Clothing, as a cultural form, runs through the ancient history of China. From the evolution of clothing, we can see the historical changes, economic development and the evolution of China's cultural aesthetic consciousness. Whether it is the solemnity of the Shang Dynasty, the orderliness of the Zhou Dynasty, the freshness of the Warring States, the solemnity of the Han Dynasty, or the thinness of the Six Dynasties, the fullness and splendor of the Tang Dynasty, the rational beauty of the Song Dynasty, the boldness and boldness of the Yuan Dynasty, the simplicity and elegance of the Ming Dynasty, and the exquisiteness of the Qing Dynasty. However, the aesthetic design tendency and aesthetic consciousness in a certain period did not come into being out of thin air. It must be rooted in a specific era. In the chaotic and complicated social real life, only by examining this specific aesthetic consciousness in a specific social and historical background can we see its true colors clearly.

First, the aesthetic consciousness of ancient people in China was deeply influenced by ancient philosophy.

The idea of "harmony between man and nature" is the essence of ancient culture in China, a philosophical view recognized and adopted by both Confucianism and Taoism, and the deepest source of traditional culture in China. This concept has produced a unique design concept, that is, all kinds of artworks are regarded as the products of the whole nature, and the design of handicrafts is viewed from a comprehensive and holistic perspective, and clothing is no exception. This design concept has been recorded in China's earliest craft work "Flower King Gong Ji", which says: "Sometimes, the weather is full, the materials are exquisite and the workmanship is skillful. If you combine these four things, then you can be good. " As early as 2000 years ago, artisans in China realized that any technical design was not the behavior of isolated people, but the result of the comprehensive action of various conditions in the big system of nature. Weather is a seasonal climatic condition, local atmosphere refers to geographical conditions, beautiful materials are the performance conditions of process materials, and skillful work refers to production process conditions. As far as clothing is concerned, it refers to the dressing season, the dressing environment, and the texture and cutting techniques of the material. Only when these four things are harmonious and unified can there be exquisite design.

The Book of Changes affirms the unity and blending of man and nature, that is, man is not only a product of nature, but all human activities, from moral cultivation to utilitarian practice, must follow the revelation of nature and be restricted by natural laws, and there are also human factors in nature. Nature itself often has the enlightenment significance of social morality. There is often no absolute separation gap between man and nature here. The two influence each other and penetrate each other. Man and nature follow the unified law. Heaven and earth naturally have human social attributes, but also contain ethics related to personnel, which is biased in aesthetic feeling. In the eyes of ancient philosophers in China, man is the unity of form and spirit, that is, the unity of form and spirit, which is an inseparable whole. Therefore, both Taoism and Confucianism advocate the integration of spirit and flesh and the combination of beauty and goodness, while clothing embodies the aesthetic harmony between people and things and the externalization of natural expression. This aesthetic emotional consciousness tends to be exposed in clothing, which is also in line with the "natural" way. ("Ti" language), during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the seven sages of bamboo forest were bohemian and paid attention to God and reason, so they were often informal in their costumes, regardless of their appearance and clothes. "Ren Xinyu's Birthday" contains: "Liu Ling tasted naked and rode a deer cart, drinking dissolutely".

Second, the ideology formed on a certain economic basis directly affects the aesthetic thought of clothing.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Confucianism, represented by Confucius and Mencius, Taoism, represented by Laozi and Zhuangzi, Mohism, Legalism and other schools of thought emerged due to the hegemony of the Seven Chivalries, the contention of a hundred schools of thought and academic contention. As a result, the ideologies of different factions infiltrated into costume aesthetics, resulting in different aesthetic opinions. For example, Confucianism advocates "charter civil and military affairs" and "meet with courtesy", Mohism advocates "frugality" and "after eating, seek beauty again, clothes will always be warm, seek beauty again, settle down and seek happiness again". Legalist Han Feizi denies the life of ghosts and gods, and he advocates that clothes should respect nature and oppose modification. "Huai Nan Zi Lan Mingxun" contains "the last seven countries are different, and the vassal legislation customs." It recorded the real situation of the special period of national autonomy at that time.

Wei and Jin Dynasties were the dynasties with the most personal aesthetic consciousness: "Zan Dai Bo" was a common costume in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, among which most of the literati. Wei-Jin period was the most chaotic economic and political period in history, but it was extremely free and liberated spiritually. Scholars want to enter the world, but they are afraid of the ups and downs of the official sea, so they have to be detached from themselves. In addition to indulging in wine and music, they also look for catharsis in their clothes and are proud of the world. Therefore, taking off his coat, he was shirtless with big sleeves, advocating the wind of metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties, believing that everything in the world has no roots and emphasizing the return to nature. The most famous proposition of the Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest is "Taoist naturalism, attacking hypocritical Confucianism, and taking contempt for the imperial court and not entering the official career as a chic move." In clothing, it is bare-chested and bare-armed, and it is covered with hair to show informality. "Wei Jin Ji" contains: "Xie Kun and Wang Cheng's disciples copied the people in the bamboo forest, scattered their heads and covered their hair, and stood naked, which was called extending in all directions." "Search" wrote: In Won-Jung Kim Kang, your children are traveling and they are drinking naked. Literati are pragmatic, informal and bohemian. This naturalism and individualism in personality got rid of the shackles of Confucianism in the Han Dynasty. People directly appreciate the beauty of personality and respect personal values. The record of "Fei looks handsome, takes off his crown, is rude and confused, and people think it was then" in Shi Shuo Xin Yu vividly reflects the aesthetic consciousness at that time.

If the "praise belt" in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties is a release of inner spirit and a standard of personality, it hates exquisite clothing and attaches importance to nature, while the clothing in Tang Dynasty is a release of beauty and a bold pursuit of beauty. Its gorgeous colors, emphasis on decoration, and the openness of women's clothing have never been seen in previous dynasties, and even modern people are amazed by it. Zhou Shi's poem: "I am used to wearing a skirt with a half-exposed chest" seems to describe this kind of dress, which is the boldest in ancient China, showing the openness of the Tang people. In the Tang Dynasty, people followed the fashion.