Old Fashion to New Fashion: The Creative Fashion Design Concepts from Nail Cover of Qing Dynasty

Abstract

The history of Chinese costume and accessories from different dynasty are charming which has traditional and typical aesthetic appreciation. The beautiful color and handmade techniques of them presents people in nowadays with new fashion concepts. For example, nail cover was a daily accessory of female in Qing dynasty which had special materials, making skills and wearing methods. It has not only its functions to protect the nails but also the satisfaction of aesthetic needs from the female in Qing Dynasty (1644 A.D. to 1911 A.D.). At present, lots of Chinese costume elements attract fashion designers’ interests and adopt them to fashion works which becomes a fashion trend for many years. But Chinese old accessories, such as the unique nail cover, would convey more functional and fashionable information which need to be discovered for the creative fashion design concepts. The tracing of old fashion is meaningful to creating the new fashion from function and aesthetic.