Traditional Attire

Traditional dress of China's Han ethnic majority

Hanfu is the collective term for the traditional clothing of China's Han ethnicity, spanning over 2,000 years from the Han through Ming dynasties. Its three defining elements — the cross-collar closure, wide sleeves, and waist sash — reflect Confucian ritual propriety and yin-yang philosophy. Dozens of variants existed across eras, from the separated ruqun to the one-piece shenyi. Though suppressed under Qing Manchu rule, a vibrant hanfu revival movement in 21st-century China has brought these garments back into everyday wear among younger generations.

Japan's iconic wrapped garment of seasonal beauty

The kimono is Japan's defining traditional garment — a T-shaped, straight-cut robe wrapped around the body and secured with an obi sash, always with the left panel over the right for the living. Its most remarkable aspect is the strict codification of seasonal patterns and fabrics: cherry blossoms for spring, flowing water for summer, maple leaves for autumn, and snow scenes for winter. The junihitoe (twelve-layer robe) worn by court ladies represents the pinnacle of this color-coordinated seasonal aesthetic, while variations like the long-sleeved furisode for unmarried women reflect a deeply layered system of social signaling.

Draped symbol of Roman citizenship

The toga was the most iconic garment of ancient Rome — a single semicircular cloth roughly six meters long, draped around the body without any sewing. Wearing a toga was itself proof of Roman citizenship, forbidden to foreigners and slaves. Color strictly indicated rank: the white toga candida for political candidates, the purple-bordered toga praetexta for senators, and the full purple toga picta reserved for triumphal generals. Its elaborate draping required a slave's assistance, and the deliberate impracticality of keeping one arm wrapped symbolized the leisure of the citizen class.

Korea's traditional garment of curved beauty

The hanbok is Korea's representative traditional garment, composed of a jeogori (jacket) paired with a chima (skirt) for women or baji (trousers) for men. Its defining aesthetic is the creation of graceful curves from straight-cut fabric, embodying the Korean ideals of curved beauty and elegant simplicity. Established in its current form during the Joseon dynasty, it follows strict rules of five directional colors based on yin-yang philosophy, with fabric and ornamentation varying by season and social rank.

India's unstitched drape of infinite variety

The sari is India's most iconic traditional garment — a single unstitched cloth of 5 to 9 meters draped around the body, with a history stretching back nearly 5,000 years to the Indus Valley civilization. Its most remarkable feature is the existence of over 100 distinct regional draping styles, from the universal Nivi style to Gujarati, Bengali, and Marathi variations. Fabric ranges from everyday cotton to the legendary silks of Varanasi and Kanchipuram, while colors carry deep cultural meaning: red for marriage and prosperity, white for mourning, and gold for celebration.