Overview
Officials’ robes bore rank badges (buzi) — birds for civil officers, beasts for military — the origin of the mandarin square. Women wore the jacket-and-skirt (aoqun), and in the late Ming a stand-up collar fastened with metal buttons appeared. The emperor wore the dragon robe.
Key garments and style
Cotton, spread since the Yuan, now clothed the common people, while fine silks and elaborate embroidery marked the elite.
Transition
The Manchu conquest would force a sweeping change of men’s dress.