蓄留髮辮、穿著滿式服飾是清朝統治的基本國策。但為推行預備立憲，載灃攝政後對辮、服禁例有所放鬆，立憲派也將剪髮作為推動憲政的重要手段，載濤、毓朗等人更是在清廷中樞積極提倡官民「剪髮易服」。在載濤等人影響下，「剪髮易服」輿論和社會自行剪髮行動迅速發展，載灃也日益傾向將「剪髮易服」付諸實行。但是「剪髮易服」問題加劇了清朝統治集團的分裂、鬥爭，使載灃等人和立憲派在推進改革與維護清朝統治之間陷入自相矛盾境地。隨著載濤、載灃在「剪髮易服」問題上先後受阻，社會剪髮行動遭到挫折，朝野立憲力量和他們藉此推動的憲政改革陷入困境。

Maintaining the Manchu style of the queue and clothing was an important policy of the Qing dynasty. However, the Zai Feng regency relaxed dress regulations during the period of constitutional preparation. The constitutionalists themselves considered the cutting of queues to be an instrument encouraging constitutional reform. In the imperial court, Zai Tao and Yu Lang actively promoted “queue-cutting and dress reform” for all subjects. They thus prompted further calls for “queue-cutting and dress reform” and in practice queue-cutting spread dramatically. Zai Feng also prepared to press for “queue-cutting and dress reform,” but this proposal exacerbated the inner conflicts of the central government. Both Zai Feng and the constitutionalists were trapped in the dilemma of chosing between reform and the preservation of Qing rule. While the reform efforts of Zai Feng and Zai Tao were blocked, the queue-cutting movement also suffered setbacks. The constitutionalists, both in and out of government, and the constitutionalist reform movement were bogged down.