跨文化交际留学作业：从文化层面探析中英婚礼服饰的差异
05-28, 2014
跨文化交际留学essay：从文化层面探析中英婚礼服饰的差异
Comparison of Chinese-British Wedding Dresses from a Cultural Point of ViewComparison of Chinese-British Wedding Dresses from a Cultural Point of View
Abstract
This paper explores the different cultures between China and U.K through a comparison of two countries' wedding dresses. Wedding dresses play a significant part in culture. Different areas breed distinct cultures. Cultural divergence is a potential hinder to the people in different areas to express their thoughts. With the increasing contact with U.K, in is necessary for Chinese people to distinguish cultural differences between the two counties. This paper will analyze Chinese-British cultural differences based on a comparison between Chinese-American wedding dresses.
This paper begins with an exploration of the Characteristics of the Wedding Dress between China and U.K. Then differences of Chinese-U.K wedding dresses are presented, including the difference function of the clothing in social, aesthetic, practical. Based on the introduction and comparison, the paper analyzes the reason of the different wedding dresses between China and U.K, covering five major aspects-history, material culture, function of the dress ,dress concept, dress way ,which are reflected through different wedding customs presented above. It is hoped that the research to the different cultures between China and U.K will serve as a help reference for the further interflow and study in dealing with cultural crash between China and U.K.
Key words: Chinese wedding dresses; U.K wedding dresses; cultural difference
Comparison of Chinese-British Wedding Dresses from a Cultural Point of View
Outline
Thesis Statement: In order to learn more about different culture between China and U.K, practical and effective strategies are presented based on the analysis of main factors affecting wedding dresses between China and U.K.#p#分页标题#e#
I. Introduction
A. The Significance of the Research
B. The Structure of the Paper
II. The Characteristics of the Wedding Dress in China and U.K.
A. The Connection between Wedding Custom and Culture.
B. Features of the Dress Culture in China and U.K.
1. Color
2. Style
3. Picture
III. The Differences of the Wedding Dresses between China and U.K.
A. The social function of the clothing
B. The aesthetic function of the clothing
C. The practical function of the clothing
IV. The Reason of the Differences of the Wedding Dresses between the China and U.K.
A. History
B. Material culture
C. Function of the dress
D. Dress concept
E. Dress way
V. Conclusion
Comparison of Chinese-British Wedding Dresses from a Cultural Point of View
I. Introduction
A. The Significance of the Research
Wedding is often considered the most important part of people's lives. Wedding is celebrated with different kinds of ceremonies almost everywhere in the world. Wedding ceremonies are formed in a long historical evolution. It is not only a ceremony but a kind of cultural phenomenon. Wedding ceremonies objectively express multiple cultures and people's wisdom and can reflect unique cultures. Therefore, exploring wedding customs is to present the unique cultures.
The world today is trending towards globalization, thus China and English become more interlinked. The two countries are far apart in geographical locations which generates two distinctively cultural systems. Wedding custom is a kind of cultural phenomenon, so through analyzing different wedding dresses of the wedding customs between China and English, the general cultural differences between the two countries will be revealed.#p#分页标题#e#
Wedding customs can reveal cultural differences between distinct areas, so many scholars have done researches on wedding customs, such as English-Chinese Idioms and Folk Cultures written by Yin Li and Han Xiaoling, British and American Culture and Reading Skills Training written by Liu Huiyun and Zhang Yan and A Bird's-Eye View of Chinese Culture written by Long Maozhong, Jia Aibing and Yan Jingla. Reading these books, people will gain a better understanding of different wedding customs.
B. The Structure of the Paper
This paper will introduce the connection between wedding customs and cultures and then present the differences between Chinese and English wedding dresses, based on which the paper will present cultural differences reflected the different wedding dresses of the wedding ceremonies.
II. The Characteristics of the Wedding Dress in China and U.K
A. The Connection between Wedding Custom and Culture
The definition of custom is "an accepted way of behaving or doing things in a society or a community"1 Custom is a kind of material life and spiritual life, which is created, enjoyed and inherited by a nation. Custom stems from the needs of people's life, and formed in a certain nation, age and area. It continually spread and develops from ancient to present.
The definition of culture is "the customs and beliefs, art, way of life and social organization of a particular country or group."2 "E. B. Tylor, one of the most Britain scholars holds the idea that culture is a complex entirety, which contains knowledge, belief, art, moral, law, custom, gaining ability as a part of the society and the habit." 3
Custom is one of the important parts of culture. It is a fundamental culture and the carrier of all kinds of culture. Religion, history, art are the forms of culture of a nation, and their headwaters can be found in the custom. All kinds of customs consist of a nation's culture. Therefore, custom breeds culture and reflects culture.#p#分页标题#e#
B. Features of the Dress Culture in China and U.K
1. Color
The color red dominates traditional Chinese weddings. Chinese people tend to use or wear red to add a joyful atmosphere to such a festive occasion. The bride wears red outfits. The house is decorated with red flowers on the eaves, red couplets on the doors, red candles and red eggs. All the utensils are pasted a red Chinese word "囍", which means happy, joyful and delighted. Even the bridal chamber and bedding are embellished with red.
In English, People stress wedding color as well. People believe that the white of the wedding dress signified that the bride is a virgin. So they choose white as the wedding color. No matter in the bridal chamber, or in the church, white flowers can be seen everywhere. The bride also wears a white wedding dress. The color of English wedding can be described as a white world.
2. Style
The Chinese style is decided by the unique Chinese culture and the Oriental body feature. As the curve of we yellow race's body is not so obvious, and Chinese are fastidious about self-respect, implicitly and the doctrine of the mean, our clothing is a straight overall with wide coat and fat sleeves, which emphasizes plane design. Men's wear is a one-piece robe while women's wear is a short Chinese-style jacket and a long skirt. The western style is determined by the western aesthetic thought of pragmatism and nationalism and the white race's body structure. Their body curve is pretty sharp. Stressing scientific nature, the western clothing is in keeping with the law of motion. Its semi-stereoscopic designed with muffs, puckers, etc. Besides, it advocates individuality and physical beauty. Various kinds of designs sharply revealed the body line. Men wear a suit of coat and trousers while women wear a one-piece dress. In a word, Chinese costume culture is a "covering" one while the western one is a "revealing" one.#p#分页标题#e#
3. Picture
Chinese dress pattern style has experienced three different stages of development, from the Shang and Zhou prior to the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chinese dress pattern was more abstract, summary, color is relatively monotonous, with the then textile technology level, drawing skill is low, foreign relation is not close has the very big relations. Qin Han period, along with foreign exchange close, start changing pattern style, dress pattern is neat, layout strict, bones used on the uniform, symmetrical form is more and more widespread, the fabric is also becoming more and more beautiful. During the southern and Northern Dynasties, national exchanges have become increasingly frequent, pattern appeared beyond the style of the western region characteristic patterns, such as the grape clusters, the lion patterns, volume grass grain and lotus pattern etc.. This specification, the neat features in the Tang and Song Dynasties, particularly prominent. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, pictorial style became more and more realistic, the image depicts is exquisite, true to life likeness, seems to be the real life directly using various materials. And love with auspicious patterns, such as the bat + cloud (meaning) of blessing from the cloud, magpie + plum (moral) = look very happy, lotus and carp (meaning) of surplus year after year, goldfish and Begonia (meaning) of tea.
III. The Differences of the Wedding Dresses in China and U.K.
A. The Social Function of the Clothing
In traditional Chinese wedding, the bride wares red embroidered shoes with the pattern of flowers or birds. The dress is a red bride array, which is exclusive embroidery in gold and sliver thread and dragon and phoenix. When they are in the childhood, girls begin to sew their wedding gowns and wedding shoes in order to wear them on the wedding day. A piece of red veil is part of bride's costume, which covers the bride's face. As to the bridegroom, his costume is a black silk coat over an embroidered dragon robe in dark blue. The headgear is a black hat with red tassels and a big red flower made of cloth before his chest.#p#分页标题#e#
In English wedding, the bride wears white wedding dress, a white garland and a piece of white veil on her head. Sometimes, the bride uses blue cloth to decorate the wedding dress. And the bride needs something old such as her mother's jewelry, something new like a gift from friend, something borrowed like some slivers borrowed from a rich relative, and something blue like a blue flower or a cloth on her, and sixpence in the shoe. In China, people support that it is lucky to make bridal array by the bride herself. However, in English, Some people believe it is lucky to make wedding dress by the bride herself, but others feel it is unlucky for the bride to make wedding dress. In English, the bridegroom wears a black tuxedo with white shirt and a tie.
B. The Aesthetic Function of the Clothing
From the subject sense, "aesthetic culture" refers to the cultural part of the human society which establishes or is some beauty and aesthetics. There are many differences between Chinese and western dress aesthetic culture. "If the Oriental art inspiration is from landscape, westerners' consciousness inspiration will be from the human body."4 The partition of historical culture has existed in myth and legend of the early human. About the origin of mankind, it is the creation of the world by Pan Gu in our myths and legends. This myth reflects a kind of simple nature in Chinese ancient: The human beings and the world have the same source and man is part of the world. Therefore, man and nature is not opposite, but in harmony. The most famous is the Bible "genesis" in the western legends of human origin, which reflects the western view of the world: Although man and nature are created by God, the relationship between man and nature are opposites. God creates the nature, which is for people. People are not part of nature, but natural managers and dominator. There are many differences between Chinese and western dress aesthetic culture. 1. Western culture originated in Marine civilization, cultural instinct is more open and easy to fuse outland costume culture. Chinese culture originated in mainland civilization, cultural instinct is more closed. It has stubborn "the original body" consciousness in the clothing. Traditional costume forms stable position for thousands of years, it is relatively difficult to absorb foreign clothing. 2. Western culture is good at expressing contradiction and conflict, which emphasizes stimulation and extreme form in apparel structure. Chinese culture is a harmonious culture, which emphasizes the equilibrium, symmetry and unified costume modeling method. It is beautiful for rule and stable. 3. Western culture is a simile culture, which lays stress on modeling, line, design and color with visual comfortable for the first. Chinese culture is a metaphor culture, whose art lays stress on lyricism. It pursues the spiritual implication and cultural grade of the clothing inscape. 4. Western culture advocates the beauty of human body, which takes seriously to show human sexual difference. It does not taboo on performing sexy. Classical mode is a performance of secondary sex characteristics, women like the nude neck, nude shoulder, scoop-back and half chest. It displays the bodily curve of female with tightening waistline and filling up buttock. Modern model shows the body's natural shape through the contracted form and shows modern fashion through short, nude and tight. 5. Chinese culture disregards the existence of "sex", the clothing does not manifest bodily curve, which don't have a sensual elements. The clothing is wide and covers with human body, which expresses is a grave, implicit beauty. The aesthetic characteristics of Chinese clothing reflect the Chinese nation's aesthetic mentality and cultural characteristics. Chinese people pay attention to combine emotion with reason and pursuit leisure, moderation and ordinary, which pursue the spiritual implication.#p#分页标题#e#
C. The Practical Function of the Clothing
Clothing in addition to the above social and aesthetic functions of the human faces of the harsh nature environment, but also must have the ability to adapt to a sunstroke keep out the cold protection and human life action; this is generally speak practical function. this matter as the survival of individual organisms is required. In this regard, Chinese and Westerners, many of the barriers on the way to solve the problem, but its starting point and the utility is consistent.
IV. The Reason of the Differences of the Wedding Dresses between China and U.K.
A. History
Speaking from the historical reasons, if we took the whole European as a large group, it should turn into a history of conquests and dominations between nations as well as peoples. When a nation is powerful and occupies dominant position, its culture and reflecting the dress of the culture will have an affect on the other peoples and nations. For instance, Spain was unprecedented in the 16th century. The Spanish government implements the clothing of Spanish style, and the most typical dress is Raff collar, corselet and bustle. And both men and women add a lot of filler in clothes to model a stiff and mechanical appearance, it is beginning with Spain that men's clothing advocates black. British began industrial revolution in the 17th century, making its men's clothing the earliest towards the modernized direction of development. Since then, British men's clothing has been regarded as a classic. In contrast, the development of Chinese history is basically a vertical development of the various dynasties, little change in territory. This determines the traditional Chinese clothing is not too much 12 change, although absorbing Minority costumes in the history, the dominant position is always Han clothing and culture, even as the Qing Dynasty which forces implementation of the Manchu clothing with the power of the government, but in fact, Manchu is ultimately the same as Chinese in political culture, so the Han clothing culture is derived from the same origin, it is historical continuity and it decides that Chinese clothing could not have happened very unexpected change.#p#分页标题#e#
B. Material Culture
The relationship of human to nature is also reflected in the choice of the materials. During the Stone Age, Chinese invented the bone awl and the bone needle and created primitive clothing with the aid of these tools. Approximately 5000 years ago, China was in the Neolithic Primitive agriculture and the textiles industry. At first people use plant fiber, such as linen, ramie, etc., and animal fibers, such as wool to weave. Later they discovered how to raise the silk worn and spin silk, and the pure silk clothes were liked by many Chinese people, especially the wealthy. It is a symbol of their social status. Silk is a great contribution to human life from Chinese people, so it is impossible to talk Chinese clothing culture without silk. Different from silk culture in China, flax culture prevails in ancient Egypt, wool culture prevails in the Mesopotamia and cotton culture prevails in India. Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome have no pioneering work in materials, and they imports flax and wool cultures from Mediterranean coasts and Upper Paleozoic civilizations. As for silk, although ancient Rome has touched silk from Far East through Silk Road in 138 BC, they were never able to understand the mysteries of this beautiful fabric. Lately, they known the secrets of silk from two missionaries send to China by the Byzantine Empire. Then one century later, the first silk is produced in Byzantine Empire, but Europeans produced first silk until the Italian Renaissance in 13-14 century. In a word, Chinese clothing prefers silk, cotton, linen and co-hemp while the western one tends to use flax, wool, cotton and velvet. The silk is one of the contributions China has made to the world. "We westerners have received too much from the Chinese." 5 The former adopts basting, hand needle and patch while the latter pays more attention to adapting to clothing's 8 function in sewing craft.#p#分页标题#e#
C .Function of the Dress
The first use of clothing is to resist the cold and cover the body. Functions of clothing include providing the human body protection against extremes of climate (extreme heat, icy winters, and drenching storms) and protection against insects, noxious, chemicals, and contact with abrasive substances. In sum, clothing protects human beings against anything that might injure the naked, unprotected human body.
D. Dress Concept
There are obvious differences on dress concepts between Chinese and Western people. Influenced by Confucian thought and Ethical Function, Chinese people have always maintained an eastern style conservative. Skin is closely covered and concealed. To some extent, Chinese clothing culture is a kind of "cover" culture. People should not "reveal" body shape and even skin. A large space is maintained between clothing and the body. This kept clothing relative stable in change on form, but to develop more surface decoration, patterns, colors, material textures and decoration styles. These developments have always kept Chinese clothing in strict form, except for some Men's clothing (such as "Bamboo Seven" in Wei and Jin Dynasties). It is different in western culture, except for a period when people are influenced by the Christianity. Denied the existence of human and human body's performance, Western clothing was used to present body shape in a very realistic and even exaggerated way. This is reflected both in ancient "loose clothing" culture and "close-fitting clothing" culture since the Renaissance. Clothing has been used to "stand out" and even "intensify" different sex characteristics between male and female, and skin were more and more exposed (especially for women's clothing). They have also found some methods to "further expose" skin. This brought many profile changes 16 and man-made structure to Western clothing. In traditional Chinese society and family education, the code of conduct of clothing is regarded as an important content of cultivate one's moral character and influences Chinese clothing life for a long time. In order to achieve the Confucian moral requirement, people pay attention to ethics contents in dressing, cover up the human body with clothing and beyond the limitations of human body. Dress beauty pays attention to show personal spirit, temperament and verve, which does not emphasize form. Even though form is very beautiful, clothing wouldn't have to reveal its beauty, it is endowed with human body outside of a spiritual implication with all sorts of artistic means. Chinese dress culture belongs to the category of unary culture, which has the whole and similar conception. It makes the people who dress emphasize group consciousness and don't pay attention to the personal effect. Therefore, it has the inner, introversive and connotative characteristics. In the rule of apparel structure, Chinese dress embodies harmonious, symmetrical and unified expression means and clothing is dignified and balanceable. Clothing material pursue elegance and peace, clothing color is refreshing and elegant, downy contrast, dress pattern is fine and exquisite, and it likes beautiful brush painting. Clothing aesthetic contains strong "goodness" content. Chinese clothing expresses abstract beauty by specific things, intension is still ethical spirit meaning. Western dress cultural characteristics is advocating human body beauty services, the function of clothing lies in fully displaying the aesthetic feeling of human body and makes up the defect of human body. Pursuing the beauty of human body is the core of the garment concept, which shows explicit and extroverted characteristic. Western dress culture belongs to the category of diversification, one of the most striking features is clothing protrudes personality and shows individual#p#分页标题#e#
E. Dress Way
China's clothes since the ancient times to coat the characteristic of frontal, open before the close, multi-purpose tape fixed clothes, put off is convenient; While the western clothes is to go up from the type to the head type, and then to former open type, diverse forms. Multi-purpose ACTS the role of a needle or fixed clothes button (although western clasp from Asia to learn the), forming a more complex in skills. Especially through top of head type, rarely seen in Chinese costume, and in the west, this dress way is developed, from the ancient Egypt "hill Nick" (Tunic), to the Romans "suffer high" (Tunica) and Byzantine "of Darfur Martina card" (Dalmatic), and then to medieval "cloth Rio" (Bleat), and later all kinds of "rob" (Robe), are almost through head type. In modern dress very developed a variety--dress, also up for many head type, or the most orthodox dress or through head type. And though China early in spring and autumn BC comes up and down the "deep clothes", but it is the open before the right before, then the various robe, unlined upper garment, is also open before. Now people wear western-style shirt before the open, the past is also head of the sequential wear, the real open shirt is before the middle of the s after the matter.
In addition, when a type is also developed in western clothes, and in China, means of this kind of dress appeared late, is about as Buddhism from India came together, to now also limited to the monks robes. Ancient Greek "Heaton" (Chitin) and "me pure" (Halation), Roman "give add" (Toga), these to go with a cloth in the clothes of the body, when stressed the formation of beautiful hanging plait effect, and it also formed the difference between traditional Chinese costume form and way of dressing a unique type. Western "off" and China's "clothes", no matter in form, content, or in concept, in effect shall not mentioned in the same breath, completely is two different culture.#p#分页标题#e#
V. Conclusion
In conclusion, it's inevitable to have differences between the Chinese costume culture and the western one, as they had been developed in a situation almost cutting off from each other before twentieth century. However, they have something in common as well, since they are components of the human culture. Nowadays, economic globalization, political multi-polarization and cultural diversity co-exist. It is necessary for us to absorb the advanced technology and cultural qualities. At the same time, it is very important for us treasure our own civilization of five thousand years instead of belittling ourselves. It is significant to promote and develop our unique costume culture. We are confident and make contributions to realizing the rejuvenation of our Chinese nation and enriching the clothing culture of the whole world.
Notes
1 Oxford University Press, Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary (Beijing: Oxford University Press, 2004), 417.
2 Ibid., 412.
3Liyin and Xiaoling Han, English-Chinese Idioms and Folk Cultures (Beijing: Peking University Press, 2005), 1.
4. Takeuchi Toshio, Aesthetics (Hunan: Hunan people's Publishing House; 1988); 19.
5Yves Saint Laurent ，French fashion designer, China Art Gallery Retrospectives of Foreword,（1985).
Bibliography
Long , Maozhong、Jia, Aibing、Yan, Jinglan. A Bird's-Eye View of Chinese Culture. Shanghai: Huadong University of Technology Press, 2009.
Oxford University Press. Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary. Beijing: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Pen,Hao. The Traditional Beliefs,Legends and Customs of the British and Americans. China:Hai Kou:publishing house in Hai Nai.
Sun,Ming Ju . dover coloring book-chinese fashions coloring book. American :2002#p#分页标题#e#
Yinli、Han, Xiaoling. English-Chinese Idioms and Folk Cultures. Beijing: Peking University Press, 2005.
Zhangyan、Liu, Huiyun. British and American Culture and Reading Skills Training. Guangdong: Huanan University of Technology Press, 2008.
高春明著 《中国服饰名物考》，上海：上海文化出版社，2001。
华梅、要彬著 《西方服装史（第二版）》，北京：中国纺织出版社，2008。
廖军、许星著 《中国服饰百年》，上海：上海文化出版社，2009。
沈从文著 《中国古代服饰研究》，上海：上海书店出版社，2005。
Comparison of Chinese-British Wedding Dresses from a Cultural Point of ViewComparison of Chinese-British Wedding Dresses from a Cultural Point of View
Abstract
This paper explores the different cultures between China and U.K through a comparison of two countries' wedding dresses. Wedding dresses play a significant part in culture. Different areas breed distinct cultures. Cultural divergence is a potential hinder to the people in different areas to express their thoughts. With the increasing contact with U.K, in is necessary for Chinese people to distinguish cultural differences between the two counties. This paper will analyze Chinese-British cultural differences based on a comparison between Chinese-American wedding dresses.
This paper begins with an exploration of the Characteristics of the Wedding Dress between China and U.K. Then differences of Chinese-U.K wedding dresses are presented, including the difference function of the clothing in social, aesthetic, practical. Based on the introduction and comparison, the paper analyzes the reason of the different wedding dresses between China and U.K, covering five major aspects-history, material culture, function of the dress ,dress concept, dress way ,which are reflected through different wedding customs presented above. It is hoped that the research to the different cultures between China and U.K will serve as a help reference for the further interflow and study in dealing with cultural crash between China and U.K.
Key words: Chinese wedding dresses; U.K wedding dresses; cultural difference
Comparison of Chinese-British Wedding Dresses from a Cultural Point of View
Outline
Thesis Statement: In order to learn more about different culture between China and U.K, practical and effective strategies are presented based on the analysis of main factors affecting wedding dresses between China and U.K.#p#分页标题#e#
I. Introduction
A. The Significance of the Research
B. The Structure of the Paper
II. The Characteristics of the Wedding Dress in China and U.K.
A. The Connection between Wedding Custom and Culture.
B. Features of the Dress Culture in China and U.K.
1. Color
2. Style
3. Picture
III. The Differences of the Wedding Dresses between China and U.K.
A. The social function of the clothing
B. The aesthetic function of the clothing
C. The practical function of the clothing
IV. The Reason of the Differences of the Wedding Dresses between the China and U.K.
A. History
B. Material culture
C. Function of the dress
D. Dress concept
E. Dress way
V. Conclusion
Comparison of Chinese-British Wedding Dresses from a Cultural Point of View
I. Introduction
A. The Significance of the Research
Wedding is often considered the most important part of people's lives. Wedding is celebrated with different kinds of ceremonies almost everywhere in the world. Wedding ceremonies are formed in a long historical evolution. It is not only a ceremony but a kind of cultural phenomenon. Wedding ceremonies objectively express multiple cultures and people's wisdom and can reflect unique cultures. Therefore, exploring wedding customs is to present the unique cultures.
The world today is trending towards globalization, thus China and English become more interlinked. The two countries are far apart in geographical locations which generates two distinctively cultural systems. Wedding custom is a kind of cultural phenomenon, so through analyzing different wedding dresses of the wedding customs between China and English, the general cultural differences between the two countries will be revealed.#p#分页标题#e#
Wedding customs can reveal cultural differences between distinct areas, so many scholars have done researches on wedding customs, such as English-Chinese Idioms and Folk Cultures written by Yin Li and Han Xiaoling, British and American Culture and Reading Skills Training written by Liu Huiyun and Zhang Yan and A Bird's-Eye View of Chinese Culture written by Long Maozhong, Jia Aibing and Yan Jingla. Reading these books, people will gain a better understanding of different wedding customs.
B. The Structure of the Paper
This paper will introduce the connection between wedding customs and cultures and then present the differences between Chinese and English wedding dresses, based on which the paper will present cultural differences reflected the different wedding dresses of the wedding ceremonies.
II. The Characteristics of the Wedding Dress in China and U.K
A. The Connection between Wedding Custom and Culture
The definition of custom is "an accepted way of behaving or doing things in a society or a community"1 Custom is a kind of material life and spiritual life, which is created, enjoyed and inherited by a nation. Custom stems from the needs of people's life, and formed in a certain nation, age and area. It continually spread and develops from ancient to present.
The definition of culture is "the customs and beliefs, art, way of life and social organization of a particular country or group."2 "E. B. Tylor, one of the most Britain scholars holds the idea that culture is a complex entirety, which contains knowledge, belief, art, moral, law, custom, gaining ability as a part of the society and the habit." 3
Custom is one of the important parts of culture. It is a fundamental culture and the carrier of all kinds of culture. Religion, history, art are the forms of culture of a nation, and their headwaters can be found in the custom. All kinds of customs consist of a nation's culture. Therefore, custom breeds culture and reflects culture.#p#分页标题#e#
B. Features of the Dress Culture in China and U.K
1. Color
The color red dominates traditional Chinese weddings. Chinese people tend to use or wear red to add a joyful atmosphere to such a festive occasion. The bride wears red outfits. The house is decorated with red flowers on the eaves, red couplets on the doors, red candles and red eggs. All the utensils are pasted a red Chinese word "囍", which means happy, joyful and delighted. Even the bridal chamber and bedding are embellished with red.
In English, People stress wedding color as well. People believe that the white of the wedding dress signified that the bride is a virgin. So they choose white as the wedding color. No matter in the bridal chamber, or in the church, white flowers can be seen everywhere. The bride also wears a white wedding dress. The color of English wedding can be described as a white world.
2. Style
The Chinese style is decided by the unique Chinese culture and the Oriental body feature. As the curve of we yellow race's body is not so obvious, and Chinese are fastidious about self-respect, implicitly and the doctrine of the mean, our clothing is a straight overall with wide coat and fat sleeves, which emphasizes plane design. Men's wear is a one-piece robe while women's wear is a short Chinese-style jacket and a long skirt. The western style is determined by the western aesthetic thought of pragmatism and nationalism and the white race's body structure. Their body curve is pretty sharp. Stressing scientific nature, the western clothing is in keeping with the law of motion. Its semi-stereoscopic designed with muffs, puckers, etc. Besides, it advocates individuality and physical beauty. Various kinds of designs sharply revealed the body line. Men wear a suit of coat and trousers while women wear a one-piece dress. In a word, Chinese costume culture is a "covering" one while the western one is a "revealing" one.#p#分页标题#e#
3. Picture
Chinese dress pattern style has experienced three different stages of development, from the Shang and Zhou prior to the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chinese dress pattern was more abstract, summary, color is relatively monotonous, with the then textile technology level, drawing skill is low, foreign relation is not close has the very big relations. Qin Han period, along with foreign exchange close, start changing pattern style, dress pattern is neat, layout strict, bones used on the uniform, symmetrical form is more and more widespread, the fabric is also becoming more and more beautiful. During the southern and Northern Dynasties, national exchanges have become increasingly frequent, pattern appeared beyond the style of the western region characteristic patterns, such as the grape clusters, the lion patterns, volume grass grain and lotus pattern etc.. This specification, the neat features in the Tang and Song Dynasties, particularly prominent. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, pictorial style became more and more realistic, the image depicts is exquisite, true to life likeness, seems to be the real life directly using various materials. And love with auspicious patterns, such as the bat + cloud (meaning) of blessing from the cloud, magpie + plum (moral) = look very happy, lotus and carp (meaning) of surplus year after year, goldfish and Begonia (meaning) of tea.
III. The Differences of the Wedding Dresses in China and U.K.
A. The Social Function of the Clothing
In traditional Chinese wedding, the bride wares red embroidered shoes with the pattern of flowers or birds. The dress is a red bride array, which is exclusive embroidery in gold and sliver thread and dragon and phoenix. When they are in the childhood, girls begin to sew their wedding gowns and wedding shoes in order to wear them on the wedding day. A piece of red veil is part of bride's costume, which covers the bride's face. As to the bridegroom, his costume is a black silk coat over an embroidered dragon robe in dark blue. The headgear is a black hat with red tassels and a big red flower made of cloth before his chest.#p#分页标题#e#
In English wedding, the bride wears white wedding dress, a white garland and a piece of white veil on her head. Sometimes, the bride uses blue cloth to decorate the wedding dress. And the bride needs something old such as her mother's jewelry, something new like a gift from friend, something borrowed like some slivers borrowed from a rich relative, and something blue like a blue flower or a cloth on her, and sixpence in the shoe. In China, people support that it is lucky to make bridal array by the bride herself. However, in English, Some people believe it is lucky to make wedding dress by the bride herself, but others feel it is unlucky for the bride to make wedding dress. In English, the bridegroom wears a black tuxedo with white shirt and a tie.
B. The Aesthetic Function of the Clothing
From the subject sense, "aesthetic culture" refers to the cultural part of the human society which establishes or is some beauty and aesthetics. There are many differences between Chinese and western dress aesthetic culture. "If the Oriental art inspiration is from landscape, westerners' consciousness inspiration will be from the human body."4 The partition of historical culture has existed in myth and legend of the early human. About the origin of mankind, it is the creation of the world by Pan Gu in our myths and legends. This myth reflects a kind of simple nature in Chinese ancient: The human beings and the world have the same source and man is part of the world. Therefore, man and nature is not opposite, but in harmony. The most famous is the Bible "genesis" in the western legends of human origin, which reflects the western view of the world: Although man and nature are created by God, the relationship between man and nature are opposites. God creates the nature, which is for people. People are not part of nature, but natural managers and dominator. There are many differences between Chinese and western dress aesthetic culture. 1. Western culture originated in Marine civilization, cultural instinct is more open and easy to fuse outland costume culture. Chinese culture originated in mainland civilization, cultural instinct is more closed. It has stubborn "the original body" consciousness in the clothing. Traditional costume forms stable position for thousands of years, it is relatively difficult to absorb foreign clothing. 2. Western culture is good at expressing contradiction and conflict, which emphasizes stimulation and extreme form in apparel structure. Chinese culture is a harmonious culture, which emphasizes the equilibrium, symmetry and unified costume modeling method. It is beautiful for rule and stable. 3. Western culture is a simile culture, which lays stress on modeling, line, design and color with visual comfortable for the first. Chinese culture is a metaphor culture, whose art lays stress on lyricism. It pursues the spiritual implication and cultural grade of the clothing inscape. 4. Western culture advocates the beauty of human body, which takes seriously to show human sexual difference. It does not taboo on performing sexy. Classical mode is a performance of secondary sex characteristics, women like the nude neck, nude shoulder, scoop-back and half chest. It displays the bodily curve of female with tightening waistline and filling up buttock. Modern model shows the body's natural shape through the contracted form and shows modern fashion through short, nude and tight. 5. Chinese culture disregards the existence of "sex", the clothing does not manifest bodily curve, which don't have a sensual elements. The clothing is wide and covers with human body, which expresses is a grave, implicit beauty. The aesthetic characteristics of Chinese clothing reflect the Chinese nation's aesthetic mentality and cultural characteristics. Chinese people pay attention to combine emotion with reason and pursuit leisure, moderation and ordinary, which pursue the spiritual implication.#p#分页标题#e#
C. The Practical Function of the Clothing
Clothing in addition to the above social and aesthetic functions of the human faces of the harsh nature environment, but also must have the ability to adapt to a sunstroke keep out the cold protection and human life action; this is generally speak practical function. this matter as the survival of individual organisms is required. In this regard, Chinese and Westerners, many of the barriers on the way to solve the problem, but its starting point and the utility is consistent.
IV. The Reason of the Differences of the Wedding Dresses between China and U.K.
A. History
Speaking from the historical reasons, if we took the whole European as a large group, it should turn into a history of conquests and dominations between nations as well as peoples. When a nation is powerful and occupies dominant position, its culture and reflecting the dress of the culture will have an affect on the other peoples and nations. For instance, Spain was unprecedented in the 16th century. The Spanish government implements the clothing of Spanish style, and the most typical dress is Raff collar, corselet and bustle. And both men and women add a lot of filler in clothes to model a stiff and mechanical appearance, it is beginning with Spain that men's clothing advocates black. British began industrial revolution in the 17th century, making its men's clothing the earliest towards the modernized direction of development. Since then, British men's clothing has been regarded as a classic. In contrast, the development of Chinese history is basically a vertical development of the various dynasties, little change in territory. This determines the traditional Chinese clothing is not too much 12 change, although absorbing Minority costumes in the history, the dominant position is always Han clothing and culture, even as the Qing Dynasty which forces implementation of the Manchu clothing with the power of the government, but in fact, Manchu is ultimately the same as Chinese in political culture, so the Han clothing culture is derived from the same origin, it is historical continuity and it decides that Chinese clothing could not have happened very unexpected change.#p#分页标题#e#
B. Material Culture
The relationship of human to nature is also reflected in the choice of the materials. During the Stone Age, Chinese invented the bone awl and the bone needle and created primitive clothing with the aid of these tools. Approximately 5000 years ago, China was in the Neolithic Primitive agriculture and the textiles industry. At first people use plant fiber, such as linen, ramie, etc., and animal fibers, such as wool to weave. Later they discovered how to raise the silk worn and spin silk, and the pure silk clothes were liked by many Chinese people, especially the wealthy. It is a symbol of their social status. Silk is a great contribution to human life from Chinese people, so it is impossible to talk Chinese clothing culture without silk. Different from silk culture in China, flax culture prevails in ancient Egypt, wool culture prevails in the Mesopotamia and cotton culture prevails in India. Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome have no pioneering work in materials, and they imports flax and wool cultures from Mediterranean coasts and Upper Paleozoic civilizations. As for silk, although ancient Rome has touched silk from Far East through Silk Road in 138 BC, they were never able to understand the mysteries of this beautiful fabric. Lately, they known the secrets of silk from two missionaries send to China by the Byzantine Empire. Then one century later, the first silk is produced in Byzantine Empire, but Europeans produced first silk until the Italian Renaissance in 13-14 century. In a word, Chinese clothing prefers silk, cotton, linen and co-hemp while the western one tends to use flax, wool, cotton and velvet. The silk is one of the contributions China has made to the world. "We westerners have received too much from the Chinese." 5 The former adopts basting, hand needle and patch while the latter pays more attention to adapting to clothing's 8 function in sewing craft.#p#分页标题#e#
C .Function of the Dress
The first use of clothing is to resist the cold and cover the body. Functions of clothing include providing the human body protection against extremes of climate (extreme heat, icy winters, and drenching storms) and protection against insects, noxious, chemicals, and contact with abrasive substances. In sum, clothing protects human beings against anything that might injure the naked, unprotected human body.
D. Dress Concept
There are obvious differences on dress concepts between Chinese and Western people. Influenced by Confucian thought and Ethical Function, Chinese people have always maintained an eastern style conservative. Skin is closely covered and concealed. To some extent, Chinese clothing culture is a kind of "cover" culture. People should not "reveal" body shape and even skin. A large space is maintained between clothing and the body. This kept clothing relative stable in change on form, but to develop more surface decoration, patterns, colors, material textures and decoration styles. These developments have always kept Chinese clothing in strict form, except for some Men's clothing (such as "Bamboo Seven" in Wei and Jin Dynasties). It is different in western culture, except for a period when people are influenced by the Christianity. Denied the existence of human and human body's performance, Western clothing was used to present body shape in a very realistic and even exaggerated way. This is reflected both in ancient "loose clothing" culture and "close-fitting clothing" culture since the Renaissance. Clothing has been used to "stand out" and even "intensify" different sex characteristics between male and female, and skin were more and more exposed (especially for women's clothing). They have also found some methods to "further expose" skin. This brought many profile changes 16 and man-made structure to Western clothing. In traditional Chinese society and family education, the code of conduct of clothing is regarded as an important content of cultivate one's moral character and influences Chinese clothing life for a long time. In order to achieve the Confucian moral requirement, people pay attention to ethics contents in dressing, cover up the human body with clothing and beyond the limitations of human body. Dress beauty pays attention to show personal spirit, temperament and verve, which does not emphasize form. Even though form is very beautiful, clothing wouldn't have to reveal its beauty, it is endowed with human body outside of a spiritual implication with all sorts of artistic means. Chinese dress culture belongs to the category of unary culture, which has the whole and similar conception. It makes the people who dress emphasize group consciousness and don't pay attention to the personal effect. Therefore, it has the inner, introversive and connotative characteristics. In the rule of apparel structure, Chinese dress embodies harmonious, symmetrical and unified expression means and clothing is dignified and balanceable. Clothing material pursue elegance and peace, clothing color is refreshing and elegant, downy contrast, dress pattern is fine and exquisite, and it likes beautiful brush painting. Clothing aesthetic contains strong "goodness" content. Chinese clothing expresses abstract beauty by specific things, intension is still ethical spirit meaning. Western dress cultural characteristics is advocating human body beauty services, the function of clothing lies in fully displaying the aesthetic feeling of human body and makes up the defect of human body. Pursuing the beauty of human body is the core of the garment concept, which shows explicit and extroverted characteristic. Western dress culture belongs to the category of diversification, one of the most striking features is clothing protrudes personality and shows individual#p#分页标题#e#
E. Dress Way
China's clothes since the ancient times to coat the characteristic of frontal, open before the close, multi-purpose tape fixed clothes, put off is convenient; While the western clothes is to go up from the type to the head type, and then to former open type, diverse forms. Multi-purpose ACTS the role of a needle or fixed clothes button (although western clasp from Asia to learn the), forming a more complex in skills. Especially through top of head type, rarely seen in Chinese costume, and in the west, this dress way is developed, from the ancient Egypt "hill Nick" (Tunic), to the Romans "suffer high" (Tunica) and Byzantine "of Darfur Martina card" (Dalmatic), and then to medieval "cloth Rio" (Bleat), and later all kinds of "rob" (Robe), are almost through head type. In modern dress very developed a variety--dress, also up for many head type, or the most orthodox dress or through head type. And though China early in spring and autumn BC comes up and down the "deep clothes", but it is the open before the right before, then the various robe, unlined upper garment, is also open before. Now people wear western-style shirt before the open, the past is also head of the sequential wear, the real open shirt is before the middle of the s after the matter.
In addition, when a type is also developed in western clothes, and in China, means of this kind of dress appeared late, is about as Buddhism from India came together, to now also limited to the monks robes. Ancient Greek "Heaton" (Chitin) and "me pure" (Halation), Roman "give add" (Toga), these to go with a cloth in the clothes of the body, when stressed the formation of beautiful hanging plait effect, and it also formed the difference between traditional Chinese costume form and way of dressing a unique type. Western "off" and China's "clothes", no matter in form, content, or in concept, in effect shall not mentioned in the same breath, completely is two different culture.#p#分页标题#e#
V. Conclusion
In conclusion, it's inevitable to have differences between the Chinese costume culture and the western one, as they had been developed in a situation almost cutting off from each other before twentieth century. However, they have something in common as well, since they are components of the human culture. Nowadays, economic globalization, political multi-polarization and cultural diversity co-exist. It is necessary for us to absorb the advanced technology and cultural qualities. At the same time, it is very important for us treasure our own civilization of five thousand years instead of belittling ourselves. It is significant to promote and develop our unique costume culture. We are confident and make contributions to realizing the rejuvenation of our Chinese nation and enriching the clothing culture of the whole world.
Notes
1 Oxford University Press, Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary (Beijing: Oxford University Press, 2004), 417.
2 Ibid., 412.
3Liyin and Xiaoling Han, English-Chinese Idioms and Folk Cultures (Beijing: Peking University Press, 2005), 1.
4. Takeuchi Toshio, Aesthetics (Hunan: Hunan people's Publishing House; 1988); 19.
5Yves Saint Laurent ，French fashion designer, China Art Gallery Retrospectives of Foreword,（1985).
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