A woman of a rich family in Qing Dynasty. Photo taken between 1861 and 1864. A genteel young lady of that time might smooth her hair with pomade, a long fringe plunging down the middle of the forehead in the shape of a peach leaf. More independent-minded women sport fringes at only half length, thus allowing their more expressive eyebrows to tell their liberated tale. To a woman of this era, life's possibilities seem quite rooted, with few real surprises.
Different fringes reflect different levels of emancipation.
1901, Qing Dynasty formal dress. Under pressure, most young women must finally abandon their American dream of study and accept their fate like a lady. Sometimes women would be confined to the home, only to see their husbands on rare occasions. Chic Beijingers of the 1930s. 1930s-Hollywood Parade Hooray for Hollywood.