A pink round-collar robe, two small loops above the ears, and a few soft ribbons: Meng Ziyi (孟子义) steps into Tigers Sniff the Rose (尚公主) as Mu Wanyao (暮晚摇), and the maid look feels light rather than childish. The detail is not a random costume trick. It borrows an old hair shape with a long life, then trims it for a screen character. That mix explains the sudden freshness. The loops frame the face, the robe softens the neckline, and the ribbons add movement. Nothing looks heavy. That balance is the real reason the styling reads young.
Old Loop Roots
The shape is usually called a double-loop bun. Records from the Northern and Southern Dynasties already describe it. In old usage, the words for loop and ring often blurred together. Two circles were wound at the crown or beside the ears, then tied with hair or fixed with pins. Children and maids wore it; adult women often pinned their hair higher. That age link matters more than any single ornament. The bun was a signal of youth and service, not a grand court style.
A younger version was the horn bun. Small girls had less hair, so the loops stayed tiny and echoed the shape of the Chinese character for horns. Emperor Jianwen of Liang (南朝梁简文帝) mentions it in Dance Rhapsody (舞赋): young girls with new pins gather in uneven rows. The line is a useful clue. This was not a neutral style for every age; it marked youth, service, and a playful stage before full adulthood. Even the name sounds small and quick.
The double-loop bun also had a hanging form, the twin-hanging loops. Its key feature is the drop: two small knots behind the ears, or several loops falling at the side. A stylist can change height, distance, and size without changing the basic method. Close loops look tidy; wide loops look bouncy. That flexibility is why the same label can appear in different dramas and still feel different. The method stays old; the mood stays open.
Accessories Change Tone
Compare screen versions and the gap is mostly ornaments. A plain double loop with a few combs reads calm. A busy loop with flowers, beads, and thick ribbons reads bright. In Flourished Peony (国色芳华), the maid Yu Lu (玉露) wore a restrained loop; the hair stayed simple, so the face carried the mood. Mu Wanyao’s pink robe and fuzzy edges push the same base toward sweetness. The hair shape is shared; the styling decides the age.
Color does half the work. Pink, soft trim, and round-collar tailoring lower the visual age. Pom-pom ties add movement near the face. None of these pieces is grand. They work because the hair shape is already young; the clothes only confirm it. Put the same loops on a dark, heavy robe and the result would feel formal, almost severe. A light palette keeps the loops from looking like a stage prop.
This is also why a maid role can look younger than a designed “young girl” look. Historical maids were often unmarried and underage, so the style fits the job. Adult women would pin the hair up and show a cleaner neckline. Costume teams who ignore that rule can create a young character with an adult silhouette. Here the loop, robe, and ribbon agree with one another. The age cue is built into the whole outfit.
Shape And Age
The bun is easy to adjust. Split the hair into two sections, like two ponytails. Wind each side into a loop at the crown, tuck the ends behind the ears, and tie with a ribbon. Move the loops closer for a gentle, mature feel. Spread them wider and make them larger for a lively face. Small shifts change the whole reading. A high loop lifts the face; a low loop softens it.
For daily wear or a child’s costume, keep the structure soft. Thin ribbons and small pins are enough. Heavy flowers can drag the loops down and make the head look crowded. The old shape survives because it is light: two circles, a clear part, and a little movement. That is also a practical test for any historical styling. If the hair cannot move, the face looks stiff.
Meng Ziyi’s look works because nothing fights the base shape. The pink round-collar robe, the fur edge, and the pom-pom ties stay in one register. The result feels young without looking like a child’s party outfit. Readers who try it should watch balance: one playful element near the face, one clean line below. Then the double loop can do its quiet work. The style is old, but the effect is immediate.
