Bruce Humes

**  CYP Int., Hall 8, Booth F945 **

I’ll be up-front about this: It’s on my must-see list partly because I translated this lavishly illustrated, coffee-table tome. A history of apparel and accessories in the Middle Kingdom from B.C. times to the 20th century, it’s divided into nine categories: Headpieces, upper garments, lower garments, footwear, hairstyles, facial adornments, jewelry, patterns and fabrication techniques. As a translator, my favorites range from describing the ancient double-decker hairstyles (“startled swan,” “divine snake topknot”) to creating evocative appellations for footwear (“cloud-toe,” “tiger-head” and “flower-pot sole”). I also enjoyed the stories behind the designs. In the Song, for example, officials donned a black gauze hat dubbed a “straight pod” futou. It featured a pair of pods (or wings, if you like) that extended to the left and right, straight as a ruler. The reason: To prevent officials from getting near enough each other to gossip at court!