During the Zhou Dynasty, the country was established through a feudal system, and the empire was consolidated by a strict class system. A comprehensive and meticulous set of rituals were formulated to regulate society and maintain order throughout the land. Clothing served as an indicator of one's social class, so the clothing system was one of the foundations of governance, with very strict regulations.

The attire of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties:

The clothing of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties mainly consisted of an upper garment called "yi" with a right-opening collar, and a lower garment called "shang", which was a skirt. A wide waistband was tied around the waist, and in front of the waist, a piece similar to a skirt called "fu" was added to cover the knees, hence it was also known as "bi xi".
In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, clothes were long robes in a straight shape, combining the upper and lower garments into one that wrapped the body. This kind of garment was called "shenyi". There was also a type of "dan yi", which was a loose, unlined garment. They also wore a headcloth called "ze", used to wrap their hair and prevent it from falling down.
At this time, the short jackets, long pants, and boots worn by nomadic people were introduced to foreign countries. This stylish clothing made movement much more convenient.

Male Attire:

Mianfu: The most prestigious type of ceremonial attire. Mianfu was worn during religious ceremonies, serving as the main sacrificial garment. Its style mainly consisted of a crown, upper garment, lower garment, and a "bi xi". The main part of mianfu was "xuan yi", with embroidered patterns on the upper and lower garments. During the most solemn ceremonies, the nine-patterned mianfu was worn. Underneath the upper and lower garments, a white silk inner garment (zhongdan) was worn, which was usually white in ancient times. In front of the lower garment, there was a "bi xi"; the emperor's "bi xi" was red, while that of the feudal lords was yellow-red. The shoes had double soles made of leather and wood, with high heels. During grand ceremonies, the emperor wore red shoes.
Bianfu: The second most solemn type of ceremonial attire. The form of its upper and lower garments was similar to that of mianfu, but it did not have the embroidered patterns. Bianfu could be divided into several types such as jue bian, wei bian, and guan bian, and the main difference among them lay in the type of crown and the color of the upper and lower garments.
Xuanduan: The daily attire of the emperor, and the court attire of the feudal lords and their ministers.
Shenyi: In ancient times, all ceremonial attire consisted of separate upper garments and lower garments. However, this kind of garment had upper and lower parts connected together, cut separately but sewn together. Because of its deep and extensive design, it was called "shenyi".

Female Attire:

Yi: The ceremonial attire for the queen when accompanying the king in sacrifices to the late kings.
Yu Di: The ceremonial attire for the queen when accompanying the king in sacrifices to the ancestors of the feudal lords and the wives of dukes and marquises. It was a blue upper garment with embroidered Yu Di patterns, and the feathers on the pattern were of five colors.
Que Di: The ceremonial attire for the queen when assisting the king in sacrifices to the minor deities and the wives of princes and marquises in temple sacrifices. It was a red upper garment with red silk Di patterns.
Ju Yi: The ceremonial attire for the queen when leading the ladies-in-waiting in sacrificing to the silkworm goddess and presenting mulberry leaves. It was also the ceremonial attire for the wives of feudal lords when assisting their husbands in temple sacrifices.
Zhan Yi: Also known as "zhan yi", it was the ceremonial attire for the queen to meet the king and entertain guests. It was also the ceremonial attire for the wives of high-ranking officials when assisting their husbands in temple sacrifices.
Lu Yi: The daily attire for the queen when at home, and also the ceremonial attire for the wives of commoners when assisting their husbands in sacrifices.
Chun Yi: The wedding attire for daughters of noble families.