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The Mamianqun: History, Construction, Features
So the Mamianqun, or 馬面裙, or horse-faced skirt, has been blowing up lately especially because of the Dior controversy—here's an in-depth dive into the history, construction, and features of the famous horse-face skirt. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MAMIANQUN The mamianqun or horse-faced skirt is a skirt that first originated somewhere close to the Song dynasty worn by high-class courtesans (who were like celebrities and fashion icons tbh) in the form of colorful pleated silk. It’s named this way because of its resemblance to the mamian fortress, which has stairs on either side (like the pleats) and a door in the front and back (like the skirt doors). The ‘doors’ sides of the fortress were known as the *horse faces* or mamian/馬面 because these were the faces of the fortress where the horses would pass through. It became extremely popular in the following Ming dynasty and stayed popular through the Qing dynasty through Manchurian rule—it’s been around for a long, long time! Mamianqun are more convenient for movement and offer a regal, classy aesthetic as well as a very recognizable and unique silhouette. Even Princess Diana wore one once! BASIC CONSTRUCTION OF A MAMIANQUN The Skirt Doors From the…- 4
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7 Ways to Tie Hanfu Skirts
Have you ever struggled with tying your hanfu skirts, or gotten used to the old ways of tying them? Look no further for a collection of tutorials on how to tie hanfu skirts in various styles!- 13
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Hanfu Accessory: Ronghua History and Basic DIY Steps
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…- 9
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The History of Chinese Traditional Scented Sachet
Chinese incense culture has a long history. As an important part of incense culture - Chinese traditional scented sachet culture, it also carries a large amount of cultural information, reflecting the aesthetic concepts and social customs of people in different periods, as well as the achievements of Chinese textiles and fine manufacturing. Nowadays, due to the emergence and use of aromatherapy, perfume, and other items, incense sachets have rarely been used except on specific festivals and occasions, but they have left a strong mark in the history of incense used in China. The History of the Traditional Sachet Scented sachet (香囊, Xiangnang) is a folk embroidered craft created by ancient women, originally developed from Peinang (佩囊), a small cloth pocket used by the ancients to hold small objects. There were no pockets on the clothes of the ancients, so some portable necessities, such as seals, hand towels, coins, etc., were stored in this kind of pouch, and when they went out, they put it on their waist, so it was called "Peinang". Scented sachet belongs to a kind of Peinang, which is named after the spices stored in the sac. According to the literature, the history of wearing scented…- 1
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Where to Buy Hanfu Online
Many new Hanfu fans have bought Hanfu online before, probably on Amazon, eBay, or other shopping websites. However, they are not very satisfied with the Hanfu that they purchased, not only high price low quality, but the style is mainly not good-looking. Most of them finally very disappointed, even give up the love of Hanfu. Where can buy Hanfu with good quality and price become a big problem. Therefore, I compared a lot of Hanfu shopping online store, but they are not professional and have no brands. Their shop usually sells a lot of products that are not related to Hanfu. When I want to give up, I finally met a very professional website focus on Hanfu, and it is called Newhanfu, a Hanfu Design Studio from China, founded in 1998. Best Hanfu Buy Online Store 2021 - Newhanfu The Newhanfu has more than 20 years of experience in Hanfu, and they have rarely participated in marketing activities online before so that it is difficult for you to find them. They design a wide range of Chinese Hanfu, including men's Hanfu, modern Hanfu, as well as a variety of Hanfu accessories. And the most important thing is that their style…- 0
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12 Most Beautiful Traditional Chinese Wedding Dresses
Today is the traditional Chinese Valentine's Day, it's time to pick a beautiful traditional Chinese wedding dress for this important moment in our life. Every year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the Double-Seventh-Festival (the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day) is a traditional Chinese festival. According to folklore, the weaving girl Cowherd magpie bridge meeting, girls will be placed in the night seasonal melons and fruits, looking at the moon to worship, begging to give the intelligent mind and dexterous hands, but also begging for love marriage fate coincidence match. In modern times, it has gradually evolved into a festival for men and women to confess their love for each other, and many people even get married in Double-Seventh-Festival, making Double-Seventh-Festival their love anniversary. Of course, if you're single, don't go away, Double-Seventh-Festival will help you find your soul mate by the light of the lanterns by wearing a red Chinese costume, which is even more beautiful. Traditional Chinese Wedding Dress for the Double-Seventh-Festival Embroidery Qiyao Traditional Chinese Wedding Dress A wide variety of embroidery is in full bloom on the red traditional Chinese wedding dress. The soft dark red fabric, with…- 2
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7 Types of Hanfu Skirts That You Should Know
As requested by user @Wei on my Mamianqun article, here’s a little summary of all the most popular hanfu skirt (qun or 裙) types and what the difference between them is! I’m not going to go into as much detail as the previous article since my goal is to go through them all quickly and teach you the differences between them, but I’ll be including some brief details on their name, history, construction, and features so that you can better understand the huge variety of skirts in hanfu. Let’s start off with some basics rules hanfu skirts tend to follow. Skirts are made up of one or two pieces of fabric, usually, and they take the shape of a flat piece of pleated or non pleated cloth that gets wrapped around the body and tied in place by ribbons/ties. There are very few exceptions to this, except in hanyuansu, which is modified hanfu for convenience and style. The waistband of the skirt is usually 6-8cm wide and made with a different piece of fabric than the body of the skirt, which the body of the skirt is then attached to—this is referred to as the skirt head (裙頭). But even…- 10
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How to Wear Hanfu (1) - Quju Shenyi
Quju Shenyi (曲裾深衣) is a formal outfit with several layers worn mainly for ceremonial purposes. Come and get for details on how to wear Hanfu Quju Shenyi. History of Quju Shenyi Quju Shenyi is a common style during the Qin (秦, 221- 206 BCE) and subsequent Han (汉, 202 BCE- 220 CE) dynasties, you can find similar styles of Shen Yi in various archaeological discoveries. The style introducing today is a short version of the wrap-around Quju Shenyi, designed largely based on unearthed clay and wooden figurines. Most of these artifacts were found inside the Mawangdui (马王堆) archaeological site of the Western Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, after the Han Dynasty, this style decreased in popularity and was later on completely lost. So it’s almost impossible at this point to replicate it. Now let’s take a look at the individual pieces and how to wear them. Wear inner garments of Quju Shenyi The word Quju refers to the curved hem, and Shenyi is one of the most basic forms of Hanfu which is made up of the upper and lower garment, sewed together at the waist. Shenyi is an outer coat, so people usually wear inner garments made of cotton…- 7
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8 Taobao Shops For Hanfu Beginners
Looking to get into the Taobao shops? These are some good jumping-off points!- 1
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6 Most Popular Styles of Mens Hanfu
What are some styles of hanfu for men? Read about six of the most popular types!- 4
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How to Wear Hanfu (3) – Tang Dynasty Qiyao Ruqun
Ruqun (襦裙), is one of the earliest and most basic forms of Hanfu. Ru means top garment, and Qun means skirt. There are two types of Ruqun if categorized by where the skirt is tied, one with the skirt tied above the chest (the chest-high Ruqun - Qixiong Ruqun), and the other one is tied on the waist, and for today, we are going to talk about the waist-high Ruqun - Qiyao Ruqun. Let's take a look at history and how to wear the Qiyao Ruqun. 1: History of Qiyao Ruqun Ruqun is one of the styles under the Yi Chang (衣裳) category of hanfu, Yi Chang basically means top and skirt, although traditional Chinese clothing varied greatly from each dynasty to the next, the few basic styles remained unchanged for the most part. During the Tang Dynasty, other than the iconic Qixiong Ruqun, a variety of Qiyao Ruqun styles were also in favor. In this famous Chinese painting “Night Revels of Han Xizai (韩熙载夜宴图)”, all the musician ladies were wearing Qiyao Ruqun, with bold and vibrant colors. 2: Wear the Top Garment of Qiyao Ruqun Unlike Qixiong Ruqun, you have to wear a camisole with the Qiyao…- 3
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How to Wear Hanfu (2) - Tang Dynasty Qixiong Ruqun
Qixiong Ruqun(齐胸襦裙) is a typical style during the Tang Dynasty, the golden age of China. You can find similar styles of clothing in the famous Tang Dynasty paintings. This is a type of Ruqun with the skirt tied above the breasts and worn with short blouses. Now let’s look at the individual pieces and how to wear Hanfu - Qixiong Ruqun. 1: Wear the Blouse of Qixiong Ruqun The word Ruqun translates into top garment and skirt in Chinese, it is one of the earliest and most basic forms of Hanfu. This blouse has parallel collars and is relatively short to match the long skirt, it is very common to find flower and plant shaped patterns on fabrics during the Tang Dynasty. Put the blouse on first, and tie the knot. 2: Wear the Skirt of Qixiong Ruqun Moving onto the skirt, it is long and pleated, unlike traditional skirts which are usually one piece of fabric wrapped around the body, this modern twist separates the back and front panel and has two sets of ties, it is designed to ensure a better fit and help it stay put on the body. The first step into the center…- 6
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How to Wear Chest Ruqun Hanfu
Before, we introduced the way to wear a wist ruqun(one slice), and next, we will simply tell you how to wear a Qi xiong Ruqun(Chest Ruqun). Qi Xiong Ruqun is made up of front and back pieces(as the picture show). Step 1: Separate the front and back pieces and wear the back ones first. Step 2: tie up the back pieces. Step 3: tie up the front one(put white tape and red tape together). Step 4:Put an X-fork behind you, then take the tape to the front. Step 5: Make a knot. Step 6: The next step is to decorate the extra tape, wrap them in circles, just like a kind of Chinese food: Mahua (麻花, Fried Dough Twists). Step 7: Tie a knot at the end. Step 8: The red tape also needs to be wrap in circles. Finished~ Wearing Hanfu does not seem to be such a difficult thing, but it also requires repeated attempts to get the best look. If you have any questions during the wearing process, you are welcome to contact us by email, we will give you a more detailed explanation. More about how to wear Hanfu can be found here.- 1
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How to Wear Hanfu (4) – Song Dynasty Songku
Songku (宋裤) is a kind of traditional Chinese clothing, popular during the Song Dynasty, from year 960 to 1279. Let’s look at the different pieces and how to wear Hanfu - Songku. 1: Wear the undershirt for Songku This is a modern version of a Chinese women’s undershirt with beautiful lotus embroidery, it looks and functions just like a camisole, the adjustable straps make it more comfortable and easier to put on. 2: Wear the Songku This is called Songku, literally meaning Song Dynasty trousers, women generally wore a full-length skirt in ancient China, but during the Song Dynasty, these trousers were very popular. The original version consists of two separate pieces and is more complicated to put on and off, so there's an improved modern version.Original version Songku: The two layers are sewed together and have a zipper on the side, but there was no zipper in ancient China, and also adding this belt as an accessory. And to tie it, make a knot in the center, and then wrap it around each side several more times, then pull it through again while making a small loop and make it tight. Do the same for the other…- 0
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What is a Modern Hanfu? 2021 China’s Fashion Guide
The modern hanfu is an improved version of traditional Chinese clothing, also called as new hanfu. The modern hanfu is on the basis of Western-style clothing, formed by integrating the basic elements of traditional hanfu outfit. The new hanfu is split into several varieties based on its features that can be part of the form characteristics, patterns, or aesthetic. If you take the word "Hanfu" back to its roots, it simply was the Chinese word for “Han People's Clothing.” Later on, it evolved to mean specifically, traditional Chinese clothing. As they came into popularity in the ancient period, manufacturers began producing these pieces of hanfu with many cutting methods, and they’d cut various lines of fabric, sew them together. It's usually a very loose design that meant they wouldn’t have to have multiple sizes and fits. Eventually, hanfu style developed and people began wearing on a large scale, integrated into their everyday style. Hanfu designers improved their craft to such an extent that it became an art form and not simply as apparel. Traditional hanfu became more valuable and more collectible as pieces of art. That’s not to say that an appreciation of the hanfu today has to be all…- 2
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How to Wear Hanfu: Covers Most Hanfu Styles - Updating
An integrated article on how to wear Hanfu, and will use step-by-step pictures and videos to explain most Hanfu style and matching. It will give you an easier way to get to know the traditional Chinese costume. How to wear Hanfu - Shenyi Quju Shenyi (曲裾深衣) How to wear Hanfu - Ruqun (Shanqun) Qixiong Ruqun (齐胸襦裙) Qiyao Ruqun (齐腰襦裙) Hezi (诃子) How to wear Hanfu - Song style Songku (宋裤) How to wear Hanfu - Ming style Jiaoling Aoqun (交领袄裙) Hanfu Vests-Bijia (比甲) Standing Collar Jacket (立领衫) Sheer fabric Hanfu shirt (竖领对襟纱衫) Ma Mian Skirt (马面裙) Related Contents Hanfu Pibo Tie Hanfu Skirts There are also plenty of topics in the Hanfu group about how to wear Hanfu: How to wear Wei and Jin hanfu How to wear Duijin Ruqun How to wear Tang dynasty Da Xiu Shan (big sleeve shirt) How to wear Tang dynasty Hezi Qun How to wear Tang dynasty robe How to wear Song dynasty robe How to wear Song dynasty Hanfu How to wear modern Song style Hanfu How to wear Ming dynasty stand collar Hanfu How to wear Ming Dynasty Ao and Mamian Qun How to wear Ming dynasty Hua…- 3
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4 Styles & Tips for Male Traditional Chinese Clothing
4 handsome male traditional Chinese clothing style you'll probably want to try In 2020 Nowadays, it's common for boys to wear traditional Chinese clothes, but compared with girls' styles, Chinese men's costume styles are much less, but once boys wear Hanfu, Zhongshan suits, or other male Chinese style clothes, they will become irresistible. Today, I'd like to bring you 4 popular male traditional Chinese clothing styles and precautions when wearing. 4 popular style of male traditional Chinese clothing Round Collar Robe Round collar robes first appeared in the Shang Dynasty, one of the male traditional Chinese clothing. After the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the round collar robes began to actively absorb the characteristics of minority men costumes, but at the same time, they did not lose the original characteristics of the Han nationality. The Northern Wei Dynasty, founded by Xianbei people, began to dress as formal clothes and was popular from Sui and Tang Dynasties to the end of the Ming Dynasty. After the Song Dynasty, the round collar robe became one of the official costumes, which was also widely used in the later Ming Dynasty. The round collar robe of the Ming Dynasty became the…- 0
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How to Wear Hanfu (9) – Ming Dynasty Ma Mian Skirt
This article introduces a typical outfit from the late Ming Dynasty, which is around the 16th to 17th century for you. Let's see how to wear Hanfu - the long shirt and Ma Mian skirt suit. The top is a long shirt with a standing collar also known as a Mandarin collar, pairing it with a Ma Mian skirt which translates to horse face skirt, it’s the single most representative skirt of the Ming Dynasty. The History of Ma Mian Skirt & the Meaning Behind the Name Ma Mian Qun literarily means Horse Face Skirt, but it actually has nothing to do with a horse’s face, the term 'Ma Mian' in ancient China has another meaning, it refers to the defensive structure that projects outward on city walls, which are located at regular intervals. A Ming Dynasty scholar labelled the rectangular area of the skirt Ma Mian because it looks like the structure. And today we call this type of skirt Ma Mian skirt. Characteristic of Ma Mian Skirt? When the skirt is laid flat, we can see three such structures, we call it Qun Men (裙门) or skirt door today, with another door hiding behind in the…- 2
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How to Wear Hanfu (7): Ming Dynasty Jiaoling Aoqun
Aoqun(袄裙), most commonly wore during the Ming Dynasty. Let’s take a look at the individual pieces and how to wear them. The History of Aoqun The word Aoqun translates into a lined top and skirt, it is one of the earliest and most basic forms of Hanfu. This style was developed as early as The Warring States period (475 BC) as seen on these clay figurines, and it evolved throughout the dynasties. By the mid to late Ming Dynasty, it had become the most commonly-seen design for fall-winter clothing among wealthy families and the royal court. There are also many historical relics available for us to study. Wear the Skirt of Aoqun Aoqun is outerwear, so people usually wear inner garments made of cotton or linen material underneath. During the Ming Dynasty, women usually wear Mamian skirts or pleated skirts, this one is a one-piece half-pleated skirt with the pleats only on top, and embroideries on the bottom, as well as on the belts. There are usually two types of one-piece skirts, one style you insert the belt through a hole in the middle, the other style uses an extra set of ties. This skirt doesn’t have either…- 0
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Top 5 Popular Traditional Chinese Women's Clothing
Chinese women's clothing - Hanfu, as the most classic traditional Asian dress has a long history and rich styles. Which styles are popular at present? We have sorted out the popular Hanfu styles and the corresponding style introduction. Ruqun (襦裙) Ruqun is a kind of Hanfu, is one of the earliest and most basic clothing forms in the history of Hanfu, and is one of the most important forms of Chinese women's clothing. From the Warring States period to the Ming Dynasty, though the length and width changed from time to time, the basic shape remained the original pattern. The top of the upper body and the skirts of the lower body are called Ruqun, which are the typical "Shangyi Xiachang (上衣下裳, upper top, and lower skirt)" clothing systems. The top is called "ru", which is generally shorter than the knee; the lower body skirt is called "qun". Ruqun is actually a combination of two kinds of clothes. Ruqun appeared in the Warring States period, rising in the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties. Based on the height of the skirt waist, Ruqun can be divided into QiyaoRuqun (mid-waist) Gaoyao Ruqun (high-waist) and Qixiong Ruqun (chest). According to the style…- 1
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How Beautiful is Blue Hanfu in Traditional Chinese Hanfu?
As one of the aspects of human civilization, the color culture in traditional Chinese Hanfu costumes has a long and splendid history. The color of clothing is often a symbol of the times and has strong political significance, and is closely related to the "five colors" that prevailed at that time. Today, we will lead you to have a deeper understanding of the "blue Hanfu". The Meaning and Place of Blue in Ancient Color Culture The so-called " Five Pure Colors" originates from the five elements, which are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and represent the five pure colors of blue, red, yellow, white, and black in the five directions of east, south, middle, west, and north. According to I Ching, black is the color of the sky and yellow is the color of the earth, which is why it is said that "the sky is dark blue and the earth is yellow".In addition, The Book of Rites recorded that in ancient times, the pure color was considered noble, and the color that combined two primary colors were considered inferior, and the pureness of clothing was highly valued. Blue in the five elements corresponds to the Eastern wood,…- 2
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The Basics of Hanfu Underlayers
Ready to start deepening your hanfu wardrobe? Start looking into some of your closet staples here: hanfu underlayers!- 6
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How to Chose Pretty Chinese New Year Traditional Clothing for Festival?
Just jumped out of the New Year's festivities and the countdown to the Chinese New Year is about to begin again, are you ready for your New Year's clothes? If you are still struggling with how to wear Chinese New Year traditional clothing in order to be successful and eye-catching when taking photos or visiting friends and relatives in the New Year, then grab a pencil and paper to take notes, let me tell you! Chinese New Year Traditional Clothing for Girls This orange Chinese tunic not only looks good on you, but it's also made for a super New Year's Eve that will definitely be the most noticeable in a crowd. The fluffy square collar is cute and good-looking, and you can absolutely get a bunch of positive feedback when visiting friends and relatives, and it can also be paired with a Mamian-skirt or a fashion skirt. For the Year of the Rat, it's obvious that you should prepare Chinese New Year traditional clothing! The cute little squirrel is holding a small golden pine cone, surrounded by grapevines, which is both cute and auspicious with the meaning of "good harvest and prosperity". A Mamian-skirt is one of the must-have…- 2
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5 Steps to Figure Out the Chinese Female Outfits (Ming)
Perhaps you often see some Ming styles of Chinese female outfits with complicated names, such as: Duijin Shuling Pipa Xiu Duan Ao (对襟竖领琵琶袖短袄, short jacket with vertical lapels and pipa sleeves), Xiejin Shuling Long Ao (斜襟竖领长袄, long jacket with slanting lapels). But if you break these names down and analyze them, they are actually very easy to understand. In this article, Zhua Xiao Ye will introduce to you the structure and naming rules of the Ming Chinese female outfits for women, and hope it will help you if you are particularly fond of the Ming-style Hanfu. Step 1: Ling (领, collar) Ling is the collar of the clothes. There are more kinds of collars in Hanfu, the most common one is the Jiaoling (交领, cross collar), which is characterized by Jiaoling Youren (交领右衽), that is, the left lapel covers the right lapel (when wearing, but if viewed from the front, that is the right lapel covers the left lapel), showing a "y" shape, which started from the Shang and Zhou period and was used until the Ming Dynasty. In addition to the cross collar, more types of collars were developed in the Ming Dynasty: Yuanling (圆领, round collar), Fangling (方领, square…- 3
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