Formal and Informal Clothing - Japan and China

Japanese clothing is worn more to suit the seasons, these also differ with the wearers age, marital status or social standing. During springtime, bright and floral patterned Kimonos and clothes are worn; while in autumn, clothing resembles fall patterns. When it is winters, clothes with bamboo, pine tree or plum blossom pattern and design are worn which bring good luck and prosperity. Summers are the time to wear cotton clothes and winter clothing's heavily lined and layered.
Informal Japanese clothing would include any clothing, which features woven patterns or dyed clothing or repetitive patterns. The traditional cotton yukata or the summer Kimono, the woven cotton haori or the short silk jacket and dyed ikat kimono would be all informal clothing. These informal Japanese clothes would customarily only be worn as daily wear, to a bathhouse or for informal friend and family visits. Formal Japanese clothing is rather contrasting, either very elaborate or a simple elegant design is considered formal. The Uchikake or the wedding kimono and other kimonos with elegant designs, subdued colors or solid patterns would classify as formal Japanese clothing. These should be worn for paying formal visits, funerals, or by married women for weddings and formal occasions.
Japanese clothing is also distinguished by marital status and unmarried women wear brightly colored and richly patterned Kimonos with long sleeves. Some of these sleeves can even be as long as the women's ankle! Girls, as young as 19, would begin wearing these vibrant Kimonos. With the increase in age or change in marital status, the sleeves of the kimono would continue to get shorter.
Hanfu or the Han dynasty clothing is the most widely known Chinese ancient clothing. Inseparable from silk and worn by the legendary yellow emperor, the Hanfu has a history of more than three millennia. Chinese ancient clothing consisted mainly of robes with pants for men and skirts for women under them. Modern Chinese clothing is a western and ancient combination of chic dressing and auspicious symbolism.
The informal Chinese clothing would include tops and bottoms and one piece robes that wrapped once or more around the body. A typical set of Hanfu is two or three layered where the first layer is the undergarments or Zhongyi in white cotton or silk. The second layer is front closed clothing and an optional third layer can be the Zhao Shan or an overcoat. This attire could be made 'semi-formal' by adding to it a pleated skirt (Chang), a cloth panel added to the waist belt and a formal hat (Guan). Meeting a guest or going to meetings or a cultural day would encourage you to make it 'semi-formal'.
Formal Chinese clothing is reserved for special occasions like an important sacrifice or other religious activities or by special people like Emperors and officials. This includes the Xuanduan, a dark robe equivalent to the western black tie and a priest's full ceremonial dress called a Fusha. A lanshan was worn as an official or academical dress.
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