In China, women had different kinds of clothes in ancient times. Those clothes changed with the dynasty. For examples, in the 1920s, the Cheongsam was fashionable among socialites and upperclass women; during the 1960s, very austere clothing styles were prevalent; today, a wide variety of fashions are worn. Different provinces and regions of China also have different clothing styles.
In Qin and Han dynasties, women usually wore loose clothes with long, large, sleeves. Under the long skirt was a pair of high-heeled clogs, usually with some embroidery on them. There was usually a scarf called Jinguo (巾帼) wrapped on the arm of a noble woman, while ordinary or poor women had no decoration on their arms. As time passed by, the coat tended to be shorter and the skirt became longer. Noble women even needed maids’ help to lift up the skirts, to avoid the skirts being stained by the ground.
In Sui and Tang dynasties, women's clothes had a trend of being more open. Small-sleeved coats, usually made of yarn, skirts that were still long, wide and long scarves were what was often worn. They could bare the part of their body above their chests. This sort of cloth could show the beauty of the women better. Another kind of clothes that were popular at that time were things with big sleeves, short breasted shirts and long and light skirts.
The attire of women during the Song dynasty (960 - 1279) was distinguished from men's clothing by being fastened on the left, not on the right. Women wore long dresses or blouses that came down almost to the ankle. They also wore skirts and jackets with short or long sleeves. When strolling about outside and along the road, women of wealth chose to wear square purple scarves around their shoulders.
Traditional clothing styles
Banbi
Banbi (半臂, lit. "half arm") also known as Banxiu (半袖), is a form of waistcoat or outerwear that was worn over ruqun, and had half-length sleeves. The style of its collar varied, but it could be secured at the front either with ties or a metal button. According to Chinese records, the banbi clothing style was invented from the short jacket (短襦) that the Chinese wear. It was first designated as a waistcoat for palace maids, but soon became popular amongst the commoners. In the "Legend of Huo Xiao Yu" (崔小玉传), written during the Tang dynasty, the main female character Huo Xiaoyu wears this style most of the time.
Beizi
A beizi (褙子) is an item of traditional Chinese attire common to both men and women, similar to a cloak. Most popular during the Ming dynasty, beizi also known as banbi during the Tang dynasty) is believed to have been adopted from Central Asia during the Tang dynasty through the Silk Road, when cultural exchange was frequent. However, it is also believed to have been derived from banbi during the Song dynasty, where the sleeves and the garment lengthened.
Chang'ao
Chang-ao () is a traditional Chinese style of attire for women. It is a form of formal wear, and is often perceived as a longer version of ruqun. However, it was actually developed from zhiduo during the Ming dynasty, and is worn over a skirt. It is wide-sleeved, shorter than zhiduo, and has no side panels (暗擺) at the side slits (thus showing the skirt worn underneath). There is often an optional detachable protective huling (護領, lit. "protect collar") sewn to the collar. The huling can be white or any other (often dark) colours. The collar is of the same colour as the clothing.
Daxiushan
Daxiushan (大袖衫), translated as "Large Sleeve Gown", is a traditional Chinese attire for women and was most popular during the Tang dynasty amongst the royal family. After the golden age of the Tang dynasty ended, the influence of Hufu (胡服), or clothing styles from Central and Western Asia, gradually weakened and Tang royal women's clothing styles began to make its transformation.