My favorite hanfu style is waist-high ruqun – especially those with parallel collars:
It’s my favorite for the following reasons:
a) Cinches at waist & follows body’s natural form. The waist-high ruqun is tied at the waist, accentuating the natural feminine lines of the body. Since I have a relatively small waist, I appreciate any clothing that accentuates it 😛
Which brings me to my next reason…
b) Balanced silhouette. The waist-high ruqun has relatively balanced proportions (vertically & horizontally), centered on the middle/waist, which I find aesthetically pleasing. Parallel collars, running straight down the chest, further enhance this sense of balance.
c) Ease & beauty of movement. Compared to most other hanfu styles,waist-high ruqun is relatively easy to move around in. Its flowing lines move gracefully to reflect the wearer’s actions.
d) Versatility. Waist-high ruqun can be customized using many different methods: “jackets” (banbi, beizi, daxiushan, etc), short outer skirts (weichang), long scarves (pibo), waist ornaments, etc. Below – worn with blue beizi (left) & green daxiushan (right).
Parallel collars render the chest undergarment (moxiong) visible, providing an extra piece with which to accessorize the ruqun. Below – the color of the moxiong matches that of the pink banbi (left) & green pibo (right).
e) Beautiful from the back. All hanfu styles are pretty from behind (see chest-high ruqun, quju, aoqun below), but waist-high ruqun (top left) is especially so.
After waist-high ruqun with parallel collars, my next favorite hanfu styles are, in descending order: waist-high ruqun with crossed-collars, heziqun, zaju, quju, beizi, chest-high ruqun, & aoqun (see this post for definitions).
1) Waist-high ruqun with crossed collars: This would be my favorite style, if not for the fact that I prefer parallel collars slightly more than crossed collars.
2) Heziqun (left): The hezi acts as a gorgeous centerpiece for the dress. 3) Zaju (right): The additional triangular strips add delicate movement to the outfit.
4) Quju: Curved lines wrap elegantly around the body for a pleasing form. However, it’s more restrictive around the legs & not as easy to move in.
5) Beizi (Song-style): Arguably the most convenient style, and can be worn with trousers. Multiple parallel lines create a charmingly straight & simple silhouette.
6) Chest-high ruqun: The high-waisted silhouette & long, flowing lines of the skirt produce an ethereal effect, especially when worn with daxiushan.
7) Aoqun: Exquisite designs and crisply pleated skirts on a triangular silhouette give the wearer an air of grandeur.
Note: the above is not a complete list of hanfu styles. There are more, like zhiju, u-collar ruqun, yuanlingpao, etc (not to mention men’s styles).
Now that I’ve waxed poetic on my preferences, I have a question for everyone: Which hanfu style is your favorite? I’m curious! 😀
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