Clothing, Traditional—Hong Kong
During the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), the local Hong Kong population wore the same garments, made of silk or cotton, as the rest of the Han Chinese (ethnic Chinese majority) mainlanders. The changshan, or long gowns, for men, had a curved front opening on the right side, fastened with buttons and loops, and an upright collar. Silk was often used for summer garments; winter garments were wadded or lined with fur. Women wore the ao, a knee-length dress styled like the changshan, with a full-length skirt consisting of front and back panels with pleats or godets (cloth inserts) at the sides to allow movement. The portion of the skirt that showed below the ao was originally heavily embroidered but later was made in plain black or other dark, undecorated fabric. Originally, loose baggy trousers, or ku, were worn under the ao, and these continued to be worn by women who performed physical labor. For middle- and upper-class women, accessories included an embroidered headband that concealed the plucked forehead, bound-foot shoes, and ankle covers.
A version of these garments continued to be worn through the latter part of the twentieth century as part of traditional ceremonial dress. Changshan for men and qun gua, skirts and jackets, for women, and dajinshan, blouses with large lapels that fastened with huaniu (buttons and loops) to the right, had their origins in everyday dress of previous decades.
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