Vine Ruqun

Model’s info: height-161cm, weight-47kg, wear size-S (for reference only)

The Green Skirt

A green skirt has been shorthand for spring in Chinese verse for a very long time — the colour of new grass, worn by someone walking through it. This set takes that pairing literally: a clear olive green on top, an ivory skirt below, and nothing between them but a narrow patterned band at the waist. It is a Wei and Jin silhouette in the loose sense of the term — the top is left wide through the body, the sleeve is cut generous and left open at the cuff, and the skirt is gathered rather than shaped, so the line from shoulder to floor is one continuous fall instead of a fitted waist and a flared hem.

The green is a mid olive rather than a deep forest tone, which is what keeps the combination fresh instead of heavy. The waistband is the one decorative element: a pale band with a woven pattern, tied with two long green ribbons that hang down over the skirt. Wear the bow at the front, off to one side, or at the back — the ribbons are long enough to sit anywhere.

Fabric & Fit

The top is a slub weave — a fabric woven with slightly irregular, thicker threads at intervals, which gives it a faint horizontal texture and a dry, matte surface rather than the shine a plain polyester would have. The skirt is a textured chiffon, light enough to move when you walk but dense enough to hang straight; buyers who expected to need a long slip underneath have found they did not. Both are 100% polyester, which is what keeps the colour and the gathers stable through washing.

Sizing is decided at the chest. The figures in the table above are the upper limit each size will close over rather than a flat measurement of the garment, and the top is cut loose, so there is room inside each size and no need to size up for comfort. The skirt is cut long enough to reach the floor, which suits taller wearers best — buyers around 175 cm and above have been happy at the top of the range, and shorter wearers have reported it running long. If you are under about 160 cm and want to wear it flat-footed, plan on taking the skirt up.

Styling Inspiration

• Spring outdoors — the palette was made for it. Olive against new grass and ivory against stone both read cleanly in daylight.
• Photography — two flat colours with one patterned note photograph well in open shade, where the slub texture of the top becomes visible.
• Dance and performance — the open sleeve and the floor-length skirt carry movement; the ribbons add a second line that trails behind the arm.
• Separately — the ivory skirt takes a plain knit and becomes ordinary daywear, and the green top over dark trousers reads as a light summer shirt.

Size & Fit Guide

There are not yet enough buyer measurements on this set to publish a size-reference table, so this section explains how to choose instead. The top is the piece that decides your size: measure around the fullest part of your chest, keep the tape level and comfortable rather than tight, and compare that figure to the chest limit for each size in the table above. Because the top is cut loose and closes with a wrap, you do not need extra room — if your chest measurement sits exactly on a size limit, that size will still close over you.

The skirt is the piece that decides how it looks rather than how it fits. It ties at the waist and is gathered, so it accommodates a range of waists, and it is cut to reach the floor. If you are short and want it to sit clear of the ground, plan on a hem; if you are tall, the length is already there for you.

For reference, the model is 161 cm and wears S.

Care & Notes

Hand wash, or use the gentlest machine cycle with the pieces in a mesh bag, in water no warmer than 40°C / 104°F, and do not leave them to soak. Dry cleaning is the safest option for the set as a whole. Do not bleach. Dry in the shade and never in direct sun — the olive will fade before the ivory does, and once they no longer match the set stops working. Steam iron on low; press the slub top from the reverse so the texture is not flattened.

Wash the green and the ivory separately, at least for the first several washes. The green is a mid-tone dye on a pale ground, and a shared load is how an ivory skirt picks up a grey-green cast that no amount of washing will take out. Hang the skirt rather than folding it, so the gathered waist keeps its shape, and store the two pieces apart.