dc.description.abstract | A Study of the Change in Women’’s Dresses and Accessories in Modern China ─ Based on the Contents of The Companion Pictorial
Abstract
This thesis attempts to “represent” the image of Chinese female in 1920s and 1930s through an examination of the women’s dresses and accessories in The Companion Pictorial. The Companion Pictorial, which was published from 1926 to 1945, was the most representative magazine in the first half of the 20th century. It on the one hand received great attention from the public and had been extremely popular, but on the other hand reflected common value of the public at the same time.
The Companion Pictorial provides its readers with abundant visual data. The cover girls and women of inside pages have demonstrated different clothing of various professions – becoming a showcase for modern Chinese female. In addition to their outside expression, dresses and accessories also offer some abstract meaning and functions which reveal the identity, will and taste of the individuals who wear them. In this way, we can say that they contain both practical and cultural purposes.
This thesis will be divided into three parts. The first part discusses the characteristics and contents of The Companion Pictorial. Though the magazine did not focus on female readers, there was no doubt that its words and pictures were full of “feminine flavors.” Therefore, the women’s dresses and accessories showing in The Companion Pictorial can become good material for studying the cultural meaning – the transformation of the clothes and the distinctiveness of each period. The second part explores different categories of women’s dresses in the magazine, such as Qipao (cheongsam), sports wear and dresses of different professions. The influence of dresses section of the magazine will also be examined. The third part will study the relations between the times and the dresses. The women on the one hand want to express their independence through their clothes, and on the other hand are still under the influence of common social value, especially the male’s evaluation. Therefore women’s dresses and accessories can reflect the degree of independence of the women.
In general, The Companion Pictorial is not only the fashion leader, but also the witness of the era. Its exhibition of dresses and accessories is, in fact, a reflection of the value of that changing era.
Key Words: The Companion Pictorial; Changes in Dresses and Accessories; Female; Modern China; Shanghai | en_US |