Exploring the Ming Dynasty Hanfu Featured in the Drama Under the Microscope

"Under the Microscope: The Tax Case of Silk" is arguably the most exciting historical costume cdrama of 2023 so far. Unlike most costume cdramas, "Under the Microscope" presents an exciting taxation curiosity case of the Ming Dynasty in only 14 episodes. The tight plot and accurate restoration of the Ming Dynasty make everyone start looking forward to the second season (there are six stories in the original, and the silk tax case is the first one).

The drama is set in the Ming Dynasty time, showing Chinese aesthetics and authentic Ming Dynasty costumes. Shi Yue from Han Fu Shi Dai has compiled a list of the classic hanfu styles that appear in the drama, so let's learn about them.

 

Shuhe & Zhiduo

Shuai Jia Mo, the main character in the drama, is a mathematical genius who relies on measuring land to earn a modest income. He was not enrolled in the civil service and was a commoner. Shuai Jia Mo often wears Shuhe and cloth shoes, highlighting his simple and unpretentious temperament.

Shuhe (裋褐): also known as Heyi (褐衣), Buyi (布衣), refers to the rough cloth clothes worn by ordinary people. Feature with cross collar, narrow sleeves, usually shorter, with a cloth belt to girdle the waist for labor.

Besides Shuhe, another common costume worn by Shuai Jia Mo in the drama is Zhiduo.

Zhiduo (直裰, 直掇, or 直缀): usually refers to the long clothes worn by ordinary people and servants in the Ming Dynasty. It has a cross collar and the left lapel covers the right lapel, with slits on both sides, but without an additional hem, and the length and width of the sleeves are determined by the needs of the wearer.

 

Panbo & Weiqun

Feng Biyu is one of the few female characters in the drama. She is the sister of Feng Baoyu, who runs a ham store and is well known for her prosperous business, so her family is in a good financial situation, but she needs to work from time to time. Therefore, she often wears a Panbo and apron.

The most common clothing of Feng Biyu is cross collar and narrow-sleeved shirt with a straight collar, with half-arm Banbi and Panbo; a pleated skirt underneath, plus an apron, belonging to the dressing of working women in the Ming Dynasty.

Panbo (襻膊): also known as Bisheng (臂绳), hanging between the neck to tie up the sleeves.

Weiqun (围裙, apron): usually shorter than skirt or pants and not pleated, tied at the waist with a belt.

 

Xingyi

Feng Baoyu is the younger brother of Feng Biyu, a student of Renhua County, whose daily dress is different from that of Shuaijiamo and Feng Biyu, and is more bookish.

Feng Baoyu's common costume in the drama: wearing a Wangjin (网巾) with hair tied, wearing Xingyi, and Da Dai around his waist.

Xingyi (行衣) is a common costume worn by officials and scholars in the middle and late Ming Dynasty when going out, with cross collar, wide sleeves; collar, cuffs, lapels with marginal edges, and slits on both sides.

Dadai (大带) is divided into two parts, one is the belt body, that is, around the waist part, the length is equal to the waist, the end is decorated with a pair of buttons; one is the vertical belt part (anciently called "Shen 绅"), divided into two. The belt body and the draped belt both have edges.

In addition to the Wangjin, there is also the Damao (大帽) shape.

 

Dahu & Pifeng

In the drama, Fan Yuan is a retired official, sitting on tens of thousands of acres of land, is the largest power in Langxi County, his daily dress is also more luxurious than ordinary people.

Wearing the Wangjin on the head, wearing a green Dahu, waist with a jade pendant around his waist, low-key highlighting his extraordinary identity, this is his common dress.

Dahu (褡护), characterized by cross collar, and the collar is often decorated with protective collar, sleeveless or short sleeves, the two sides of the body slit and have a Bai (摆). Dahu can be worn both outside and inside, Ming Dynasty scholars generally wear Dahu, Tieli and round collar, Zhishen, and other sets, and sometimes directly Dahu as a jacket.

Besides Dahu, another common look of Fan Yuan was Pifeng.

Pifeng (披风): opposite lapel, straight collar, large sleeves, slit on both sides of the body, the front and back are not connected to the genus. The lapel is adorned with a pair of lacing to tie the knot, or with flower-shaped jade button system. Inside often wears the Daopao.

 

In the drama Under the Microscope, the official's costume is also very elaborate.

Tieli

In the olden days, the servants in the official offices were called Zao Li (皂隶). Wearing a flat-topped scarf on the head, a red woven belt around the waist, and a green coat was the classic attire of Zao Li at that time. Green Tieli are also more commonly used.

Ping Ding Jin (平顶巾), also known as Zao Li Jin, is made of black cloth, slightly similar to the shape of the square towel, towel side decorated with peacock plume.

Tieli (贴里): cross-collar, the front and back lapels of the body are cut separately from the top and bottom, below the waist for pleats, no slits on both sides.

 

 

Zhaojia

In the Ming Dynasty, the local government offices had constable positions, responsible for maintaining law and order, chasing criminals, detecting and investigating. Wearing a small hat, wearing red Beijia, was the common clothing worn by the constables.

Xiaomao (小帽): cap body for the six petals together, was cylindrical, under the brim, later the top more for the round arch shape.

The basic style of the Zhaojia (罩甲) is lapel, sleeveless or short-sleeved, with open train on both sides and the back of the body. With the expansion of the scope of use, the style of Zhaojia also developed. The collar has square collar, round collar, in addition to the military Zhaojia decorated with pieces of armor, there is also pure fabric made jacket type Zhaojia, and decorated with gorgeous patterns.

 

Tuan Ling Shan

In the first year of Hongwu, the imperial court stipulated that the official's regular clothes are Wu Sha Mao, Tuan Ling Shan, and the band mainly, grades one to four wear the scarlet color robes, grades five to seven wear the cyan color robes, grades eight to nine wear the green robes.

After the emergence of Buzi (补子), in the 24th year of Hongwu, the court added the requirement for officials to add patterns to robes chest and back, with different patterns for different ranks, which is also reflected in the drama.

"Under the Microscope" has restored the costumes of the Ming Dynasty to a certain extent, but the shortcoming is that the types of scarves and hats appearing in the drama are relatively single, with most males wearing Wangjin.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Wangjin was popular because of its simplicity, but most of the scholars and officials wore Wangjin under their hats to hold down their hair. So Wangjin wear more popular among workers, farmers, but later for the pursuit of convenience and saving, most farmers choose to directly vertebrae bun knot hair.