In the costume TV drama The Legend of Zang Hai, played by Xiao Zhan, can put letters in his sleeves. Can such seemingly large sleeves really hold things without them falling out? Let's start with the conclusion. In the past, most sleeves that could hold things had cuffs. Those completely open large sleeves were mainly for ceremonial purposes and generally couldn't hold things directly. Usually, there would be attendants following to carry bags. And Zang Hai's sleeves clearly have cuffs, so things can be directly stuffed into them.
Additionally, apart from sleeves, the ancients also used handbags and backpacks. So, when we see characters like Zhuang Er taking out or stuffing things from their bosoms or belts, we can't help but wonder if it's uncomfortable. Moreover, things would fall out once the belt was loosened.
Back to the issue of sleeves, there were actually some "tricks" in the design of ancient people's sleeves. Generally speaking, cuffed sleeves have two characteristics. One is the type with narrow - ended sleeves, such as the pipa - shaped sleeves popular in the Ming Dynasty and the hanging - beard sleeves popular in the Han Dynasty. The shape of these sleeves naturally forms a pocket - like effect. The other is the type with a sewn inner cuff. Even for wide - sleeved clothes, there would be a hidden seam inside the sleeve. One purpose is to prevent the sleeve from slipping, and the other might be to conveniently hold light things.
Some netizens questioned: Won't things easily fall out when the hands are down? In fact, when the ancients stood or walked, they would let their hands hang down and often cross them. This was convenient for saluting when meeting people, so the sleeves wouldn't hang straight down and things wouldn't easily fall out. Generally speaking, it's okay to put light things in the sleeves, but if it's heavy or large, it would definitely be noticeable. So, the ancients usually also carried a small bag. The bag's string could be looped around the hand and hidden in the sleeve or hung on the waist. Depending on the style, it was called a "pouch" or a "pannier". Both men and women could wear these, which were like small carry - around bags.
In the Tang Dynasty, a popular belt was the "diexie belt". There was a row of small hooks on this belt, and all kinds of pendants could be hung on it, such as knives and water flasks. According to Old Book of Tang, the seven items on the diexie belt were a sword, a small knife, a whetstone, a qibizhen (契苾真, an unknown item), a yuejue (哕厥, an unknown item), a needle case, and a flint bag. Imagine: A martial artist walking around with these would look very cool.
In addition, women had an accessory called "X things". X represents several small items. The traditional seven - item set was more practical, usually consisting of convenient - to - carry tool ornaments, such as scissors, sachets, and pouches. It was used by both men and women. Besides the seven - item set, there was also a simplified "three - item set", which included an earpick, tweezers, and a toothpick carried around. These could be hung on the collar button or the waist. They weren't obvious from a distance, but upon closer inspection, you could see small items like a mini earpick or small scissors. All kinds of daily hardware items could be hung according to the situation, and some were quite exquisitely designed, making good symbolic ornaments.
Besides various small bags, the ancients also had single - shoulder bags, double - shoulder bags, and even the classic image of Ning Caichen often showed him carrying a large "travel bag". It could hold things like bedding and all kinds of items of different sizes. This "travel bag" was similar to modern outdoor backpacks. Exaggeratingly speaking, it was like a "mobile moving company". You could even prop an umbrella on it or hang a lantern for night travel. It was truly a great outdoor item.
It can only be said that using sleeves to hold things is a way for costume dramas to save on props. The all - purpose shot of taking things out of large sleeves or bosoms can save a lot of process - related shots. Costume dramas rarely design cuffed sleeves. So, don't really believe it. Otherwise, try hiding something in your sleeve. The ideal is beautiful, but things might just slide down into your clothes as soon as you raise your hand. In conclusion, the sleeve storage in costume dramas is more for show, while in real ancient life, people had a variety of ways to carry their belongings, each with its own convenience and style.
