This universe is set in China, Song Dynasty.
Song Dynasty’s costume carried features from the Tang Dynasty. The costumes were simple and natural, reflecting the development tendency of the era.
Women’s costumes mainly included:
Blouses
Jackets
Coats
Skirts
Robes
Short gowns
Long coats
Garments without belt and buckle often had an erect collar and were buttoned down the front, and protective collar was sewn on the outer edge at the neckline. Collar and sleeve edges of clothes were decorated with laces or embroidered patterns while the clothes themselves were decorated with patterns of flowers.
Men
Military
Consist of layers in different length
Worn with tunic and trousers
Boots and caps
Belts hold swords, arrow bags and bows
Scholar
Simple wrap coat bordered with a band decorated with a knot pattern
A cord holds the apron-like scarf that drapes the front of coat
Commoner
Robe is brought upwards and tucked in at the waist for ease in walking.
Shortened pants.
Outfit is completed with sandals and a hat made from a piece of cloth.
Women
Imperial officials’ households
Older women wore high-waisted skirts over a robe and has a flowing shawl-like scarf. Extremely long sleeves on gown makes doing work impossible. Younger girls wore shortened wrap skirts over a long rope, which displayed the popular double-bird motif. Open side seams reveal several under-skirts. Outfit was completed with a massive fan and decorative hair ornaments.
Upper-class women
Outfit consisted of a robe, skirt, long scarf, and upturned embroidered shoes.
Scarf falls low on the figure.
Hair is padded to achieve preferred shape and height and decorated with gold and gemstone ornaments.
Commoner
Warp robe and a high-waisted long skirt circled at the waist by a knotted sash.
Single-bun hairstyle is decorated with a simple ribbon.
Upper-class women
Narrow-sleeved wrap top over an underskirt. Long skirt is held at the waist by an embroidered pocket.
Long scarf serves as shawl.
Double-bun hairstyle adorned with jewels and clasps.
Upper-class women also wore closely fitted jackets with narrow sleeves. Woman on the left paired a long skirt with a short wrapped skirt while woman on the right displayed a low neckline under her jacket.
Front, sleeves and hems of both jackets are decorated by embroidered floral designs. Embroidered silk hair ornaments are embellished with jewels and gold or silver details.
The neckband of this woman’s wrap top is embroidered with a floral design.
Pocket at the high-waist skirt is also embroidered with colourful silk thread.
Knotted ornamental sash flows downward to flutter with movement.
Pleated fans are add ons.
Transport
People generally travelled around by foot, riding horses and carriages pulled by horses.
On land, goods were carried in backpacks, larger wheelbarrows, wagons and on donkeys and camels. Camels carried goods from Inner Asia or further west across large desserts.
Water transport was cheaper than land transport and goods were carried in vessels, ships and boats.
Sources:
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/song/econ/commerc.htm
15 Pictures of Traditional Chinese Clothes in Song and Tang Dynasties
