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Hanfu: Information and Drawing Tips

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Hanfu

Information and drawing tips


Table of contents
1. Disclaimers 3
2. What is (and isn’t) hanfu 4-9
3. General information
a. Layers 10 - 13
b. Period-specific styles 14 - 24
c. Shoes 25 - 26
4. Do’s and don’ts
a. Collars 27 - 30
b. Mixing styles 31
c. Yuanlingpao 32 - 33
d. Hanfu, kimono, hanbok 34
e. Miscellaneous 35
5. Glossary 37
6. Sources 38 - 40
Disclaimers
The information and advice in this presentation are based on
historical accuracy as well as current common practice among
hanfu wearers (which often isn’t historically accurate).
For fictional characters in fantasy settings, some of these might
not apply and there is always room for creativity, but I still think
it’s important to know where the fashion comes from, how it
originally is and how you might choose to modify it.
There are many people who might not care about accuracy, and I
agree that it doesn’t always matter, but I hope this will still be
informative and helpful!
What is (and isn’t) hanfu
● Hanfu ( 汉服 ) is defined as the traditional ethnic clothing of the
Han Chinese people
● Another commonly used term, huafu ( 华服 ), includes the
clothing of all ethnic groups in China
● Of course other groups such as the Manchu people, the
Mongolian people, the Hmong people, etc. all also have their
own ethnic clothing and all deserve their own appreciation, but
I will only focus on hanfu in this presentation
● The vast majority of Qing dynasty fashion does not count as
hanfu as it’s heavily influenced by Manchu clothing
● Qipao/cheongsam is also not hanfu as it’s derived from
Qing/Manchu (and in modern style also western) clothing
What is (and isn’t) hanfu
Some examples:

← Ming-style clothing
(this is hanfu)

→ Qing-style clothing
(this is not hanfu)
What is (and isn’t) hanfu
Some examples:

← Song-style clothing
(this is hanfu)

→ Mongolian deel
(this is not hanfu)
What is (and isn’t) hanfu
Some examples:

← Ming-style clothing
(this is hanfu)

→ Manchu clothing
(this is not hanfu)
What is (and isn’t) hanfu
Some examples:

← Ming-style clothing
(this is hanfu)

→ Qing-style
tangzhuang
(this is not hanfu)
What is (and isn’t) hanfu
Some examples:

← modernized hanfu
(this is hanfu)

→ modern
qipao/cheongsam
(this is not hanfu)
General information: Layers
Hanfu usually consists of 3 basic layers:
● 内衣 (neiyi): inner clothing
● 中依 (zhongyi): middle clothing
● 外衣 (waiyi): outer clothing

However, waiyi can consist of even more layers in itself (such


as multiple tops, coats, etc.)
General information: Layers
内衣 (neiyi): inner clothing

● Neiyi covers the private parts and


usually the chest as well
● It usually isn’t visible in a complete
ensemble (a notable exception is
women’s waist-high ruqun where the
top is sometimes visible)
General information: Layers
中依 (zhongyi): middle clothing

● Zhongyi can come in different styles,


but most often it consists of a cross-
collared top and either trousers or a
skirt
● It’s usually white and plain
● It doubles as sleepwear
● The collar is almost always visible
under the waiyi
General information: Layers
外衣 (waiyi): outer clothing

● The main garments


● The style of waiyi can vary greatly
by time period
General information: Period-specific styles
A rough (and incomplete!) timeline of Chinese history for reference
(periods that are of special interest for hanfu are highlighted)

Ancient Imperial Modern


● Neolithic (8500 - 2070 BCE) ● Qin (221 - 207 BCE) ● Republic of China
● Xia (2070 - 1600 BCE) ● Han (202 BCE - 220 CE) (1912 - 1949)
● Shang (1600 - 1046 BCE) ● Three Kingdoms (220 - 280) ● People's Republic of
● Zhou (1046 - 256 BCE) ● Jin (266 - 420) China (1949 - present)
● Sui (581 - 618)
● Tang (618 - 907)
● Song (960 - 1279)
● Yuan (1271 - 1368)
● Ming (1368 - 1644)
● Qing (1636 - 1912)
General information: Period-specific styles
Han dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE)

● Iconic for representing some of the oldest surviving


records of hanfu (though hanfu dates back a lot further)
● Common styles of this period were ruqun ( 襦裙 ), a
cross-collared top and skirt, and quju ( 曲裾 ), also
known as curved-hem robe, a one-piece garment

Pictures of historically accurate Han dynasty


hanfu on the next slide
General information: Period-specific styles
Han dynasty
General information: Period-specific styles
Tang dynasty (618 - 907)

● Sometimes called the golden age of Chinese culture


● The mid to late Tang dynasty is now famous for its beauty
ideal of voluptuous women
● Common styles were chest-high ruqun and yuanlingpao
( 圆领袍 ), known as round-collared robe

Pictures of historically accurate Tang dynasty


hanfu on the next slide
General information: Period-specific styles
Tang dynasty
General information: Period-specific styles
Song dynasty (960 - 1279)

● Most women’s clothing became more restrained and simple


compared to the Tang dynasty
● This might have been the first time that earrings started to
be worn by Han women (it was considered immoral before)
● Common styles were waist-high ruqun and yuanlingpao

Pictures of historically accurate Song dynasty


hanfu on the next slide
General information: Period-specific styles
Song dynasty
General information: Period-specific styles
Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)

● Over the course of the Ming dynasty, a big shift occurred in


hanfu: ruqun was largely replaced by aoqun and daopao
● This was also the first time that standing collars ( 竖领 )
were used
● Aoqun ( 袄裙 ) consists of long top that is worn untucked
and a skirt that, in the later period, is often pleated

Pictures of historically accurate Ming dynasty


hanfu on the next slide
General information: Period-specific styles
Ming dynasty
General information: Period-specific styles
Summary

● I’ve heard the phrase “simple Han, luxurious Tang, delicate


Song, elegant Ming” and I think that sums it up pretty well
● The other dynasties (like Jin and Sui) have interesting
styles as well, but they haven’t received nearly as much
attention as those four
General information: Period-specific styles
Some important takeaways

● No earrings before the Song dynasty


● No standing collars before the Ming dynasty
● Pibo ( 披帛 ), flowy silk shawls, are iconic for the Tang
dynasty
● This probably goes without saying, but also no cut hair (i.e.
no bangs, no shaving, etc.) until the Qing dynasty
(exceptions: young children, Buddhist monks, non-Han
people, criminals and social outcasts)
General information: Shoes
● Hanfu shoes were historically made of fabric or leather
● They often turn upwards at the end which serves the
purpose of holding up the hem of the robes so that the
wearer won’t trip
● Traditional hanfu shoes
never have heels. The soles
are flat
● Shoes are often worn with
loose-fitting socks like this →
General information: Shoes
Some types of shoes

Gongxie ( 弓鞋 ), Xue ( 靴 ), boots mostly worn Fangxi ( 方舄 ), Song to


Song to Ming-style for riding horses, worn since Ming-style men's shoes
casual shoes at least the Han dynasty
Do’s and don’ts: Collars
Do… Don’t…

always draw cross collars draw them right-over-left


left-over-right
Do’s and don’ts: Collars
● Left-over-right goes for all cross collars (including
zhongyi) in all styles of hanfu
● The reason is that the reverse (right-over-left) is
usually how deceased people are dressed
● The name of this rule is 交领右衽 (jiaoling youren)

● Other cultures (like a lot of nomadic groups in the


north) used right-over-left as their norm
Do’s and don’ts: Collars
Do… Don’t…

choose Ming-style collars choose Qing-style or


if you want to draw modern shirt collars if
standing collars in hanfu you’re trying to draw
hanfu

Pictures on the next slide


Do’s and don’ts: Collars
Hanfu collars (Ming-style) Not hanfu collars
Do’s and don’ts: Mixing styles
Do… Don’t…

stick to one style or only mix styles randomly when it


combine different styles when isn’t appropriate (or, if you
it’s appropriate choose to do it intentionally,
you should at least know what
e.g.: a fictional character who you’re doing)
is immortal could wear a
combination of the different
e.g.: a character living in very
styles they’ve worn throughout
ancient times should not be
their lifetime
wearing aoqun
Do’s and don’ts: Yuanlingpao
Do… Don’t…

draw the fold and the forget it! If there was no


button on yuanlingpao fold and button, it’d be
impossible (or very difficult)
to put on and take off
yuanlingpao

Pictures on the next slide


Do’s and don’ts: Yuanlingpao

This “slit” is a This is the fold


side vent. It’s that is buttoned
Can also be worn not always at the top
unbuttoned like this visible
Do’s and don’ts: Hanfu, kimono, hanbok
Do… Don’t…

learn the differences get them mixed up or blend


between Chinese hanfu, their different elements
Japanese kimono and together when it isn’t
Korean hanbok appropriate

Here are two posts you can read that explain a few of the differences:

hanfu & kimono / hanfu, kimono, hanbok


Do’s and don’ts: Miscellaneous
● Do keep the social standing of the character you’re drawing in mind (i.e. a
commoner would wear much less flashy and more practical clothing than a
noble person)
● Do be aware that hairstyles are a big point of debate. Historically, Han people
would never cut their hair (with the only exceptions listed on slide 24) until
they were forced to in the Qing dynasty, and adult men would only wear it
tied up, but of course it’s fun to be more creative than that. Just keep it in
mind and maybe don’t go too wild if it doesn’t seem appropriate

● Don’t draw shoes with heels (unless you really want to, but just be aware
that it’s a modern feature)
● Don’t get all your inspiration and references from western interpretations
and media. It’s better to find actual Chinese sources
Thank you for reading!

For questions, concerns or corrections, please contact


me on Twitter @shiuwudu!
Glossary
● Aoqun ( 袄裙 ): Ming-style top + skirt
● Daopao ( 道袍 ): Ming-style men’s robe
● Pibo ( 披帛 ): long silk shawl
● Quju ( 曲裾 ): one-piece curved-hem robe
● Ru ( 襦 ): cross-collared top
● Ruqun ( 襦裙 ): cross-collared top + skirt
● Shan ( 衫 ): outer coat
● Shuling ( 竖领 ): Ming-style standing collar
● Song ku ( 宋裤 ): Song-style trousers
● Yuanlingpao ( 圆领袍 ): round-collared robe
Sources (information)
● 14: Wikipedia for the timeline

● 古墓仙女穿搭指南 2020-2021 先行版 - 歷代 - 繁體


(a hanfu manual that was recently published. It’s really detailed and
depicts a lot of historical artifacts. I’d definitely recommend looking it up
if you can read Chinese)
● ziseviolet.tumblr.com compiles a lot of very useful information (but social
media content, including this presentation, should always be taken with a
grain of salt). Her blog is also full of useful visual references for mostly
modernized hanfu but sometimes historical as well
● hanfugallery.tumblr.com is a another good source for visual references
Sources (pictures) I
● Background art: Parrot and insect among pear blossoms
(Huang Jucai)
● 5: Ming-style hanfu from 厦门花间集 · 国风汉服摄影
(Weibo), Qing-style clothing from Legend of Ruyi (drama)
● 6: Song-style hanfu from 【踏云馆】 汉服 (Taobao)
● 7: Ming-style hanfu from 云河千色 (Weibo), Manchu
clothing from 泓森猫掌柜 (Weibo)
● 11: neiyi from 天汉骄阳 (Weibo)
● 13: hanfu from 鹤庐汉服 (Taobao)
Sources (pictures) II
● 16: Han-style hanfu from 裝束復原團隊(中國裝束復原小
組)
● 18: Tang-style women’s hanfu from 裝束復原團隊(中國裝束
復原小組) , men’s yuanlingpao from 山涧 服饰 (Taobao)
● 20: Song-style waist-high ruqun from 高地摄影 , diyi from
Serenade of Peaceful Joy (drama), wedding attire from 云珮
月裳汉服出租 (Taobao)
● 22: Ming-style aoqun 花鼻子的时空隧道 & 锦瑟衣庄 ,
men's daopao by 望月明传统服饰

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