Very interesting. It is sad that the normal pattern was for colonists to take their own customs and tastes with them, instead of trying to learn from the countries in which they settled.
I wonder if there is a difference between colonisation (which is what happened in South Africa, Australisia etc) and the establishment of trading posts, as was done in India, China etc. India became part of the British Empire but there was never an attempt to form American-style colonies there. People went out to ‘run the empire’ and then, with some exceptions, retired to their own country. I think traders might have taken more interest in local customs than colonists did. Many Chinese people have gone to live in Africa recently. My impression is that they are traders, not colonists, but I doubt if they are taking much interest in African culture.

I wonder if the Americans learnt some of their vegetable garden tending skills from the Pamlico? Or were they all home grown?
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Village_of_Secotan.jpg ]

Yes. He is dressed as a gentleman and it is not likely that gentlemen dirtied their hands in gardens in Colonial America. But note how the vegetable garden is managed: to my eye it looks more authentic (for 1699 to 1780) than equivalent eighteenth century vegetable gardens as they are now managed in Britain. So hats off to the Yanks!

I do not think Britain’s National Trust, which must be the largest garden owner and manager in the UK, has a policy of dressing gardeners in traditional costumes but (1) they are making more and more use of volunteers to manage gardens (2) the volunteers seem to enjoy ‘dressing up’ in traditional costumes. I would like to see more of this!
Interesting link regarding the T’ang Dynasty. I knew the T’ang Dynasty extended into Central Asia but I did not know that many of its leaders were Central Asian.
The hanfu looks much better suited to outdoor work than the cheongsam. It could give freedom of movement while letting the air in and keeping the insects out.
Gardeners in Colonial Williamsburg also wear period costumes. See for example http://www.flickr.com/photos/patbreana/459857658/