Today, I would like to introduce a new fashion trend of Hanfu. This trend is called “汉洋折衷” (Han-Yang Zhezhong), which means the mix of Hanfu and Western fashion or modern fashion. This mixed style sets off an elegant wave of success over the past few years – the most special, and the most romantic clothing styles.
Mix of Hanfu and Western fashion or modern fashion. (Source: Weibo@张图图PHOTO, @贫尼法号师太, @青木十音）
Now, let’s take a look at the four special Hanfu-Western looks!
1. Spring Look
Spring Look. (Source: Bilibili@静时知岁）
In the pictures above, the model wears a standing-collar blouse (竖领短衫) trimmed with lace. The white full-length skirt (花鸟马面裙) is embroidered with bird and flower patterns. Lace shawl, pillbox hat, and lace umbrella are the perfect complements to any Hanfu outfits. They are also the key to the Western style! The under-top is a detachable collar as an extra layer. The overall look gives off a countryside feeling.
Spring is coming!
2. Summer Look
Summer Look. (Source: Bilibili@静时知岁）
The top is a light pink shirt with a y-shaped collar (交领短袄), and the bottom is a side-pleated skirt (马面裙). This skirt is quite special with rainbow gradient and delicate knife pleats. The bow in the front at the waist is a recipe for summer freshness…If you think it is a little simple, a pair of pearl earrings and lace gloves must be a brilliant idea!
3. Autumn Look
Autumn Look. (Source: Bilibili@静时知岁）
The cut and embroidery of this jacket (补服) give an everlasting charm, and the big white straw gives a perfect opportunity to showcase that outfit. The flower pin is used to fasten the lace shawl, and it also plays so well with the sharp tailored look. The jacket with a crane embroidery pattern is such a statement piece that you don’t need any fancy accessories to pair it with. Just a bouquet of flowers is enough!
4. Winter Look
Winter Look. (Source: Bilibili@静时知岁）
It’d be nice to wear elegant robes over thick winter parkas. Mandarin collar, diagonal closure, and thicker fabrics can protect you against the coldness. The white pearl belt definitely lives up to the hype – it outlines women’s attractive curves. As you can see, fashion items made of lace are always favored by this mixed trend. As for the bottom, the side-pleated skirt is made of gauze brocade or brocade with golden threads, full of aristocratic aesthetics.
Mix of Hanfu and Western fashion or modern fashion. (Source: Weibo@我要这脸有何用）
Nowadays, more and more young girls love coupling classic pieces together, but from time to time, adding something unexpected to the look gives much more personality and charm. The mix of Hanfu and Western fashion could be the manifestation of their creativity. In addition to women’s Hanfu, now we can see more and more young men also trying this new trend!
Hope you enjoy the styling, and thank you very much for reading! If you are interested, please don’t forget to share this post with other people! Subscribe now!
Hanfu is the clothing of the ancient Han Chinese before the 17th century, and it is also the oldest Chinese traditional clothes which can be traced back to over 3,000 years ago. The word Han represents the predominant ethnic group in China.
It is said that Hanfu was invented by Huangdi (also called Yellow Emperor), a legendary Chinese sovereign and culture hero of ancient China, and Hanfu was constantly improved history. Different times features and fashion led to cultural differences between all those types of clothing, but the majority of Hanfu followed the pattern of wearing a robe or a shirt as a top garment and a skirt as the bottom. Hanfu also posed a far-reaching influence on the clothing systems in neighboring Asian countries, including Korea and Japan.
As Manchu people took over China from Han people and established the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China, Hanfu gradually retreated from the stage of history. Manchu clothing was introduced and then dominated the country from the 17th century to the 20th century. The 19th-century Opium Wars brought European influences, including western fashion, into China, so Hanfu became more or less obsolete. Continuous wars and social movements in modern China made the situation even worse and almost interrupted the inheritance of the traditional Han clothing.
With the rising of national power and national consciousness, more and more young Chinese consumers favor items that are unique, artisanal, and linked to a rich historical legacy – all of those factors promote a revival of Hanfu. The clothing system which was adopted and vigorously promoted by the ruling class in feudal dynasties now can be attained by every person. They can wear traditional clothing as we wish, walking through the time tunnel of history and seeking ancestors’ traces.
However, Hanfu is still just a niche market far from achieving amassed broad and everyday appeal. Even many Chinese would mistake Hanfu for kimono (traditional Japanese garment) or hanbok (traditional Korean dress). Western-style clothing (which represents conventional fashion) is still given top priority rather than traditional clothing.
The Renaissance of Hanfu still has a long way to go, but it should never be regarded as a heavy burden. Personally speaking, I never regard “make more people know about Hanfu” as a mission, but a personal interest. Hanfu is beautiful. I like it. That’s all. Millennial’s interest in Hanfu is no different than a personal preference for a style of fashion, which should never be over-interpreted as political or nationalistic motives.
Now, let’s open the scroll of history and explore the beauty of female Hanfu in different dynasties.
This garment of Han dynasty is a piece of women’s Quju Shenyi (曲裾深衣, Quju dress) made of silk. Ju (裾 [jū]) is the full front and back of a Chinese jacket or gown, and Shenyi (深衣 [shēn yī]) means the deep robe which is a combination of tunic and skirt. It is a full-length dress with standing collar, wrap closure, and loose fit sleeves. The embroidery pattern of this dress symbolized longevity. This type of Qujuqun is usually seen in the archaeological findings of the Han Dynasty, which often occurred in important or formal occasions.
Historical Clothing of early Han Dynasty. (Source: 装束复原Chinese Historical Costume)
The Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China. During this time, due to the prosperity of economy and the stability of the regime, people’s lives were more settled, and exquisite woven silk fabrics were used more on clothing. The various embroidery patterns such as auspicious cloud reflected the popularity and dominant position of Confucianism.
This garment of the Jin dynasty is a piece of women’s Ruqun (襦裙, Qu skirt). Ru (襦[Rú]) means the open cross-collar shirt. The top is a shirt with a y-shaped collar and wide sleeves with colorful closures. The bottom is a maxi skirt with red and white colors.
Historical Clothing of Jin Dynasty. (Source: 装束复原Chinese Historical Costume)
Jin is also called “Weijin”. The demeanor of Jin is a unique phenomenon in the history of Chinese culture. During troubled times when there was no united regime, the rebels and invaders began to establish new self-proclaimed states along the Yellow River valley, inaugurating the “Sixteen Kingdoms” era. Besides, Buddhism has made rapid progress during the wars, the practice of cave cutting and statue carving became popular gradually, so the historical clothing of the Jin dynasty was heavily influenced by the religion and neighboring nomads.
唐五代 Tang Dynasty – Five Dynasties 618 A.D. – 960 A.D.
Banbi (半臂, half sleeves) and Shanqun (衫裙, shirt and skirt). (Source: 装束复原Chinese Historical Costume)
These garments of Tang dynasty are called Banbi (半臂, half sleeves) and Shanqun (衫裙, shirt and skirt). There were some differences between the early period and late period. After the Middle Tang, both skirt and sleeves were much wider, and color schemes were brighter and bolder. During the heyday of the Tang dynasty, China’s power, culture, economy, and influence were thriving. As a result, women could afford to wear loose-fitting, wide-sleeved garments. Even lower-class women’s robes would have sleeves four to five feet in width.
Historical Clothing of Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties. (Source: 装束复原Chinese Historical Costume)
The Tang was widely regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization, and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. There are numerous films and TV series that set the Tang as background. Concepts of urban elite women’s social rights and social status were notably liberal-minded during the period. One strong evidence could be that Empress Wu Zetian, the only legitimate Chinese empress regnant (or female emperor) in history, seizing the Tang throne for 15 years.
宋 Song Dynasty 960 A.D. – 1279 A. D.
Shanzi (衫子, long shirt). (Source: 装束复原Chinese Historical Costume)
This garment of Han dynasty is a piece of women’s Shanzi (衫子, long shirt). Shanzi and Beizi (褙子, long coat) have a similar function as a thin jacket, and they both have slim fit tapered sleeves or loose fit sleeves. The differences between Shanzi and Beizi are that Beizi is calf-length or even full-length while Shanzi is shorter; Beizi is formal wear in big events but Shanzi is not. Shanzi or Beizi is usually worn with an underwear called Songmo (宋抹, halter top). Skirts and Songku (宋裤, Song pants) made of silk or cotton are the two common bottoms in the Song Dynasty.
Historical Clothing of Song Dynasty. (Source: Mingjing Huafu, Zanhuage, Chixia)
Song clothing is contrary to Tang clothing which used a lot of bright colors. Song people favored plain, quiet, and elegant color schemes. The design and style also tended to be more restrained and conservative.
Historical Clothing of Song Dynasty. (Source: 装束复原Chinese Historical Costume)
The Song dynasty ended the chaos which is called Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period from 907 A.D to 979 A.D. The Song government was the first in world history to issue banknotes or true paper money nationally and the first Chinese government to establish a permanent standing navy. This dynasty also witnessed the first known use of gunpowder, as well as the first discernment of true north using a compass. Personally speaking, Song is my favorite dynasty throughout China’s history. The social life of citizens was vibrant. Technology, science, philosophy, literature, mathematics, and engineering flourished over the course. The classical aesthetic is also regarded as the most dignified and elegant by many scholars. The imperial courts of the emperor’s palace were filled with his entourage of court painters, calligraphers, poets, and storytellers.
These ladies are wearing robes with stand collar made of gauze brocade or brocade with golden threads. You can see the two straight lines intersecting in the middle of both the front and back of the robe, which represents the symmetry of traditional culture. The two lines show the unique sense of integrity, which symbolizes a person should be impartial. The robes have wide or extra wide sleeves which make the lines soft and elegant. Different from Hanfu in other dynasties, a large number of buttons were used in the conspicuous part of a Ming robe.
The development and change of women’s clothing are reflected in the proportion of upper and lower skirts. The length of the top is obviously long, which could be knee-length or even calf-length, and the length of the skirt is a little bit reduced. From a visual aspect, the proportion of the human body is bigger, which makes the lady who wears it look more dignified, formal, rigorous, and generous. Ladies in the Ming dynasty usually wore a side-pleated skirt called Mamianqun (马面裙), which is my favorite Hanfu piece actually.
The patterns on the clothing always have auspicious meanings. The most used patterns include dragon, phoenix, flying fish, hulu, cloud, deer, butterflies, and bamboo.
Bijia (比甲, vest) is a different style of Hanfu jacket. It is a kind of sleeveless and collarless vest with two sides open to the knees. It is longer than the later vest, mostly to the hip or knees, some longer. This kind of clothing was originally a kind of Chinese style Hanfu in the Song Dynasty.
Bijia (比甲, vest). (Source: Tongwan Hanfu)
Pifeng (披风, coat) is another popular clothing in the Ming dynasty which can cover more of people’s body. Pifeng has buttoned fronts, straight collar, and extra-wide sleeves. The front part is decorated with a pair of lace for fastening, and the various shaped jade buttons are also used for fastening. It can be worn by both men and women. Pifeng was developed from Beizi (褙子) in the Song and Yuan Dynasty.
Pifeng (披风, coat). (Source: Tongwan Hanfu)
The Ming dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by Han Chinese. Literature, painting, poetry, music, and Chinese opera of various types flourished during the Ming dynasty, especially in the economically prosperous lower Yangzi valley. With the development of dyeing technology in the Ming dynasty, dress became more and more gorgeous. Hanfu in Ming Dynasty was said to have the richest styles, the most exquisite production, and the most harmonious color schemes among all the costumes in China.
Overall, most Hanfu has a buttoned front or a collar looks like a lowercase y, and most Hanfu clothing uses ties rather than buttons or zippers. Another feature of Hanfu is that skirts or dresses are all designed to be one piece and uses ties to wear. The common material of Hanfu includes silk, cotton, ramie, and kudzu, and there are a lot of patterns with auspicious meanings on the clothing.
Chinese civilization is also called “Hua Xia”. “Hua” means the beauty of dresses and decorations which is Hanfu, and “Xia” is the grandeur of rites and social conduct. Clearly, Hanfu plays an important role in traditional Chinese culture.
Hanfu clothing for males also has a lot to discuss, which shares some of the same characteristics with female Hanfu. I may talk about male Hanfu in the following posts.
If you are interested, please don’t forget to share this post with other people! Subscribe now!
Each time I see a Hanfu photography work, I am always fascinated by the historical texture and sophisticated color scheme. We can even see a story from the model’s eyes. The photography of Hanfu could be a medium that embodies the nostalgia dreams.
I can feel the intense feeling as if I also become a character from the modern through the past, or in the ancient Chinese fairy tale scene. That’s the charm of Hanfu photography. Besides, Hanfu photography is also one of the most common and effective ways to let more people know about Hanfu and quickly build intuitive feelings with it.
Hanfu photography.（Source: Lizi Studio)
If you know about Hanfu photography, and you live in the Southern California area, you probably have likely heard of LIZI Studio and its founder, Liz Jiang. She started her experience in professional makeup and photography about three years ago. In 2019, Liz was awarded for International IBI Beauty Award. Now, Liz Studio is featured by and famous for its professional Hanfu photography and Chinese traditional styling.
Liz took some time out with me to talk about her life as a makeup artist, stylist, photographer, designer, and illustrator. You might be curious about her photographer career and journey of Hanfu. Read on….
Liz Jiang.（Source: Lizi Studio)
How did you start your own photography studio?
I started taking photos for other people in 2016 when I have not already finished my studies at Art Center College of Design, but at that time I did not take photography as my formal job. About two years ago, I found out that my real passion was to apply my creativity of makeup art, styling, and photography to real people, so I decided to resign from my office job and founded my own studio to fully pursue my inspiration with thoughtful consideration in 2018. Since then, I have been devoting myself to the operation and branding of LIZI studio.
My studio covers various kinds of styling and photography such as old Shanghai Vibe, pre-wedding, and lifestyle, but photography of Hanfu looking, also called traditional Chinese looking is a special feature of my studio that distinguishes from other local studios.
Lizi Studio website. (Source: Lizi Studio Website)
Picture of Tang Dynasty makeup and hairstyling Liz won the 2019 International IBI Beauty Award for a photo portraying a lady wearing a traditional Tang Dynasty outfit. The styling, makeup, and photography were all culturally inspired, conveying special aesthetics to the audience. (Source: Lizi Studio)
Let’s talk about your journey with Hanfu and Hanfu photography – clearly you are influential among the local Hanfu community. How did you get interested in Hanfu and let it be an important part of your career?
The very first time I got to know “Hanfu” dates back to twelve years ago. China hosted the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. I was deeply impressed by the beautiful traditional costumes on the opening ceremony and I wanted to know more about it. However, at that time, information about hanfu and traditional Chinese clothing was extremely limited. Actually, the introduction of the opening ceremony even did not use the word “Hanfu”, but “folk custom”. Stores that designed and produced Hanfu were also rare; most Hanfu brands you are familiar with nowadays had not been built yet. I remembered there was a book called Hanfu. I read it and felt an upsurge of emotion. So I decided to design and make Hanfu for myself – that’s my very first Hanfu!
2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony. (Source: Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs)
I fell in love with Hanfu quite earlier. So many things were dug out and learned by myself. The past ten years have witnessed the development of Hanfu industry and increasing awareness of Hanfu by young people, especially the past three years since 2017. I’m glad to see more and more textual research and formal business operation in the Hanfu industry.
I started my own business and work with Hanfu things totally out of my own passion, but hard work, high self-discipline, and a solid foundation are all important factors. I have been learning art since I was six years old, and I took full-time professional photography courses for one year. Illustration, printing, web design and motion graphic — all these skills are a huge benefit for my studio career now.
Illustration, printing, web design and motion graphic — all these skills are a huge benefit for Liz’s studio career now. (Source: Lizi Studio)
Can you give us some insight into a “day in the life” for you?
In the morning, I woke up naturally and then check out my calendar. If I have an appointment with a client this day, I will arrive the studio earlier before the client comes. It took me some time to prepare for the makeup and photography: clean up the studio, check the equipment, iron the outfits which clients will wear later…… I also hire some professional models to create new original work sometimes. You can see that there are no upper and lower limits for a freelancer. You can have full control over your own career.
Liz also hires some professional models to create new original work sometimes. (Source: Lizi Studio)
What would be your short-term goal and long-term goal?
My short-term goal at this early stage of my studio career is to make both ends need. It’s a small goal, but it’s realistic. And the long-term goal would be developing my studio to a cultural venue where Chinese culture workshops of various themes can be held occasionally.
Pictures of Lizi Studio. (Source: Claudia, Hanfu Style)
hanfustyle.wordpress.com 