We can read a lot of from the color of traditional lingerie. There are different colour schemes for different scenes, areas and identity, as well as other aspects of life.

Different colours have different symbolic meanings and have different connotations to different people.

Red: happiness, marriage, elimination of a disaster, passion, indulgence

Corset: Period - Middle Qing Dynasty

Yellow: royalty, value, power, religion (Buddhism) and fantasy

Dudou: Period - Early Qing Dynasty

Dudou: Period - Middle Qing Dynasty

Purple: wealth, mystery, power, depression and melancholy

Dudou: Period - Middle Qing Dynasty

Green: nature, civil, purity, life and youth

Dudou: Period - Middle Qing Dynasty

Blue: elegance, purity, civil and modest

Dudou: Period - The Republic of China Era

Dudou: Period - Late Qing Dynasty

Brown: maturity, honesty, modesty and tolerance

Paddy Field Dudou: Period - Late Qing Dynasty

Black: stability, strength, mystery and depth

Dudou: Period - Late Qing Dynasty

White: simple, childish, bright and religion (Muslim)

Part Dudou: Period - Late Qing Dynasty

Gold and silver: success, luxury, auspiciousness and nobility

Part Dudou: Period - Late Qing Dynasty

Part Dudou: Period - Late Qing Dynasty

Traditional Chinese underwear often uses progression of colour gradients.

Part Dudou: Period - Late Qing Dynasty

Like traditional Chinese clothing, traditional lingerie also shows class through use of colour. There is an order of colour that shows one’s class, from nobility to middle class: bright yellow, gold and silver - purple - red - brown - green - blue – black, white and gray.

The colour of lingerie is also related to age. Dark colours such as dark brown, dark blue and black are often used by middle-aged women.

At the same time, the use of colour in ancient Chinese lingerie has a strong geographical connection. Such as:

- Jiangnan (an area in southern China) woman love light green and light blue.
- Shaanxi (province in northwest China) people prefer to use a variety of colour combinations containing gray.

- The Saibei plateau (a region in northwest China) like to embroider colourful patterns on white cloth.

- The Minnan (region in southeast China) loves geometric patterns as well as embroidery of birds and flowers on a black and white background

The different colours used will bring different visual effects and feelings to people.

Part Dudou: Period - The Republic of China Era

Using intense colour contrast brings strong emotions.

Body Coat: Period - The Republic of China Era

Low saturation decor with a bright red background displays an elegant style.

Part Dudou: Period - Late Qing Dynasty

Good use of complementary colours creates a strong visual impact.

Part Dudou: Period - Early Qing Dynasty

The use of similar tones creates a subtle and reserved feeling.

Part Dudou: Period - Middle Qing Dynasty

The combination of small usage of light colours and a small amount of pure block colour makes the piece seem harmonious.

Dudou: Period - Middle Qing Dynasty

The decorative use of the same colour is simple and generous.

The rich knowledge and intuition of this traditional lingerie colour shows the exquisite thinking of the ancient people of China.

Find your own oriental pieces on Interactchina as well as other beautiful things!

About Interact China

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"A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide"

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 10 years solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we position well to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and bring you direct finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

So far we carry 3000+ goods covering Ladies Fashion, Kungfu Clothing, Home Furnishings, Babies & Kids, Painting Arts, Textile Arts, Carving Arts, Tribal Jewelry Art, Wall Masks and Musical Instruments. Our team speak English, French, German, Spanish and Italian, and serve customers worldwide with passion and hearts.

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If you have passion to write about Oriental Aesthetic in Fashion, Home Decor, Art & Crafts, Culture, Music, Books, and Charity, please contact us at bloggers@interactchina.com, we would love to hear from you!