“The distinction between men and women” is a crucial concept in traditional Confucian ethics. However, women in the Tang Dynasty dared to boldly don men’s clothing. This can be seen as a result of the improvement in women’s status and the weakening of the constraints of traditional ethics. It also reflects the society’s advanced aesthetic awareness at that time.

 I. How Women Wore Men’s Clothing in Those Days

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, both men and women could wear round – collared robe gowns or turned – up collared long robes. There were no significant differences in the styles of clothing between the two genders. If a woman in such attire also wore a futou (幞头, a kind of headgear), she would look exactly like a man.

Apart from wearing a futou, women might also tie a cloth strip around their heads, or expose their hair buns. They would cinch their waists with a belt, wear tight – cuffed striped trousers, and pair them with thread – soled shoes or upturned – toe boots. Their hands could be hidden in their sleeves or hold a cloth – wrapped bundle.

Such an image could easily be mistaken for a male. However, from the bright colors of their clothes, the hair strands peeking out from under the hair buns or futou, the flowery trousers and women’s thread – soled shoes showing under the long robes, as well as the delicate features like the slender eyebrows, fine eyes, small mouths with red lips, the light powder on their faces, and their postures, movements, and the objects they held, one could infer their female characteristics. For instance, the murals in Li Shuang’s tomb (李爽墓壁画) and the tricolor glazed female figurine in men’s clothing (三彩男装女立俑) are manifestations of women wearing men’s clothing.

II. Reasons for the Popularity of Women Dressing in Men’s Clothing

In archaeological findings and historical records, the trend of women wearing men’s clothing was also prevalent in the early Tang Dynasty, especially during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. It gradually declined after the An Lushan Rebellion and basically disappeared after the Tang Dynasty.

Some scholars believe that there are mainly two reasons why “women dressing in men’s clothing” became popular in the Tang Dynasty:

1. Increased female participation in social activities and the prevalence of horse – riding: As women participated more frequently in social activities and horse – riding became a common means of travel, traditional women’s clothing was either unsuitable or inconvenient for horse – riding. To meet the needs of riding, women in this period chose to wear men’s clothing, which was more convenient.
2. Influence of foreign ethnic clothing cultures: Many systems and customs in the early Tang Dynasty were inherited from the Sui Dynasty, which in turn originated from the regimes of northern ethnic minorities. Meanwhile, Chang’an was the commercial center of the empire, attracting merchants from all over. Their clothing cultures also influenced the dressing styles of the Tang people to some extent.

Undoubtedly, the self – awareness of women was shaped by multiple factors. The rulers of the Tang Dynasty were of ethnic minority origin and thus emphasized martial arts. However, other dynasties in Chinese history also had ethnic minority bloodlines, yet there was no such phenomenon of a large number of women wearing men’s clothing.

Here, two women can be mentioned. After formally ascending the throne, Empress Wu Zetian defined herself as the “Holy and Divine Emperor” instead of the previous “Holy Mother and Divine Empress”, indicating that she considered herself no different from men in terms of gender.

Another example is Princess Taiping, who also had records of wearing men’s clothing. She wore a futou at a banquet in the Tang palace. It is said that Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian found it quite amusing. Her wearing of men’s clothing at the banquet was likely an attempt to showcase a social image different from that of ordinary women.

These two examples of influential women wearing men’s clothing demonstrate their preference for such attire, which inevitably had an impact on social mores. Under the domination of traditional patriarchal ideology, women who needed to show up in public often had to present themselves in men’s clothing. This is probably another reason why the trend of women wearing men’s clothing was so popular in the Tang Dynasty.

Regardless, we can assume that women in the Tang Dynasty were probably happy. They were quite individualistic, had freedom in dressing, lived in a time of abundant resources, and could freely stroll around, visit restaurants, ride horses, play ball games, read, and write. What a delightful life!

III. Women Dressing in Men’s Clothing in the West

In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent designed the first “Le Smoking” suit, boldly pioneering the androgynous style in women’s fashion. The 1960s was a period when feminism was on the rise, and it was also the era when the birth control pill was invented. All women were breaking free from constraints to pursue their true selves. Mr. Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking suit was born at this time. The neat trouser suit with a masculine cut changed the long – standing habit of women only wearing dresses. The most remarkable feature of Le Smoking was that it allowed women to abandon dresses and appear in a neutral manner, free from the constraints of traditional clothing.

As the name implies, the tailoring of Le Smoking was inspired by the casual outfits that men wore in the smoking room after taking off their tailcoats at the end of dinner parties. Its simple, neat, and handsome characteristics made it a hot topic as soon as it was introduced.

As mentioned before, in the 1960s, women wearing trousers in public were considered impolite. However, the emergence of Le Smoking changed the trend of the time. This androgynous outfit was not just a fashion trend; the meaning behind it symbolized women breaking free from constraints and having equal rights with men. The design of Le Smoking does not mean simply wearing men’s clothing. Mr. Saint Laurent incorporated details such as a cinched – in waistcoat, chunky high – heeled shoes, and slim cigarette – leg trousers. Although at first glance, Le Smoking looks like a man’s suit worn by a woman, it subtly showcases the advantages of a woman’s figure through many detailed elements.

Summary

In the Tang Dynasty, you could see women of different statuses riding horses while wearing men’s round – collared robes. They wore men’s clothing but did not try to imitate men. Instead, they boldly used “men’s clothing” as a fashion item for mixing and matching. They wore men’s robes while still wearing women’s shoes and sporting women’s hairstyles, exuding a unique feminine charm. With the development of society, new ideas emerged continuously. The upsurge of the women’s movement led to continuous changes in clothing, and cross – dressing also became a signature feature of movie stars. Looking back, every woman who wore men’s clothing was a free – spirited pioneer, unwilling to be bound by conventions.