Ancient Chinese Fashion

The Han Dynasty

• The Han Dynasty was one of the longest of China’s major dynasties
• Lasted a span of over four centuries and was considered a golden age in Chinese history

The Han Dynasty

• All subsequent Chinese dynasties looked back to the Han period as an inspiring model of a united empire and self-perpetuating government.
• China's complete code of costume was established in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). The yarn-dyeing, embroidering and metal-processing technologies developed rapidly in the period, spurring changes in costume and adornments.

Hanfu

• Han Chinese clothing, or Hanfu, refers to the clothing worn by the Han ethnic people from the ruling periods of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns (Han Dynasty) to the Ming Dynasty
• A complete set of Hanfu, includes clothing, accessories, jewelry etc reflects the rituals of Chinese culture from that era

Untitled Slide

Untitled Slide

Material

• Only the rich wore Hanfus that were made of silk
• Other fabrics were cotton, brocade and yarn

Elements

• A whole set of the Han Chinese Garment has three layers: an underwear, an inner garment and an overcoat
• The three layers embrace ten elements: collar, hem, sleeve, lapel, belt etc.

Characteristics

• Upper Garment, named as "Yi", which have loose lapels and are open
• Lower Garment, skirts called "Shang"
• Collars, diagonally crossing each other, with the left crossing over the right ('Y' shaped)
• Sleeves, generally, long and loose

Characteristics

• Buttons, sparingly used and concealed inside the garment
• Fittings, belts and sashes are used to close, secure, and fit the garments around the waist

styles/forms

• "upper-yi-and-lower-shang" style: a loose lapelled coat as an upper garment and a shang (a skirt) as a lower garment
• "shenyi" style: the upper coat and the skirt sewed together

styles/forms

• "ruqun" style: top garment with a separate lower garment or skirt etc.

Untitled Slide

Untitled Slide

Formal VS. Informal HANFu

• The ceremonial dress in "upper-yi-and-lower-shang" style used to be the most formal costume for emperors and officials
• the "shenyi" was an informal dress for officials and scholars
• the "ruqun" was women's favorite

Untitled Slide

Accessories

• Accessories and hair ornaments are also important components of hanfu
• In ancient times, boys and girls of the Han nationality would wear their hair in a coil and hold it in place with a hairpin after the coming-of-age ceremony

Accessories

• Women would comb their hair in various styles of coils or buns and wear all kinds of hair ornaments such as pearls, flowers and buyaos (a kind of hairpin)
• Men traditionally wore coronets, scarves and caps

Fashion Then Vs. Fashion Now

Thank You