In the drama The Glory, Chen Duling reportedly has a new outfit in each episode. Those who love dress – up games are in for a treat. Watching this drama is really a visual feast for those who love Hanfu. Speaking of which, because of this drama, we get to see the stand – collar and vertical – front Hanfu. However, some netizens commented: Are Ming – style Hanfu too conservative? They seem to be wrapped up very tightly. In fact, the Hanfu details in this drama are really worth exploring. Here, SilkDivas will popularize some little – known knowledge.

Ⅰ. Reasons for the “Conservativeness” of Ming – style Hanfu

Indeed, looking at the history of our clothing, by the mid – late Ming Dynasty, the stand – collar style became popular among the nobility. Some netizens have commented that the Ming – style stand – collar makes the neck look short, the face appear larger, and gives an impression of aging, so some people would choose the Tang – style Hanfu, which is less likely to go wrong. However, this actually reflects some misunderstandings about traditional Ming – style Hanfu. After all, the delicate and charming look is one kind of beauty, while the elegant and dignified look is another.

The emergence of the stand – collar in the Ming Dynasty was definitely not simply due to “conservativeness”. It was because the region was experiencing a small ice age in history, and the temperature dropped sharply. Therefore, in response to the changes in weather conditions, the clothing culture also underwent different changes.

According to the analysis of historical documents and the comparison of meteorological observation data, the average annual temperature at that time was 1 to 2 degrees Celsius lower than it is now. In the mid – 17th century, the winter in Beijing was about 2 degrees Celsius colder than that in the 1960s. The winter temperature in the Beijing – Tianjin area during the coldest years at that time was 1 to 2 degrees Celsius lower than that during the coldest years since the actual instrumental measurement records (1893 – 1895, 1956 – 1957, and 1969). The average temperature in January reached below – 9 degrees Celsius, and in February it was around – 7 degrees Celsius. However, the summer temperature was not lower than it is now, indicating that the temperature fluctuation range was larger than it is today.

We got a bit sidetracked, but indeed, the weather was one of the reasons for the “conservative” look of Ming – style clothing. Another factor was the dominant position of Confucianism, especially the official promotion of Cheng – Zhu Neo – Confucianism. In terms of clothing, people were required to dress decently and appropriately, avoiding excessive exposure and flamboyance to show respect for etiquette and morality.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, in order to restore the traditional Han clothing system and reshape the cultural identity and national pride of the Han people, the rulers strictly regulated and managed clothing. Under such circumstances, the design of clothing could not be too casual or personalized. Instead, it had to follow strict rules to reflect solemnity and dignity.

The long – standing agricultural civilization in ancient Chinese society created a relatively conservative cultural atmosphere. Society had strict requirements for women, emphasizing female chastity and dignity, which also made women’s clothing more conservative. In traditional Chinese family ethics, women were expected to play gentle, virtuous, and dignified roles. Due to these various influencing factors, we see the “large – sleeve and round – collar” style in the Ming Dynasty.

Ⅱ. Structure of Ming – style Hanfu

The Ming – style stand – collar, based on the traditional cross – collar and front – closing structures of Hanfu, developed stand – collar with slanted front and vertical – front structures. There are also long and short styles (there are relatively few cultural relics of short stand – collar slanted – front jackets & shirts currently). With metal buttons (子母扣) added, it can be paired with horse – faced skirts or pleated skirts on the lower body.

The fabric used can be plain or luxurious. Satin fabrics are often used. The four techniques shown in the picture above are silver – weaving, gold – weaving, zhuanghua (妆花, a complex brocade – like technique), and anhua (暗花, a pattern woven in a subtle way). These four techniques are also widely applied.

On the chest, back, and shoulders of the clothing, there are “cloud – collar” patterns inspired by the shape of persimmon calyx. This is an innovative layout that cleverly uses cloud – collar elements. Complementing it are the “tongxiu luan (通袖襕)” that extends from the shoulders to the ends of the sleeves, and the “xi luan (膝襕)” at the knee position on the lower part of the front and back of the clothes. Such clothing with auspicious meanings is also known as tongxiu robe (通袖袍) or xi luan robe (膝襕袍) by the world.

Wearing a Diji (狄髻) hairpiece and shiny headdress on the head further highlights the noble temperament. This is also a common headdress for noble ladies in the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, the stand – collars of Ming – style Hanfu are not necessarily all that “high”. In fact, there are both high and low collars, which can be adjusted according to personal preference. They can even be worn with a folded collar (similar to the modern fashion of folding the collar of a shirt), so there are various ways to wear them.

Of course, in the Ming Dynasty, there were not only stand – collars, but also round collars, square collars, etc., as well as the ever – popular cross – collars and front – closing styles. These could be layered and combined, demonstrating the diversity of clothing combinations.

Although it may seem simple, there are actually many variations. The variety of sleeves also gives Ming – style clothes a different charm. In daily life, there are narrow – sleeved pipa – shaped sleeves with a curved cuff. In ceremonial occasions, there are large and wide sleeves.

Moreover, in the design of the clothes, there is a feature called “shou qu (收袂)”, which is the position marked as the stitching stop in the picture above. This makes the clothes less likely to have the sleeves shift when worn, and some simple items can also be put in the sleeves. It not only reflects the characteristics of formal attire in appearance but also provides convenience in daily life. So, different cuff styles can meet the needs of different occasions.

Summary

Previously, stills of characters like Chen Duling in The Glory crew wearing Ming – style Hanfu costumes were released. It can be seen that it’s not that Ming – style is conservative. It’s just that we are used to seeing the styles of the Song and Tang dynasties. We should also appreciate the unique charm of Ming – style. Looking at it from another perspective, Ming – style is also very beautiful. I hope the TV drama The Glory can be aired smoothly.