The three main types of traditional Chinese clothing are:

1) the pien-fu is an ancient two-piece costume with a tunic top extending to the knees, and a skirt reaching to the ankles; one had to wear a skirt on certain occasions in order to be properly dressed. This type refer to the whole suit of ceremonial clothes.

2) the ch'ang-p'ao or long robe which is a one-piece garment extending from the shoulders to the heels that was worn by both men and women.

3) and the shen-i is the most widely worn of the three different types. It was the "Sunday best" of the common people, with a tunic top and skirt.

Darker colors are more popular than lighter ones in traditional Chinese clothing, so the main color of clothing tended to be dark, with designs in bright colors. Light colors were more frequently used by the common people in clothes for everyday and around the house. The Chinese have certain colors for specific seasons, for example, green represents spring, red is for summer, white for autumn, and black for winter.