‘白衫’ (bái shān) literally means ‘white shirt’ — combining 白 (bái), meaning ‘white’, and 衫 (shān), a classical and literary term for ‘shirt’ or ‘tunic’. While 衫 originally referred to a loose-fitting upper garment in traditional Chinese clothing, in modern usage it’s commonly used in compound words like 白衫, 红衫, or 黑衫 to denote colored shirts, especially in formal, professional, or school contexts. It’s more common in written Chinese or formal speech than in casual spoken Mandarin, where people often say 白色衬衫 (báisè chènshān) or simply 白衬衫.

This term appears frequently in descriptions of uniforms (e.g., school uniforms, office attire) and fashion contexts. It carries a slightly refined or elegant connotation compared to the more neutral 白衬衫, and is sometimes used poetically or in branding. Note that 衫 alone is rarely used independently in contemporary speech — it almost always appears in compounds with a color or modifier.