Depending on the material they were called different names, but the most popular style of Jinbu 禁步 for Shenyi hanfu is the Yupei 玉佩 “Jade Ornaments”. Chic style Hanfu represents a departure from the strictly traditional, embracing a more contemporary aesthetic. Consumers’ understanding of fashion has gradually gone beyond simple trend-following, paying more attention to the expression of personality and emotion through clothing, and the style of clothing has become more versatile. This style is all about accentuating your waist and giving you that elegant silhouette. It is tied with a leather belt at the waist and commonly paired with black boots, and don’t forget your hat! Women loved to don the same round collared robe, boots, and belt and play polo or soccer just like the men did. Now for a popular unisex item in both ancient and modern times, the Yuanlingpao 圆领袍 is a delightfully comfortable round collared robe that reminds us of the sheer magnitude of the Silk Road; this garment is proof of foreign influences prevalent during Tang China (618 AD – 907 AD) including cultures from Gandhara, Sogdia, Turkestan, Persia and Greece.
The Shenyi 深衣 is typically a one-piece robe that wraps around the body once or multiple times, literally translating as “wrapping the body deep within the clothes”. There were black borders stitched to the collar, sleeves, lapels and hems of the crimson outer robe. A variety of headwear was worn throughout the Tang Dynasty, but by the most popular was the Futou 幞头, a black rectangular cloth tied to the front and back of your head over a rounded hair cage. However, in daily wear, black is also a versatile color that represents simplicity and elegance. There were sumptuary laws which regulated the wearing of guan; however, these laws were not fixed; and thus, they would differ from dynasty to dynasty. However, a revival is underway, especially among the younger generation. It is also likely that the current women’s hanbok has been derived from the Tang dynasty’s high-waisted skirt with a short ru (襦) or from a later revival of the Tang dynasty fashion.
The sleeve width of the Ru 襦 varied as well, ranging from extremely wide sleeves of the Northern Southern Dynasties (420 AD – 589 AD) to the slimmest sleeves of the Sui Dynasty (581 AD – 618 AD). During the Song Dynasty (960 AD – 1279 AD), the Yuanlingpao took on a similar form with wider sleeves and during the Ming (1368 – 1644), the Yuanlingpao were decorated with large square patches called Buzi 补子to denote court status. By the High and Late Tang, the Shan 衫 had a much deeper collar and wider sleeves that gave an air of elegance. In the Sui, the Shan 衫 had rounded collars extremely skinny sleeves that went well past the hands (original sweater paws!). A common accessory you’ll see with many Qixiong Ruqun outfits from the Sui, to sometimes in the Song Dynasty, was the Pibo 披帛. Following the same basic formula as the previous Ruqun 襦裙, Qixiong 齐胸 means “chest high” and refers to the skirt being tied over the bust.
The Ru 襦 depending on the dynasty could be crossed collared, or open collared, tucked in or untucked. The designs of the Mamian 马面 range depending on the time period of the Ming Dynasty. Both robes were fastened with a belt called Dai 带, and could either be made of magnificent brocades, qipao dress or simple cloth depending on your wealth. Zhongguo gu dai ming wu da dian. The Shenyi was popular from 770 BC – 220 AD, and made a comeback in the later Song and Ming Dynasties’ menswear, making it one of the longest standing forms of traditional dress in Chinese history! In the Ming dynasty, the bijia was long in length and would reach below the knee level. In the Southern Song dynasty, it was Neo-Confucianism which arose and flourished; a new form of daofu became fashionable; this form of daofu was the garment worn by the scholars which followed the Daoxue (道學) Confucianism. During the Song Dynasty (960 AD – 1279 AD), a slimmer skirt with a dizzying amount of pleats called Baidiequn 百迭裙 or “hundred pleat skirt” was popular to wear with the Ruqun combination. Poqun, Style of Ruqun during the WeiJin Dynasties, note the many layers of Ru!
To find out more information about can you wear a hanfu for chinese new year stop by our own website.