The construction of the body of most hanfu tops and robes is what usually decides what ’type’ of hanfu it is. We’ll go over a few common types of hanfu and what features they have. There are, however, a few rules that pretty much all hanfu tends to follow: First, there’s always a seam down the middle of the back, meaning that the piece of clothing is made up of one piece of fabric on the left and one on the right, stitched together in the center. There’s also never a seam at the shoulder like we have in modern clothing—instead of the front and back being two different pieces of fabric, the front and back are made up of the same piece, just folded over the shoulder. Another thing to note is that while we often refer to tops and robes in hanfu as the two main categories, that isn’t how hanfu is really categorized, just a way for us to talk about the shape of things in English. Instead, we have the 長/长/chang2/long versions and 短/短/duan3/short versions of clothing, which can be applied to most categories of clothing that we separate by construction—the only difference is length. Short…

First installment of the Hanfu in Components series is up! As a reminder, if you haven’t already, check out the introductory article to best find out how to use this guide, otherwise some things might not make sense to you. If you’ve done that already, charge on forward! To kick off the series, this is a brief article explaining how exactly we’re going to break down hanfu into its basic components. We’re still in the introductory stages here, but bear with me and we’ll get to the fun stuff soon.   WHAT MAKES HANFU, HANFU? What defines 漢服/汉服/han4 fu2/hanfu? What sets it apart from everyone else? How do we know when something is truly hanfu, as opposed to hanfu-inspired? These questions can be kind of scary when you first look at them, scared of making a mistake—don’t worry, it’s actually pretty simple! First, we should understand that hanfu isn’t just something that we derived off of paintings and imperial dramas. Every type of hanfu that we have today was recovered as a rotting piece of cloth that we dug up from the ground, studied by historians and made into clothing patterns (‘pattern’ refers the shape of the fabric pieces and…

Hey again everyone! I’m super excited to be introducing a new series that I’m going to be writing over the next few… days? weeks? However much time it takes me to get all of this out! This collection of articles, Hanfu in Components, is a perfect introduction for those of you semi-newbies who feel a little overwhelmed by all the different kinds of hanfu and want to learn more beyond the very basics but can’t find the best place to start. We’ll break down hanfu into its basic components, talk about what parts make up a piece of han clothing, and briefly explore the shape, history, and pattern of each part so that you can get familiar with the way that hanfu is pieced together, no deep historical background needed.   WHAT THIS SERIES WILL COVER Introduction (this article) Hanfu Construction Tops & Robes (Body) Sleeves Collars Putting it All Together   WHAT THIS SERIES WON’T COVER (may change in the future): Skirts (but you can find my article about Types of Hanfu Skirts here! Also may change in the future) Pants (may change in the future) Hanfu underlayers (but you can find my article about Basics of Hanfu Underlayers here!…

In ancient China, there was no tap water, no washing machines, and no cleaning products such as laundry detergent, so how did ancient people launder hanfu and daily care for it?   Ancient laundry hanfu supplies: soap 1.1: Zhou Dynasty - plant ash soap In modern life, soap is the most basic of laundry clothing. However, soap was also used as a cleaning agent to wash clothes in ancient time. Ancient soap was made from "plant ashes", which is the residue of burning plants (herbs and woody plants). It was used to make soap because it was easy to get and store. The ash contains many mineral elements, including potassium carbonate, which removes stain. In the Book of Rites, a document reflecting the history and culture of the Zhou Dynasty, it is written that when the hatband and clothes were dirty, they were washed with plant ashes. “冠带垢，和灰清漱；衣裳垢，和灰请澣。” 1.2: Qin Dynasty - plant ash & shell ash soap During the Qin Dynasty, soap was further upgraded with the addition of a substance called "shell ash". The ash produced by burning shells, when mixed with plant ashes, produces potassium hydroxide, a strong alkali. To make silk soft and white, the ancients…

Can foreigners wear Hanfu? Which dynasty's Hanfu style is more suitable for non-Chinese people, Tang, Song, or Ming? Wearing Chinese hanfu costumes, tasting traditional Chinese food, and learning traditional handicrafts, three young ladies from different countries immersive experienced Chinese culture, in the recently released Chinese traditional culture creative short film "They Are All From China" by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, China. https://youtu.be/Ufvs8bqcYgA   Traditional Chinese Hanfu Costume Hanfu is the traditional national costume of the Han people and has a history of over 3,700 years, with different costumes and makeup for different dynasties. In this video, Ms. Ting Yue, the Chinese costume enthusiast and promoter, leads three foreign friends in a special Chinese cultural experience. They put on different dynasties Hanfu to achieve a "gorgeous transformation".   Tang Dynasty Hanfu The Tang Dynasty saw an unprecedented flourishing atmosphere of feudal society, with advanced society, cultural prosperity, advanced silk weaving techniques, and a nationwide tea drinking culture, making it a dynasty in which China exported a great deal of culture, art and technology to surrounding countries. At this time, clothing styles, colors, patterns, and so on, all presented a new situation, the gorgeous crowns and clothing are…

Daxiushan (大袖衫, big sleeves shirt) were originally men's clothing in the Wei and Jin dynasties, but in the Tang dynasty it referred to women's extra wide big sleeves outfits. The shape of the Daxiushan is straight collar, symmetrical lapels, long sleeves, large cuffs, mostly long clothing body and with splitting and lacing.   Daxiushan in Tang Dynasty During the Tang Dynasty, the society was open and Hu clothing was prevalent. Women were free-spirited and often wore men's or Hu clothing. After the flourishing Tang period, the style of women's clothing became wider and wider, and this feature became more obvious in the middle and late Tang period, with general women's clothing, the sleeve width was often more than four feet. Wide sleeve shirts, long skirts and Pibo were worn as the noble dresses at that time, and usually worn on important occasions, such as court meetings, ceremonial, and marriages. The Daxiushan costume is recorded in Zhou Fang's painting "Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair With Flowers" records the Daxiushan costume. The beauty in the painting wears a long dress with a large-sleeved sarong shirt draped directly. The artist's realistic approach not only portrays the delicate clothing materials of the Tang Dynasty,…

As requested by user @Wei on my Mamianqun article, here’s a little summary of all the most popular hanfu skirt (qun or 裙) types and what the difference between them is! I’m not going to go into as much detail as the previous article since my goal is to go through them all quickly and teach you the differences between them, but I’ll be including some brief details on their name, history, construction, and features so that you can better understand the huge variety of skirts in hanfu. Let’s start off with some basics rules hanfu skirts tend to follow. Skirts are made up of one or two pieces of fabric, usually, and they take the shape of a flat piece of pleated or non pleated cloth that gets wrapped around the body and tied in place by ribbons/ties. There are very few exceptions to this, except in hanyuansu, which is modified hanfu for convenience and style. The waistband of the skirt is usually 6-8cm wide and made with a different piece of fabric than the body of the skirt, which the body of the skirt is then attached to—this is referred to as the skirt head (裙頭). But even…

Hey everyone! So there were a couple people in my hanfu server asking about what different kinds of measurements of hanfu were. I answered and did a little compilation of the most basic measurements that you'll see on most sizing charts, if you're choosing a size and buying from a vendor, as well as some that are often used to create patterns and the like. Hope that it's a helpful reference! I've included both traditional and simplified characters in this for better reading and some of my own notes as helpful explanations, let me know if there's any questions you need answered.   Body Measurements Let’s start with the basic measurements of your own body. 身高 - Height. Usually in centimeters, if you don’t understand any of the other measurements, this is the one you want to go by. 體重/体重 - weight. often comes up in either kg or lbs, and it’s pretty easy to figure out which one through common sense. I would recommend that you don’t trust this one too much though since everyone is like… a different density. 三圍/三围 - three rounds, the standard starting point for more detailed measurements. These include the three below: 胸圍/胸围 - the…

Want to wear chest-high ruqun but can't seem to figure out how to keep it from slipping? Here are five ways to fix this problem.

So many choices for your first hanfu—what are some factors you should consider before making your first purchase?

This article is a supplemental part of Hanfu Making(2) - Aoqun Cutting & Sewing Patterns. Together with a series of pictures on making a Ma Mian Qun (马面裙, horse face skirt), it will analyze the structure of Ma Mian Qun and mainly explain how to calculate the pleat width of a Ma Mian Qun. All dimensions are in centimeters (cm). "The data in this article does not take into account the seam allowance, you need to leave 1cm+ space in the seam allowance when you are actually making the dress."   1. About fabric prepare 6 identical pieces of fabric with a width of 60cm and a length that combines your actual needs. Sew 3 pieces together into one piece of fabric with a width of 180cm. Since the most fabric used for making Hanfu is about 150cm wide. So it needs to be pieced together to achieve a longer width. Please note the distinction between the horizontal and vertical directions of the fabric. You can choose a fabric with a nice print for your skirt and it is easier to confirm if it is in the right direction.   2. Structure of the Ma Mian Qun Ma Mian (马面,…

The long-awaited hanfu prom outfit analysis is here!!!

With the emergence of a large number of hanfu lovers, the demand for hanfu costumes is also increasing, and the fusion of these elements such as hanfu costumes, hairpins, and earrings has become a must-have option for hanfu lovers. With this, many traditional makeup artists seize this trend to transform into hanfu makeup artists, this career is gradually emerging.   Familiarity with different dynasties of hanfu makeup styling is a basic skill For Yang Yuan, a hanfu makeup artist, who runs a hanfu experience store, she has done hanfu makeup styling for about a thousand customers in her 3 years of experience. For a hanfu stylist, the most solid basic skill is to be familiar with different dynasties of hanfu makeup styling, and to make the overall color of the styling present in the same tonal range. Yang Yuan's store has about 400 sets of hanfu and hundreds of accessories of all kinds, most of which are specially purchased. She talked in detail about the dynasties, the groups dressed, the cultural background of the dynasties, and other aspects of each hanfu costume popular in the store, as if it were a treasure. For hanfu makeup to finally have a good…

Just a little introduction!

Have you ever struggled with tying your hanfu skirts, or gotten used to the old ways of tying them? Look no further for a collection of tutorials on how to tie hanfu skirts in various styles!

Nowadays, classical traditional culture has become popular, and people are getting more and more fond of Guofeng and Gufeng elements, and hanfu is a big hit, gradually evolving from a niche hobby into a popular style of dress. With the increase of people who understand and love hanfu, the style of hanfu has also started to "update", and the majority of hanfu seen on the market now are improved styles that have undergone processing and fusion. Are there any restored hanfu styles that are based on cultural relics or ancient paintings? Do they truly reflect the clothing styles of ancient people? In this article, we have compiled 4 restored hanfu styles, so let's take a look at the aesthetics of the ancient people!   01 Large Sleeve Ru of Wei, Jin and North and South Dynasties This set of hanfu with narrow arms and large sleeves, based on the fragment of the ancient relic "Jin Yuan Ling Large Sleeve (锦缘绫大袖)" and the Northern Dynasty "Xie Wang Yi (撷網衣)" and stone murals, and the complete sleeve shape restored from the fragment was used as the prototype to create a unique sleeve shape with a narrow joint and a wide cuff. This…

Now that we've talked about gender neutrality and men's hanfu, let's explore some unisex hanfu that are traditionally enjoyed by everyone!

Liu Chao's family has been filigree inlay artworks craftsmen for three generations, and they have devoted almost all their time to this craft. But in China, some traditional craft are facing the crisis of being lost, so how did Liu Chao inherit and carry forward the traditional craft of filigree inlay?   Filigree inlay (花丝镶嵌), also known as "fine gold art", is a long-established traditional Chinese handicraft technique, mainly used in the production of royal jewelry, in ranked among the Eight Unique Skills of Yanjing (original name of Beijing). In 1963, Liu Chao's maternal grandfather Li Yucheng learned "filigree inlay" from an old artist, and now it has been 57 years. From the grandfather, to Liu Chao's mother, to Liu Chao today. More than 20 years ago, Liu Chao used to follow his father and go to the street stall with the filigree inlay Ruyi, and with the change of time, a new generation of craftsmen has inherited these crafts. In Liu Chao's case, it is apparent to see the seemingly contradictory combination of innovation and tradition in the new generation of craftsmen. On the one hand, he is considered to be a person who follows the trend of the…

As the end of the year approaches, many families are preparing for the Chinese New Year, buying new clothes and new year's goods. Spring Festival is the grandest traditional festival of Chinese folk, Spring Festival represents the family reunion, many wanderers, or people struggling to live outside to go home for the New Year, the Spring Festival is also the heritage of traditional Chinese culture. Chinese New Year, generally wear some more festive clothes, such as red color hanfu used to match the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival is very suitable, traditional costumes with traditional Chinese festivals, will be rendered more rich flavor of the year. Next, come with me to choose the proper hanfu for Chinese New Year! Ming Dynasty standing collar long jacket match horse face dress, printing exquisite, fabric with delicate dark pattern. The gentle red color with the charming purple color brings out the quality texture of the whole hanfu.   Flower pattern square collar Ming Dynasty jacket and gradient white and blue horse face skirt, the clothes are also printed with gold glittering small flowers, through the infinite cute, suitable for the sweet girls, joyful and well-behaved and playful look especially pleasing to elders.…

National Treasure (国家宝藏) can be said to be one of the must-see programs for lovers of traditional Chinese culture in recent years. In the last three seasons, the program teamed up with museums around China to present a large number of Chinese treasures and relics for viewers, telling their past and present, bringing contemporary people closer to historical relics. The Chinese traditional costumes - hanfu, that appear in the program are fully restored according to history, allowing viewers to appreciate the most authentic historical costumes of China. Such as Princess Wencheng, played by Yang Zi in the third episode of the third season, telling the story of her past life and present life, which has attracted a lot of attention. In addition, Yang Zi's Princess Wencheng styling broke the audience's inherent impression of Tang Dynasty costumes, and was even called the new template for cdrama costumes.   01 Styling Origins In fact, Yang Zi made such a stunning appearance, thanks to the program's restoration of history. In the program, Yang Zi did not wear a Tibetan robe, but a red + gold Banbi high waist ruqun hanfu. The first appearance, there are many viewers wondering, why Yang Zi since wearing…