Research On The Clothing Of Merchants In The Ming Dynast

The rapid development of the commodity economy in the Ming Dynasty and the overall favorable business environment were extremely favorable for the development of merchants.The development and growth of the merchant class provide objects and materials for the creation of popular novels.The novels of the Ming Dynasty,represented by the "Stories Old and New:A Ming Dynasty Collection",described merchants’ costumes in detail and directly,and touched on many detailed issues,so that the characteristics of merchants’ costumes were presented in a holistic and clear manner.The merchants of the Ming Dynasty no longer limited themselves to the monotonous white color,but chose various bright and vivid colors,and the colors of their clothing became more varied;they also paid more attention to the texture of the clothing fabric and chose expensive clothing materials;at the same time,the merchants also spread the clothing trend and drove other people to pursue fashionable and luxurious clothing.As representative merchant groups,the merchants of Hui and Jin have more information about their costumes,especially in the pursuit of luxurious costumes.The characteristics of merchants’ costumes reflect the changing status of merchants,and the political and social status of merchants in the Ming Dynasty was significantly improved compared with previous generations for numerous reasons,which were the result of merchants’ efforts and social development.In conclusion,costumes,as an important carrier of historical inheritance,provide important information for the study of Ming merchants.