The Most Classic Hanfu of All Time

In the process of evolution, there are dozens or even hundreds of styles of Chinese clothes. This article mainly introduces the most classical styles of Chinese Hanfu clothes.

 

Women's clothing

Suit

Ruqun(襦裙)

Ruqun is a kind of hanfu, also call: Shanqun (衫裙), short clothes worn on the upper body, call "Ru", and the dress of the lower body, call "Qun", together call "Ruqun". It is a typical "Shangyi Xiachang(top clothes and underdress) " form.

Ruqun has an obvious feature: short top and long dress. The Ruqun appeared in the Warring States Period, Ruqun was worn by ordinary people(female) until the end of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Jiaoling Ruqun/ Shanqun(交领襦裙/衫裙)

Jiaoling Ruqun is a kind of Ruqun, the main feature is: the top collar is cross. It is quite common in the Song Dynasty.

Wearing method: First: Wear top clothes,

1. Align the collar of the top clothes;
2. Tie a knot in right Jin(襟, the chest part of the top);
3. Tie a knot in left Jin.

Second: tie up the dress,

1. Put the dress in front of you, wrap the skirt behind you;
2. Two sides of the dress overlap behind;
3. Folding outwards the pressing on the inner layer of dress;
4. Adjust the height of the dress, fasten the skirt.

Dui-jin Ruqun / Shanqun (对襟襦裙/衫裙)

Dui-jin Ruqun is a kind of Ruqun, the waist of dress flush with the waist, straight collar, the collar is symmetrical form.

Wearing method: click how to wear Duijin Ruqun to see.

Qixiong Ruqun/ Shanqun (齐胸襦裙/衫裙)

Qixiong Ruqun is a kind of traditional costumes of hanfu. It is a unique type of women's dress in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Qixiong Ruqun is tie under the armpit.

Wearing method: click how to wear Qixiong Ruqun to see.

Tan collar Ruqun/ Shanqun (坦领襦裙/衫裙)

Tan collar Ruqun can also be called U collar Ruqun. One of Hanfu’s Banbi, is a short top developed from the top. In the beginning, it was the style of clothing in the court of the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty spread to the ordinary people. The top is a piece of the base suit and a piece of tan collar Banbi, the collar in the shape of a peach heart, can directly expose the skin of the chest.

Shenyi (深衣)

Shenyi, that is, the top and the dress are connected together, use different colors of fabric as the edge. It is characterized by the deep hidden body, it looks graceful and elegant. Shenyi can specifically be subdivided into "Zhiju (直裾-Straight Ju Dress)" and "Quju (曲裾-Wavy Ju Dress)".

Zhiju Dress(直裾)

Zhiju Dress is a kind of Shenyi, both men and women can wear. Zhiju Dress has appeared in the western Han dynasty, but it cannot be used as a formal dress.

Quju Dress(曲裾)

Quju Dress is a kind of Shenyi, common costumes in the Qin and Han Dynasties.

Feature: Quju Dress is tight and the tail of the dress is usually trumpet-shaped, would no expose feet when walking. There are two kinds of sleeves, wide and narrow. Usually, the collar is cross and the neckline is very low so as to reveal the underwear. If wear several clothes, the collar of each layer will be exposed.

Wearing method: click how to Quju Shenyi to see.

Beizi Suit(褙子套装)

Beizi is a kind of Dui-jin Blouse. Features:

• big sleeves;
• over knee length;
• neither side is sutured from underarm;
• the collar is made from top to bottom.

Wearing method: Beizi has usually worn outermost. Inside general collocation camisole and undergarment covering the chest and abdomen. The lower body can be matched with dress or trousers.

Aoqun(袄裙)

Aoqun is a general term for women of the ancient Han nationality wearing a coat and dress. Ao(袄) is a coat with lining, suitable for winter wear, there are many kinds of skirts to match Ao, mainly horse skirt. Aoqun prevailed in the Ming Dynasty. Feature:

• is a typical "Shangyi Xiachang(top clothes and underdress)" form;
• the sleeves have two shapes: Pipa sleeve and narrow sleeve;
• mainly with the horse-face dress.

Wearing method: how to wear Aoqun. 

Yuanling Pao(圆领袍, round collar robe)

Round collar Robe is a long gown with a round neckline, a collar that does not wrap around the neck, on the right side of the wearer's collar, a button is often worn instead of a tie. Nowadays it is almost regarded as the representative of the official dress.

Single product

Banbi(半臂)

Banbi can also be called "half sleeve", which is a short-sleeved jacket with Dui-jin or crossed collar developed from the top. Feature: sleeve length and elbow, clothes over waist length. Collocation: can be worn separately as a jacket, can also be worn as a blouse over a hanfu.

Ru(襦)/Shan(衫, shirt)/Ao(袄, coat)

Detail:

• Ru: a short garment, usually as long as the waist. In the Han Dynasty, there was a style of wearing upper Ru and lower dress.
• Shirt: a single garment, no folder, close-fitting.
• Coat: a long Ru is a coat.

Collocation: Ru+dress; shirt+dress; coat+dress.

Beizi (褙子)

The way to wear the Beizi suit is briefly introduced above. Feature: the essential characteristic of the Beizi:

• posterior median suture;
• socket sleeves;
• the split left and right.

Collocation: Beizi+Ruqun.

Song Ku (宋裤, song pants)

Detail: Women's clothing in the Song Dynasty.Collocation: usually with breast wipes and Beizi.

Wearing method: how to wear Songku.

Bijia (比甲)

Detail: Bijia is actually a long vest, no collar, sleeveless, Dui-jin, and generally up to the knee. Sleeveless is convenient for doing some activities.

Wearing method: how to wear Bijia.

Pifeng (披风, cape)

Detail: most of them are straight-necked and Dui-jin, a tie around the neck, underarm slits on both sides. Popular in Ming Dynasty, generally, it can be worn either outdoors or indoors.

Daxiu Shan (大袖衫, big sleeved shirt)

Detail: after the flourishing Tang Dynasty, the style of women's clothes is becoming wider and wider, the width of the sleeve is more than four feet, mostly lightweight fabrics, can be worn as a thin coat.

Collocation: usually worn with a Hezi Qun.

Ma Mian Qun (horse-face skirt, 马面裙)

Detail: Mamian skirt can also be called a horse-face pleated dress, pleats on both sides of the dress, have a section of smooth surface in the middle, called "horse face". The dresses are worn by women in the Ming dynasty.

Wearing method: how to wear Mamian skirt.

 

Men's clothing

Suit

Yishang(衣裳)

Similar to the concept of Ruqun, women wear Ruqun, while men wear Yishang. Yi is worn on the upper body, and Shang are worn on the lower half of the body, like a dress. Yishang is the most basic clothes for men's Hanfu.

Shenyi(深衣)

Shenyi: was mentioned in “Women's clothing-Shenyi” above.

Zhiju(直裾)

Detail: was mentioned in “Women's clothing-Zhiju” above.

Quju(曲裾):

Detail: was mentioned in “Women's clothing-Quju” above.

Lan shan(襕衫):

Detail: a special form of Shenyi, the hem only to the knee, connecting the fabric to the ground, no split on either side. For men's gowns, usually, students wear them.

Paofu (袍服)

Yuanling Pao(圆领袍, round collar robe)

Detail: was mentioned in “Women's clothing-Round collar Robe” above.

Zhiduo (直裰)

Detail: a kind of cross collar long robe.Feature: split left and right, no hem on either side.

Zhishen (直身)

Detail: Similar to Zhiduo, the difference is Zhishen has a hem on the outside.

Daopao (道袍)

Daopao is looser in shape, straight collar.

Yisan (曳撒)

Yisan is the traditional national costume of China, Mongolian invented it, nomads like to graze in these clothes. Later, Yisan merged with Hanfu. It became a representative style of the Ming Dynasty's hanfu. Typical features are pipa sleeve and horse-faced skirt.

Tieli (贴里)

Tieli is meaning of robe in the Mongolian language, in the Ming Dynasty, it was widely used as regular clothing. Looks dignified and steady when wearing Tieli.

Shu He (裋褐)

Short brown: civilian clothing.

Single product

Banbi (半臂)

Detail: was mentioned in “Women's clothing-Banbi(半臂) ” above.

Ru (襦)

Detail: was mentioned in “Women's clothing-Ru(襦)/Shirt(衫)/Coat(袄)” above.

Dachang (大氅)

Detail: only men wear them.Feature: Dui-jin and big sleeves, are wide as a whole, wear through a tie, only as regular clothing.

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For a more complete description of Hanfu styles & Hanfu wearing scenes, and how to wear Hanfu, you can click here.

This article does not cover all styles of Chinese Hanfu clothing. If there are errors or omissions in the text, please let us know by email and make corrections.