Wear Hanfu

An increasing number of young people are beginning to experiment with wearing hanfu, these clothing styles, which were widely used in different historical dynasties in ancient China, are now being reintegrated into contemporary life and have become an important part of youth culture.   The Origin of Hanfu Culture: From Niche to Popular Typically, the origin of the modern Hanfu culture is traced back to 2003. On November 22nd of that year, a power worker named Wang Letian from Zhengzhou, Henan, walked into a downtown commercial street wearing hanfu. This event was reported by Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, making Wang Letian the first modern Chinese person wearing hanfu to appear in public. Wang Letian was introduced to hanfu culture through forums Han Wang, and around 2003, the first hanfu enthusiasts gathered around Han Wang and other online hanfu forums, gradually forming the Hanfu circle. At the same time, some offline Hanfu culture communities began to be established. Around 2011, the subculture of adolescent internet culture rapidly developed. With the successive rise of the Lolita and the JK uniform fashion subculture, as well as the development of the cosplay community, hanfu has found its place among various clothing subcultures and has gained…

Vocab Palace Belt - 宫绦, gōng tāo, is an accessory worn around the waist to prevent dresses from flowing in the wind. It is commonly paired with hanfu for a simplistic look and referred to as such in modern times. Silk Belt - 丝绦, sī tāo. An accessory that ancient Chinese people used to refer to. However, it was not only used as a fashion accessory but also on fans or flutes. Zhiduo - 直裰, zhídāo. A traditional Chinese robe worn by scholars and officials during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It has a straight-cut Mandarin collar without openings and is a formal attire reserved for special occasions. It is worn over long shirts and wide trousers. Tassels - 流苏, liúsū. In ancient China it had different names, such as 穗子 (suìzi), 缨旒 (yīng liú), and 流苏 (liúsū). Nowadays, 流苏 (liúsū) is the most commonly used name for tassels. Silk ribbon- 绶, shòu - the ribbon with a jade or officials seals at the end.   History of Gong Tao The Palace Belt, known as 宫绦 (gōng tāo), is an accessory that dates back to the Warring States Period. It is a long woven rope with tassels attached on both…

With the revival of Chinese culture, more and more people are paying attention to Hanfu. Recently, the minimalist Song-style Hanfu has received more and more attention due to its lightweight, elegant, and comfortable features. So, how can you wear it to show a rich ancient charm? Below are some key points for matching minimalist Song Dynasty Hanfu. The biggest feature of Hanfu is its ancient charm. No matter what kind of style it is, wearing it will give people a classical and atmospheric feeling. To show this temperament, we need to use styling and color matching. When matching traditional Hanfu, we should choose classical Chinese colors first, which gives a clear and bright feeling that is more in line with Eastern aesthetics. When matching, we can control the number of colors in a single outfit to three or less. This not only reduces the difficulty of matching but also makes it more accommodating to different occasions. Finally, we can match traditional colors according to our own preferences. Among the five color systems of red, blue, yellow, white, and black, red and yellow are warm colors that can brighten the entire outfit and make it look more energetic. Blue is a…

As the weather warms up and flowers begin to bloom, many couples are looking for ways to celebrate the season of love. One beautiful option is by donning traditional hanfu together. With its flowing lines and elegant designs, hanfu has been a popular choice for couples who want to show off their affection while looking stylish at the same time. Hanfu Shidai has compiled several spring hanfu that are appropriate for couples.   Orchid The orchid is renowned for its delicate beauty and cool, charming fragrance. The flower petals are small, while the leaves are long and slender, resembling willow branches with clearly visible veins, unpretentious yet elegant. Throughout history, Chinese people have regarded the orchid as a symbol of elegance and purity, often grouped with "plum blossoms, bamboo, and chrysanthemums" to form the "Four Gentlemen". The term "orchid chapter" is commonly used to describe the beauty of poetry and literature, while "orchid friend" is used to express true friendship. Therefore, ancient people loved orchids, and orchid culture has infiltrated into people's daily lives. The earliest meaning of the orchid was as an auspicious symbol of love, expressing pure and romantic love for one's partner.   Hanfu Recommendation The design…

As the flower season approaches, it's the perfect time to refresh your wardrobe with pieces that exude elegance and grace. If you're looking for inspiration, spring hanfu offers a stunning array of options that celebrate the beauty of nature and femininity. Hanfu Shidai has compiled several spring hanfu that are appropriate for the season, based on the types of flowers that are available in spring.   Winter Jasmine Winter jasmine, the earliest blooming flower among all, is named after its ability to welcome spring when all the other flowers start to bloom. As a harbinger of spring, it brings a sense of vitality with its clusters of flowers hanging from the branches like a golden waterfall. Currently, it is the prime season for winter jasmine, and you can capture its beauty through the lens and use it to adorn life. Recommended Hanfu The bright and vibrant colors of the winter jasmine make it an excellent choice for photography with light-colored hanfu outfits. Such as a white or light-colored cross collar shirt on top and pair it with a blue-green waist-length skirt. This combination not only complements the flower but also gives a fresh and playful feeling.   Yulan Magnolia Yulan…

The Mamian Qun, or the horse-face skirt, is a traditional Chinese dress that has a long history and a rich culture, and its elegant and graceful style. However, in recent years, the Mamian Qun has undergone some changes and innovations, thanks to the creative efforts of some designers who have given it a modern twist. In this article, we will introduce you to eight modern Mamian Qun that are stunning and fashionable. These dresses combine the essence of tradition with the elements of innovation, creating a new trend of Chinese dress that you don’t want to miss.   Style 1 It features a simple design with a piece of leather buckle, which not only adds to the aesthetic appeal but also helps to keep the dress in place. The fabric used in this Mamian Qun is not prone to wrinkles, making it an ideal choice for those who prefer a neat and polished look. The pleat style is stable, ensuring that it retains its shape even after multiple washes. Furthermore, this Mamian Qun particularly striking in the way it reflects light, displaying a golden sheen that catches the eye and adds a touch of luxury.   Style 2 This Mamian…

Vocab “Step ban” or “walking ban” - Jin Bu (禁步, jìn bù) - an accessory often matches with hanfu. It is an accessory that is threaded together with jade stones and hung over a hanfu dress.  Jade pendant - Yu Pei (玉佩, yù pèi) - also an accessory made of silk threads, beads, and jade stone that hung at the waist. But yùpèi are much simpler than Jin Bu, oftentimes it is just a jade with one or two beads tied together with thread. Oftentimes there will be no silk or bead tassels at the bottom like Jin Bu.   Materials Jin Bu are usually made up of colored silk threads, jade beads, and jade pendants combined together. There may or not have tassels made up of silk thread at the end of the accessory. If not, the tassels may also be made up of threaded beads.  Jin Bu in the past were made up of precious stones, and since they are threaded, they will clash together when walking making jade clash. If this is heard now people might not think much about it, but the etiquette and customs were stricter in ancient times, especially on feminine etiquette and how…

Vocabulary Ji, 笄 (jī) - the most simplistic hair accessories to secure updos used by ancient Chinese.  Zan, 簪 (zān) - a more complex version of Ji. What hanfu hairpins are now called. On one end are accessories, and the other is a pin that is inserted into a hair bun. Chai, 钗 (chāi) - also a hairpin quite similar to Zan. Chāi have two split pins on one end. The two pins will get pushed into the hair bun and stay much more securely than one pin in Zan and Ji. Guan, 冠 (guān) - literal translation is "crown". The crown in ancient China looked more like a net hat that encompassed hair buns within. Based on the crown, any sort of hairpin can be used to further secure the hat to the head.   Materials and Purpose Ji are considered the earliest and plainest hair accessories. It takes on the shape of a stick with or without a simple carved out design on one end and a single stick on the other. It is often carved out of a single piece of material or cut out separately then assembled at the end. This accessory is said to exist even…

Hey everyone! College applications have been kicking my ass for the past few months so I've been pretty silent for a while, but I'm finally done—which means more hanfu content for you all to see! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m redsugar, or Tangtang (or a bajillion other variants of red and sugar in multiple languages that people have given to me as nicknames)! I’m a gender fluid Taiwanese-American hanfu designer based in the US. I’ve been part of the Newhanfu community for a couple years now and written extensively about my historical research and designs. Today I’m going to give you all a little summary of the designs modeled in our January 2023 model call outing! This includes five out of my eight 2023 Lunar New Year collection, photographed at the Chinese Cultural Garden in San Jose. Special thanks to all the participants for modeling these samples, and hope you guys all had plenty of fun! Let’s get to it then~ 機杼/JIZHU (modeled by 采蘑菇的小姑娘背着一只大狂猪) First up is Jizhu! This is a late Ming Dynasty four-piece set consisting of a 百迭裙/百迭裙/bai3 die2 qun2/hundred-layered skirt, a 立領衫/立领衫/li4 ling3 shan1/standing collar top, a waist tie, and a 比甲/比甲/bi3…

The rabbit has a positive, kind and transcendent meaning in Chinese culture. According to the ancient Chinese zodiac interpretation, the rabbit is a symbol of resourcefulness and luck, and people have a special fondness for the quirky rabbit. Therefore, the New Year's Eve dressing for the Year of the Rabbit should also reflect the innocent, lovely, witty and lively style.   New Year Hanfu Outfit for Female Compared to the mature dignity of the cross collar hanfu, the straight collar costume is undoubtedly more spirited and playful, with a parallel collar and wide cuffs with a white fluffy edge, which is both warm and beautiful, reminding people unconsciously of a white rabbit hiding in a snowdrift. The two white pompoms on the neckline, whether tied up or naturally drooping, add a touch of girlish sweetness and make the heart grow fonder with just a glance. The bunny pattern on the bottom skirt perfectly fits the rabbit element of the New Year, and the main tone of red makes the whole set overflowing with fire enthusiasm and joyful atmosphere. In terms of color choice, in addition to the common New Year's red, you can also choose many other shades, but all…

The thriving hanfu and its derivative culture are coming back into the public view in a creative, distinct, and diverse way, lending its light and color back to the energetic youth. In this article, follow "THE GREAT SHOKUNIN" and meet Hanfu makeup blogger @Xiao Zhuang (小庄).   Creative Ancient Hanfu Makeup The account @Xiao Zhuang is actually run jointly by two Hanfu enthusiasts, with makeup, appearances, editing and post generally handled by Qing Qing (晴晴), while photography and filming are done by Xiao Zhuang. They have collaborated on over 200 videos, the most popular of which is the series "The Beauty of China's Millennium", which has received nearly 10 million views. In this series, Qing Qing restored the history of the evolution of makeup, hairstyles, accessories, and hanfu clothing of the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. Before this, we mostly got a glimpse of ancient women's grooming, makeup and lifestyle from ancient TV dramas, but the style was mostly uniform, lacking in creativity and sophistication. On the contrary, in Xiao Zhuang's video, you can fully experience the changes of women's makeup and costume in different dynasties. Taking the Tang Dynasty makeup of this series as an example, the complete reproduction…

Holliday season is upon us! Many of you may already be shopping for gifts. If you have hanfu lovers amongst your friends and relatives, or if you need to come up with a list of your own to give ideas to your relatives, here are a few inspirations. My choices went to objects that are: versatile, so you can have a few of the item and use them interchangeably hard to make for yourself, so even if the person makes hanfu for themselves, they would be happy to have one ready-made hard to find in stores but available online useful, no matter how many you have   "Mother-child" metal buttons "Mother-child" metal buttons, also know as Zimukou (子母扣). They are so beautiful, there are so many shapes and sizes, and so hard to find in sewing supply stores, especially in Western countries. It adds greatly to the beauty of a Ming dinasty shan or ao, but can also be used on daily wear. Trimmings Especially enbroidered, ancient looking trimmings. They are no longer fashionable for modern sewing supply shops, you can almost only find them online. It adds style to your garment right away, and unless you weave, you cannot…

Winter hanfu dressing wear can probably be summarized as two different types. One is a short lining top + pants and skirt overlay, the other is to rely on a long coat or thick enough outerwear to keep warm. No matter which types is used, matching is the top priority, no one want to become dressed bloated in winter! Follow Hanfu Times to find your winter Hanfu inspiration.   Eye-catching Colors There are many color-matching principles that can be applied in winter hanfu. Clever matching can also make you more brilliant, such as color clash matching. Bright colors can choose peacock green, olive, treasure blue, and other blue and green cool shades. If choose warm colors, it will enlarge the sense of expansion. The middle color can be used as beige, light white, and more natural. The olive color is more suitable for wearing as a jacket, inside with black or khaki. If you wear it inside, it is recommended to add a belt. The lapel jacket + airplane sleeves + two pieces of skirt can be worn as a change of season in autumn and winter. Black with floral patterns, light series of solid colors with white, are bright enough.…

It has been twenty years since the revival of hanfu. During this period, some people think that hanfu should be kept in formal wear and not be popularized to daily wear, as modern people already have convenient and customary clothes, so there is no need to change it; others think that daily hanfu costume is the direction and trend of the future development of hanfu. But in fact, since the epidemic, the decrease in hanfu activities and hanfu stages has in fact pushed the development of daily hanfu costumes, and everyday style hanfu has started to become the new popular fashion. Hanfu Shi Dai has compiled a summary of three routes that have emerged for the current everydayization of hanfu.   Style A The first is to follow the traditional hanfu form and change the color scheme, fabric, and matching to create a more fashionable and everyday effect than the traditional classical style hanfu, which also includes some designs that mix and match different styles within the framework of the basic form.       Style B Style B mixes Hanfu with Western-style tailoring clothing. It is more common for a single item of hanfu, such as Ma Mian Qun…

Seeing many people posting beautiful photos and videos of them wearing hanfu on the Internet, you want to try it too, right? Here are some poses you can try.   1. Dynamic photography If you always sit in one place or stand still while taking pictures, your expressions and movements will easily become stiff, and the pictures you take will not look good. At this time, dynamic photography methods had to be adopted, and photographers had to take pictures by rotating a semi-circle. The dynamic photo method is not only rotating, but can also use a more daily walking photo method. Holding some flowers in one hand and a dress in the other, stepping on the grass path, lifting the eyes for a moment, freezing the beautiful moments and leaving behind precious memories. Or choose to take a picture in the garden, stroking the leaves with your hands and twisting slightly to capture the side of the face, is also a good choice.   2. Using props for static photos Usually I always feel a little monotonous when taking pictures, I don't know where to put my hands, and even the whole body and expression is unnatural? At this time,…

Entering autumn, in addition to adapting to the weather, we also should change the style of clothes we wear. Temperatures in autumn are around 60% cold and 40% hot, because the sun doesn't last long and the weather tends to seem dark. It often rains but not heavily, when in early autumn there is a lot of fog that appears in the morning. So, warm clothes are more suitable to wear during this season. Now, the spread of hanfu is getting more and more widespread, and everyone can definitely see many people wearing hanfu in everyday life. Be it male or female, young or old, there are many people who wear Hanfu. So, what kind of hanfu should you wear in autumn? It's early fall, and the weather is a little cooler than summer, but not too cold. Therefore, hanfu worn in summer can still be worn today. For example, qixiong ruqun. In addition, Song dynasty hanfu, such as xuanqun, beizi, baidiequn, and others are also very suitable to be worn in autumn. When autumn is a little deeper, everyone can wear thicker hanfu. For example, the Ming dynasty hanfu which is very suitable to be worn in autumn. Of…

Haha so I lied in the last article, we’re actually doing the Tang Dynasty next! This is for sure going to be a favorite of everyone—after all, who can resist the flamboyant, vibrant beauty of the Tang Dynasty? Let’s get right to it and see where some of our favorite Tang Dynasty hanfu comes from. The Tang Dynasty was a period of time (618–907CE) preceded by the Wei/Jin Northern and Southern Dynasties and proceeded by the Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms period, and then the Song Dynasty (the Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms period is often regarded as part of the Tang fashion period for hanfu purposes because the fashion trends followed pretty closely). A flourishing golden age for China, the Tang Dynasty saw leaps and bounds in art, poetry, and exchange of culture—the most open-minded society that has existed in the world in a very long time. People freely exchanged cultural norms, aesthetics, and ideas between nations from the Silk Road and beyond, resulting in a blossoming of the world of clothing as well, and a rich collection of art for us to reference our hanfu off of.   Astana Cemetery Interestingly, not a lot of clothing of the Tang Dynasty…

Who says hanfu is uncomfortable for daily use? Some people feel that hanfu is too complicated to wear, uncomfortable, and unsuitable for modern daily life. Hanfu itself is a kind of Chinese national dress that includes the everyday clothes of all the ancient Han people. Back then, no one had ever said that hanfu was uncomfortable and can't be used in daily life. Like ancient hanfu, modern hanfu is a type of clothing that can meet people's daily needs at home, travel and work. Modern hanfu? Modern hanfu is functional and elegant. With a blend of sophisticated cotton & silk fabrics, this style is easy to wear and easy to wash. It is enough to care for it by washing it in cold water on a gentle cycle and then hanging it to dry. The luxury modern women crave, whether it's layering or lounging, this piece is durable and soft. Who tend to wear modern hanfu most often - in some cases on a daily basis - are girls and boys, students and teachers, tourists and cultural workers. In some places with unique views of ancient gardens, it is required to wear traditional or modern hanfu clothing whenever appearing in…

  Vocabulary Velvet Flower - 绒花 (rónghuā) - a realistically made flower made artificially from silk threads and copper wire. Palace Flower - 宫花 (gōng huā) - another way to call ronghua with the rise in popularities of ronghua to females in the palace. Untwisted Silks - 无捻蚕丝 (wú niǎn cánsī) - when it comes to silk threads, depending on the type and material of the threads, one single thread can be made up of thinner threads twisted together. Untwisted silk thread means there are no smaller twisted threads. You can directly skip to the brushing steps in ronghua making process. Hunan Embroidery Thread - 湘绣线 (xiāngxiù xiàn) - another type of thread used in ronghua making. Suzhou Embroidery Thread - 苏绣线 (sūxiù xiàn) - another type of thread used in ronghua making.   History 绒花, rónghuā, an artificial handcraft head accessories made from materials such as silks and coppers. It existed since the Qin Dynasty. There are many known “brands” of ronghuas, such as Nanjing Ronghua. In the Tang era, Wu Zetian listed Nanjing Ronghua as a royal tribute to the Yangzhou area becoming a luxury only princes and princesses can use. Eventually, Nanjing Ronghua became something that represents Nanjing but also…

The beauty of autumn is that you can apply different dressing rules even though the seasonal temperature changes. Blending hanfu and fashion elements together to explode with an unforgettable sense of tradition and fashion. In this article, Hanfu Times recommends three types of hanfu items and the best dressing principles for fall to find your own fall hanfu street fashion.   Round Neck Shirt/Robe The round neck shirt/robe is the most suitable hanfu item for all skin types and body types. The collar can be decorated with nice buttons and can be folded into different lapel styles, which can be worn as a top or as a windbreaker jacket depending on the thickness of the material. The cuffs can be added or modified with cufflinks, turning them into arrow sleeves or bubble sleeves, suitable for a mix of different personalities. The lower skirt can be mixed with a Poqun, or a Mamianqun. If it is a solid color, the waist and then add a medium width belt, can cover the original skirt waist, but also to trim the body shape. The bottom can also be mixed with fashion pants, fashion chinos, lantern pants, or wide-legged pants.   Stand Collar Shirt…

Hey everyone, thanks for waiting! Our next topic is gonna be pretty exciting for most of you who love the classic ruqun aesthetic: we’re going to be going over the historical relics for the Wei/Jin and Northern/Southern Dynasty! Since there are so few of these relics, this article is going to focus on the Wei/Jin Dynasty as a whole, including restored relics, art references, and misconceptions about the Wei/Jin Dynasty. It might be a bit of a shorter article due to little material, but I know that people are really interested in this period of time, so let’s get to it! 魏晉南北朝/魏晋南北朝/wei4 jin4 nan2 bei3 chao2/Wei/Jin and Northern/Southern Dynasties refers to the period of time between 220 and 589CE. Also known as 六朝/六朝/liu4 chao2/Six Dynasties, this set of dynasties are compressed into one general block of time by historians because of the rapid exchange of power. Following the Eastern Han dynasty, the Three Kingdoms period had the Cao Wei kingdom at its forefront, with the Western Jin Dynasty coming right after ruled by Sima Yan. This was followed by the Northern Dynasties, when the Northern Wei, Western Wei, Easter Wei, and Northern Zhou and Qi Dynasties followed each other rapidly,…

I made my first real Hanfu based on patterns from this website. First outing at the beach, with dragons and all. Here is an article with much details on my sewing journey.

Quju is a type of hanfu that belongs to the Shenyi dress system and was common during the Qin and Han dynasties, with characteristics such as "overlapping and hooked edges". In ancient times, the more grand the occasion, the more gorgeous the overall look of the Quju was, giving it a sense of grace and elegance. There is a wide variety of accessories and items that can be matched with Quju, and different types of accessories can create different effects with Quju dress. Let's follow Hanfu Shidai (汉服世代) to learn more about it.   01 Dao Shan Dao Shan (刀扇), also known as Bian Shan (便扇), Bian Mian (便面), is a kind of Chinese traditional fan, used to cover the face, shaped like a door. Book of Han - Zhang Chang's Tale has recorded: "自以便面拊马 (patting a horse with a Bian Mian by himself)". Yan Shigu, the historian of the Tang Dynasty, also explained the function of the Bian Mian in his commentary on the Book of Han: “便面，所以障面，盖扇之类也。不欲见人，以此自障面，则得其便，故曰便面，亦曰屏面。” We can learn that the "Bian Mian" can be classified as a fan, but its focus is different, the main function of is not to fan the wind and cool, but to…

Brief history on Chinese tool panbo and how it is different in the past when compared to Japanese tasuki.