Dress Reform In The Late Qing–Early Republican Era And Its Enlightenment To China’s Modernization Process

Late Qing–early Republican era’s social life history research is an important part in the modern history of China, and the Late Qing–early Republican era’s costumes change as a phenomenon of modern society, can help us to better grasp the characteristics of this period of history. By analyzing the course of this period costumes evolution, analyzes factors of evolution and the various factors, the relationship between modernizations and to provide reference for apparel development in today’s Chinese society, has certain academic value and practical significance. The use of history and sociology based on existing research, also borrowed from folklore, social psychology, politics, history, culture, education and other research methods and research results. In this paper, we study the main time range from the early years of the "New Reform" to the building of the Republic of China in the late Qing dynasty, and both before and after this period the main theoretical construction and practical process affecting the development of clothing.First introduces dress in different connotation of ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, and highlights the use of clothing function and class nature. In the simple introduction to the early stage of the Qing dynasty clothing and dress policy at the same time, the focus discussed since modern times, the western dress to the impact on the formation of Chinese traditional clothes, led Li Hongzhang and Japanese foreign minister’s polite debate on reform of the clothing. "New Reform " for ten years in the late Qing dynasty, the new police clothing, army uniforms, navy uniform gradually westernized, but foreign clothing still follow use old. At the same time, overseas students under the influence of western clothing, begin to accept western clothing, and criticism of domestic clothing system, finally to promote the reform of domestic students. Prepare before and after the constitutional, the Qing court have different attitude to dress reform swing, during which many times repeatedly. Finally come to the conclusion that even in the time of the Qing court will perish, and never make any real dress reform breakthrough. In the early years of the Republic of China after the opium war, make regulations suit and makes system of break the shackles of dress development.Secondly introduces the clothing and the relationship between the modern factors. In terms of political modernization, the bourgeois revolutionary not only plays a pioneering role in dress reform, but also easy to suit with the progress of a lot of newspapers and periodicals propaganda activities, to promote "full" revolutionary slogans such as, occupied the commanding heights of public opinion. At the same time, domestic constitutionalists’ discussion on the question of clothing is always hot. Clothing itself touches on the Qing court, however, the traditional political bottom line, so whether it’s easy to suit itself or political campaign was much cry and little wool. To thoroughly realize the modernization of the clothing, eliminate the obstacles of dress reform must overthrow the Qing court decadent rule. In respect of economic modernization, the introduction of dress in a certain extent to stimulate the Chinese national textile industry, especially the clothes, the clothing, the development of the industry such as, at the same time "American", "boycott Japanese goods" movement for the national bourgeoisie in many economic interests, and gradually made some political rights, politics in China have some voice. The evolution of clothing is to bring the change of the social hierarchy. More than of a host system phenomenon, the traditional clothing hierarchy began to collapse. The emergence of new women’s clothing, promoted the awakening of women’s physical self-consciousness, especially the emergence of female students marks the beginning of the modem social women’s liberation. Evolution and regional, class, economic status, have inseparable relationship. The coastal treaty ports are influenced by the western first and most widely, the inland country due to the geographical conditions, evolution is slow. Under the influence of clothing evolution, the social ideological trend happened upheaval. Dress of luxury, suppression, advocating people living within their means the government of the Republic of repeated use executive orders with little effect. At the same time, the coastal developed areas such as people addicted to the pursuit of western clothing, not only cause huge amounts of waste, but also cause foreign goods dumping, blow to the national garment industry. Therefore, people want to maintain economic rights to protect the national industry.