning to run their economy. Businesses and private land holdings were nationalized. Everyone was incouraged to think alike and dress alike. The desire was to put everyone on an equal footing. A major effort enginineered by Mao, the Great Leap Forward, to rapidly modernize China failed disastrously.

Cultural Revolution (1966-76)

Another major even more radical change occurred during the Cultural Revolutuion (1966-76), one of the most violent and tragic episodes in modern Chinese history. It was inspied by China's leader Mao Tse Tung and known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Mao thought that the Chinese people were losing their revolutionary zeal. He this conceived of a cutural revolution to destroy once and for all the culture of pre-Communist China. Major Chinese traditions such as respect for ones's elders and the value of scholarship in particular were attacked. Children were often forced to renounce their own parents. Mao sought to reinvigirate party cadre with a revolutionay commitment, to replace many in positions of rank and privilege who were no sufficently inspired, to punish the cadre for the criticisms that were lodged against Mao's disastrous Great Leap Forward experiment, and to continue attacks against the intelligentia who he thought were not sufficently committed to the Revolution. Important leaders including Peng Zhen to Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping who were not sufficently loyal to Mao suffered during the Cultural Revolution, now just as the intelligentia and those who hadn't embraced Mao's grand plan. Mao's power reached unprecedent levels during this period in a xenephobic and often irrational cult of personality, symbolized by a Little Red Book consisting of his quotations, ubiquitous buttons that bore his portrait, and statues virtually deifying him that were raised near any buildings of social significance throughout China. The attacks on people made during the Cultural Revolution were all done in Mao's name. Red Army style uniforms became very popualar for boys.

Market Reforms (1976- )

Gradually the Cultural Revolution played itself out. With the end of the Cultural Revolution fashions again changed in China. China on a radical change in policy through its door open to the outside world in 1978. The open-door policy and freer political environment led to a radically different view of fashion. Army caps and other uniform items were sttill very popular among boys during the period immediately after the Cultural Revolution. The Chinese people gradually regained the freedom of deciding how they wanted to dress on an individual basis. Gradually uniforms vecame less and less popular as young peeople invreasingly wanted to dress more individualistically. Important leaders by the 1980s began to appaer in smartly tailored western suits. Soon after these suiys were being worn by people of all classes from leaders to common laborers. The western suit became was considered a standard dress for China. The popular concept regarding clothes underwent drastic change. Women began wearing high-heeled shoes and qipao once again. Elegant dresses appaered. The Goverment issued oe enforced no limitation of regulations on clothing anymore. [Chang] Most young Chinese turned to the West, primarily America for fashion inspiration. This proved to be realtively wasy as Chinese factories were making large quantities of trendy fashions to be sold in the West. In addition Western publications became easier to obtain and Westernm primarily American, movies began to be shown. The central feature of the reforms was the creation of a Western market economy in China. Increasingly young Chinese are pursuing their on individual like styles and dressing like their counterparts in the West.

Sources

Chun Chang, January 14, 2002






HC





Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s] [The 1890s]
[The 1900s] [The 1910s] [The 1920s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1950s] [The 1960s] [The 1970s] [The 1980s]



Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits] [Knicker suits] [Short pants suits] [Socks] [Eton suits] [Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer] [School sandals] [School smocks] [Sailor suits] [Pinafores] [Long stockings]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Page
[Return to the Main Chinese chronology page]
[Return to the Main ancient civilization page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]



Created: August 29, 2002
Last updated: 5:44 AM 6/18/2010