crashout over my essay

 星星之火，可以燎原  

A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire

The Tang Dynasty’s (618-907 AD) status as China’s Golden Age extended beyond politics and art to the evolution of women’s fashion as a dynamic cultural force. As the dynasty went through 4 eras of change, core parts of fashion and makeup stayed the same.  Women’s appearances communicated status and confidence. However, as revolutions rose and fell, fashion changed for both low-class and high-class women in the Tang dynasty. Women’s fashion and makeup were directly influenced by shifting dynamics in societal, political, and economic change, acting as both personal expressions and reflections of broader historical shifts.

As the Tang Dynasty began under Emperor Gaozu, it was the subsequent Wu Zhou period, led by the powerful Empress Wu Zetian, that truly defined the early Tang era, particularly in terms of women’s expanded roles in society. During the early Tang era (618-713), women enjoyed greater social freedom compared to earlier periods. Tang women were more active and visible in public life; they rode horses, wore men's clothing, engaged in politics, and often chose their husbands. Wu Zetian accomplished “...Improving the education system, reforming agriculture practices, funding arts, promoting women's position in society and workforce, building infrastructure, and further expanding Silk Road trade.” (Pengra)

The reign of Empress Wu Zetian ushered in not only political reforms but also a notable shift in cultural and aesthetic preferences, particularly in women's fashion and makeup for the Early Tang era. Makeup was preferred to be balanced and elegant, with minimalistic straight lines before the Wu Zhou period, but after the period started, the Hua Dian (forehead design) changed from simple lines to ‘blooming flowers’, along with large Xiehong (Temple designs), and wide-set and flared eyebrows to create a moon-like effect. Women with curves were a preference among beauty standards, reflecting the silhouette of the Empress. 

While later Tang fashion became more elaborate, the Early Tang era favored a simpler approach to clothing, where subtle details and elegant silhouettes spoke volumes about status and wealth. Jiàn Sè Qún (间色群) translates to ‘joined colors skirt’. The skirt was made of an even number of horizontal stripes; the more stripes a woman had, the richer she was. The skirt was tied high on the chest, creating an elongated silhouette. Women wore a top with narrow sleeves and large round collars. The round collars accentuated the nape and chest, exposing cleavage.

As the Tang Dynasty progressed, particularly during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, political dynamics shifted, leading to both periods of prosperity and eventual turmoil in the High Tang era (713-755). In the early stage of his reign, he maintained a balance of power, and the central government was changed to “concentrate more and more authority in the hands of the chief ministers.” (Britannica). However, over time, the political influence of the aristocrats increased. After 740, the emperor’s control of affairs dwindled, causing Xuanzong to withdraw into himself, eventually leading to the An Lushan rebellion. 

In the High Tang era, as the empire flourished, the desire for opulence and distinction influenced women’s beauty trends, resulting in more extravagant and striking makeup styles. Women applied their makeup in a manner to make themselves look wealthy and prosperous. Rounded facial features, heavy-set women, and lots of blush were the most sought-after to have by women. Hua Dian became more simplistic and chunky, peaches and large round dots were favored, for the rich, gold flakes, jewels, and pearls were glued onto the face to exaggerate the makeup look. Hairstyles were rounded and “droopy”, messy looks were common to create a rounded moon effect. The most common makeup trends were Fēi Xiá Zhuāng 飞霞妆 (peach blossom makeup), which is peach-colored blush and skinny eyebrows; Jiǔ Yūn Zhuāng 酒晕妆 (drunken makeup,) which features intense blush, brows, and lips with chunky Hua Dian designs to create a flushed and swollen look, and Tiānbǎo Era 天宝 (Small red dots applied all over the face). 

As the High Tang era unfolded, fashion continued to evolve, influenced by the era’s political climate and the increasing visibility of women in public and political life. This caused women to adopt men's clothing in daily life, most commonly mixing masculine garments with feminine garments. Stripes were no longer worn but replaced with floral prints. Skirts would sit above the bust instead of at the waist, sleeves elongated and widened, along with a Pibo 披帛 on top, which is a long decorative shawl. 

The Middle Tang era (756-824) was marked by a crisis: the An Lushan rebellion, which would have lasting consequences for the empire’s stability. It was a major rebellion that started in 755, led by An Lushan, a non-Chinese military governor and a favorite of Emperor Xuanzong. In 755, he turned his troops on the eastern capital city, Luoyang, now called Luoyi today. Six months later, he turned his troops on the western capital, Chang'an, modern day Xi’an. He was murdered in 757 by his son, and his rebellion shut down in 763. The rebellion marked the beginning of the decline of the Tang dynasty. “The vicious circle of rumour, intrigue and precipitate action severely damaged morale and did as much as anything else to impair the Tang government's capacity to rebuild after the rebellion.” (Twitchett, Fairbank 571).

Amid the unrest caused by the An Lushan rebellion in the Middle Tang, the fashion and makeup trends of the Tang Dynasty underwent a dramatic shift, with distinct differences between social classes and the imperial court. Lighter bases, lighter blush, and upturned or subdued eyebrows were common for low-class women. The Hua Dian was also changed; the popular bold red was switched for pale shades of blue and green. Yet for women within the imperial court, dark lips, dramatic ‘sad’ eyebrows, and bloodied marks on the face were common. The most frequent makeup trends during the middle Tang era were Zhēn Yúan Tí Zhuāng (贞元啼妆), known as "crying makeup," Yúan Hé Shí Shì Zhuāng (元和时世妆), which featured yellow blush, and Xiǎn Zhuāng (险妆), characterized by shaving eyebrows and plucking the forehead. Fashion during this period was dramatic and varied. 

In response to shifting cultural influences, fashion in the Middle Tang became more elaborate, marked by the use of layered garments and eye-catching patterns that reflected both personal style and societal trends. Simple floral designs, horizontal stripes, and fish scale prints were popular. Sleeves became wide and long, and women layered multiple garments, combining short and long-sleeved jackets in different colors to create a multi-colored, tiered look.

Following years of instability and weakened governance, the Tang Dynasty, now the Late Tang era (825-907), faced another major blow with the outbreak of the Huang Chao rebellion in 875, which ended in 884, when Huang Chao died. “The key cause of the rebellion, however, appears to be bad harvests.” (Fong 4). Rebels would distribute leaflets before Huang Chao became the leader of the rebellion, showing that even without Chao, people supported the rebellion. The rebellion is considered to have helped end the Tang dynasty.

Even as the High Tang era declined, the art of makeup and hairstyling reached new creative heights, showcasing both the enduring influence of earlier styles and the shifting tastes of the time. Makeup was exaggerated, multiple Hua Dians, Xiehongs, and Mianye (cheek dots) were applied to the face, making it similar to a canvas for painting. Many of the Gothic styles from the Middle Tang era stayed. The goddess-like look was sought after by high-class women during this era. For the lower class, makeup went from dark and dramatic to sophisticated and softer looks. Hair in the late Tang was put into tall hairdos similar to a beehive, with large rings, flower-shaped buns, and gravity-defying intricate masterpieces. 

Reflecting the heightened artistic expression of the late Tang era, women’s clothing became more extravagant and eye-catching. Skirts and sleeves were dramatically lengthened. Sleeves would reach from the shoulder to the knee, and skirts had trains that dragged behind women. The structure of undergarments became simpler with fewer layers, which caused the undergarments to show on purpose. The Hezi (何子) was a single band of fabric tied around the chest that would show openly beneath the garments. In current-day hanfus, the hezi is sewn onto the garment.

The evolution of women’s fashion and makeup throughout the Tang Dynasty reveals how closely cultural expression mirrored the shifting dynamics of society. From the early Tang’s increased social freedom and political reform to the High Tang’s prosperity and bold aesthetics, and finally to the late Tang’s theatrical and symbolic styles shaped by unrest, each phase reflected the era’s values and circumstances. These styles were more than aesthetic; they served as a record of women's experiences, identities, and the roles they played within one of China’s most vibrant historical periods. Fashion and beauty during the Tang dynasty were more than surface-level; they were powerful markers of identity shaped by a dynamic and evolving world.