歡迎光臨高雄市新聞局

A Revival of the Hakkanese Blue Shirts

◎English translation: Peng Hsin-yi　

◎Photos by Pao Chung-hui

　The Hakkanese are agrarian people and therefore the color blue has come to embody their respect for the heavens and blue skies. As a traditionally pragmatic people, their blue shirts are symbolic of this respect for the heavens and their persevering spirit. They also spend a lot of time tending the fields and therefore the color blue was also found to be the most forgiving in terms of covering stains. The Hakkanese are also a modest people, and this is reflected in the traditional dress of baggy blue shirts and black Capri pants. The shirts are also very practical as they are loose fitting and allow for better mobility and ventilation. Hakkanese people are also very thrifty and therefore traditionally hand down the blue shirts, from father to son and mother to daughter. They wear them until they can no longer be mended. When they are finally worn beyond repair, they are recycled into baby-wraps and diapers.
　Eighty years ago, Mr. Hsieh Jing-lai decided to preserve his heritage so that he established the Jinsing Hang Blue Clothing Store. The store has since been passed down to his son Hsieh Guo-yao and his son's wife, Chung Fong-jiao. However, the agrarian way of life has evolved and demand for the shirts decreased. People don't wear the traditional blue shirts anymore. Hsieh Guo-yao and his wife, Chung Fong-jiao revived the blue shirt's design by making it more attractive and relevant. The shirts are hand-stitched and made the traditional way, with fifteen working days to complete each one. They have also been brightened up with colorful patches, making them more fashionable.
　There are also several differences between men and women's versions of the shirts that take functionality and gender into consideration. Some examples include the women's version of the five cloth knot buttons which open diagonally towards the chest, allowing easier access for breastfeeding. The women's long, wide sleeves are worn with a fold and secured with a clap or safety pin for storage space. The men's shirts' opening is down the center, with two deep pockets on each side.
　The only decorative element is the trim that is known as a "fence". Embroidery lines the women's sleeves and opening in the front. It is narrow, colorful and very symbolic. As illustrated in the photo, the sun is symbolic of the agrarian lifestyle, intertwined pines and cypresses symbolize health and longevity and Hakkanese perseverance, with the butterfly being symbolic of romantic love and a sense belonging. Mr. Hsieh explains, only unwed young women should wear the beautifully embroidered shirts. Older, married women should wear the plain shirts.
　Jinsing Hang also sells the traditional, embroidered female under garments, cellphone bags, change purses and other merchandise. At present, Jinsing Hang receives mostly customized and foreign orders.

錦興行客家藍衫

◎文／林旻伶　

◎攝影／鮑忠暉

　「藍衫」是客家常民文化最鮮明的一環，蘊涵著客家人堅忍不拔、克勤克儉的精神象徵。隨著時代變遷，全台製作藍衫的店鋪越來越少，位於美濃的「錦興行」藍衫店卻仍舊屹立不搖超過八十載，從創始人謝景來老先生，到第二代謝國耀、鍾鳳嬌夫婦，堅持一針一線、密密縫製出一襲襲藍衫。
　藍衫，顧名思義為藍色的衣衫。謝國耀表示，早期客家人以務農為生，選用「藍」做為服裝色調原因有二，一為向藍天表示敬意；二則是上山下田耕作時，藍衣服若有污損也較不明顯。由於客家族群民風保守，藍衫上衣的剪裁以直統寬大、不易顯示身形為原則，並考量到工作的便利性，除非遇有重大活動，男女均著寬大的黑色七分褲裝，十分通風涼爽。在過去客家族群生活環境較艱困的時代，藍衫就這麼父傳子、母傳女的流傳著，直到衣衫破舊至不堪使用，就作為嬰孩的襁褓或尿布，儉約惜物的精神由此可見一斑。
　細看藍衫設計，不難發現先人智慧隱藏其中。女性的傳統藍衫款式為中向右開襟，佐以五顆做工精美的布扣，方便婦女哺乳；衣袖則設計的又寬又長，袖口反折後以暗扣或別針固定，便成可收納物品的口袋。男性服飾多為簡單的對開襟剪裁，下擺有兩處大口袋。
　而樸素的藍衫唯一裝飾，在於「闌干」。「闌干」是女子衣袖及衣襟旁的刺繡花紋，窄窄的花邊繡滿了三樣象徵吉祥的圖案，第一個是太陽，代表日出而作、日落而息的農村生活；第二個是松柏圖樣，有長壽健康之意，也象徵著客家人堅忍不拔的精神；最後則是美麗的蝴蝶，隱喻著落葉歸根及浪漫的愛情。謝國耀表示，漂亮的闌干花紋僅會出現在年輕未婚女子的藍衫上，年長婦女的服裝則無任何裝飾。
　時代不斷進步，傳統藍衫已鮮少人穿上身，取而代之的是保留文化底蘊、增 添現代創意思維的改良式藍衫，成為新一代的文創產業。目前錦興行多承接客製化訂單，外國訂單也不在少數，鍾鳳嬌說，製作一套藍衫大約需要15天，時下年輕人多半喜愛將深沈的藍色配上鮮豔的布匹，讓傳統藍衫看起來更加活潑、也更具時尚感。店內除了各式做工細膩的藍衫，還有帶有濃濃客家風情的刺繡肚兜、手機袋、零錢包等相關商品供來客挑選。