Chinese Women and Attire
Women and Family in Chinese Society: East 2165"Correct attire was regarded as the ultimate expression of Chinese culture and identity, differentiating them from 'inferior' foreign neighbors while making social and gender distinctions within their society. The clothing of bodies had specific cultural meaning, with properly attired bodies reflecting order and control and unadorned bodies and feet serving as visible signs of disorder and dangerous nonconformity with the individual risking association to barbarian outsiders." (Goody 1990: 49)· The Principal Dynasties of China Page 3· Qing Dynasty and Manchurians 5· Mao Zedong and The People's Republic of China 15
The day a girl would have her feet bound her mother would prepare a hot tub of water, with a few drops of fragrance oil in it, for soaking the girls feet in, to soften the skin. The tradition dates back as far as 3000BC. In China, clothing is a matter of great importance. Pants did not represent masculinity as in the west; instead they were used for informal occasions and by the working class of both sexes. (Feng 1994)Footbinding emphasized the difference between men and women, making women inferior to men. In 1928 it was written, "women's clothing in recent times has been modeled on men's. especially during the ancient times, where it was considered to be an instrument of order in society - where chaos was to be feared above all else. Any who were found were detained on the spot at pistol-point while their hair was cut off or their clothing cut to ribbons. " (Finnane 1999: 110) It initially became popular in the 1920s and 1930s, with the aid of posters and movies promoting the idea that it was modern and fashionable. It was important for securing a husband, increased a daughters worth in marriage and it reflected well on her family's ability to raise her properly. It was mainly used by the poorer people and peasants, however, because of its cool qualities, it was also used but he middle and upper class. "Its function as the phantom of modernity means that it would not so easily disappear from everyday life and from speech, even though the modernizers were eager to erase the shame and to start with a clear slate. A girl would usually have her feet bound between the ages, sometimes as young as three, and five.
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