How to Wear Hanfu

Pibo (披帛) is perhaps the most fairy-like of all hanfu accessories. The light texture, delicate prints, and embroidery set it off. When walking, the Pibo drapes between the hem of the skirt, looking like a fairy with fluttering clothes and clouds. Pibo appeared in pottery figurines as early as the Wei and Jin dynasties and became widely popular in the Tang dynasty. The pairing of Pibo and Banbi, because of its perfect combination of linearity and human beauty, became a product of women's refreshed aesthetic imagination. Pibo is also useful for more than just decoration, generally, draped over the shoulders, or over the body, are good choices. It can also be used for sun protection. Here are six ways to wear a Pibo, from the simple to the complex!   How to wear Pibo LOOK 1: The most common way to wear a Pibo. Wrap the Pibo around the body from the back to the front. If your Pibois too long, try to wrap it around your arm. LOOK 2: Mostly used for photography and catwalk shows, and is also the method of dressing for many Tang Dynasty unearthed pottery figurines. One side is put on the shoulder, and the end…...

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 Qixiong Ruqun (齐胸襦裙) Qiyao Ruqun (齐腰襦裙)   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) We will keep update with more about Hanfu styles wear for you. More recommendations for different seasons/styles of Hanfu and Modern Hanfu can be found here....

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…...

Today's article introduces a Ming Dynasty style Hanfu suitable for summer, it is a sheer fabric parallel opening Hanfu shirt with a standing collar. Now let’s take a look at the history of this outfit and how to wear it.   History of Sheer Fabric Shirt In ancient China, it was quite common for men to be bare-chested during the summer, but of course, this was not the case for ladies, so they would wear fewer layers and sheer fabrics inside of their homes. You might have seen this particular style of Hanfu been called many different names in Chinese, so let’s first quickly go through these names and their origins. The standing collar was a popular element in women’s fashion during the late Ming Dynasty, so according to the naming conventions of the Ming Dynasty, this style can be described as "竖领对襟纱衫", which translates into sheer fabric parallel opening shirt with standing collar. Ladies commonly wore this inside of their homes or in private areas as it is sheer and informal. During the Qing Dynasty, this style was labeled as Pi Feng (披風), which is a type of outerwear, the materials used became thicker and heavier, making them more…...

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…...

As winter approaches, more and more Hanfu enthusiasts are focusing their attention on the Ming style Hanfu. Whereas in the Ming style Hanfu costume, the combination of an Ao (袄, jacket) on top and a Qun (裙, skirt) on the bottom is especially popular. Ao has several types of collars, and today we are focusing on the standing collar today, briefly introduce the history and how to wear it.   History of the standing collar  Some of you might recognize the standing collar as the mandarin collar, most people think the standing collar is derived from Qing Dynasty Manchurian dress, also known as the cheongsam or qipao, but it is actually originally invented and passed down from the Ming Dynasty, the dynasty before the Qing Dynasty, it is a part of the hanfu system and was later on adapted into Manchurian dresses, and today it’s widely known in the world as the mandarin collar, and recognized as one of the most distinctive features of Chinese clothing. Do you remember this Ming Dynasty painting? Almost every woman and child are wearing the cross collared Aoqun, showing how popular this style was at that time. However, when we look more closely at…...

Have you noticed the weather doesn’t cool down right away when the fall season starts? It’s a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the “Indian summer” if you live in North America, or "old women's summer" if you live in Europe, and in China, people call it “Autumn Tiger”. It can get really hot during the day but quite chilly at night, so this is a time when people can catch a cold easily. In ancient China, there’s a history of people wearing vests to keep warm during this time of the year, it was believed that the vest was first developed around 2,000 years ago, and later doubled as a fashion statement as time went on. Now let’s take a look at the history of this hanfu and How to wear it. The history of Hanfu vest Short sleeves or sleeveless garments have been around for a long time. The earliest artifacts found in China were from the Warring States Period (475–221 BC). During the Han Dynasty, the terms were coined in one of the oldest dictionaries - The Shiming or "Explanation of Names", sleeveless vests were called Liang Dang (裲裆), half sleeves were called Ban Xiu(半袖) or Xiu Jue…...

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…...

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…...

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…...

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…...

Quju (曲裾) is a kind of 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 “Straight Ju Dress” and “Wavy Ju Dress”. This article introduces the way of wearing Quju. Step1: Get ready for Quyi. Put on the right sleeve first. Turn the inside of Quyi around behind you. Step2: And tie the laces behind you and under your right axilla. Step3: Put on the left sleeve. Step4: Tidy  collar. Step5: Wrap Quju backward. Step6: Turn the sharp corners of the outer skirt behind you. Step7: Fix the end of the apex at the left hip. Step8: Fold the collar part of the outer jacket neatly. Step9: Belt tie. Step10: Find the midpoint of the belt, tie the belt in some places below the waist, the midpoint of the belt is aligned with the middle of the waist. Step11: Wrap the belt around your back and overlap the ends of the belt. Step12: Tie a bow in the middle of the waist. Step13: Tidy up the overlap of the…...