Recently, a Dunhuang costume show was grand opening in the desert, giving us an extravagant visual feast. This article will take you to enjoy this beautiful Dunhuang style Chinese costume and teach you to easily match a Dunhuang style.
The Aesthetic Value of the Dunhuang Style Costume
Dunhuang is unique in China's cultural context, as its geographic location and traces of religious fusion have allowed it to absorb a more diverse range of cultures. As a result, Dunhuang's architecture, frescoes, and color and costume art have all shone through over thousand years.
The Dunhuang style costume is different from the traditional hanfu. In terms of overall style, it is close to a product of the interweaving of Chinese and Western regions cultures, and there is a great deal of religious mythology attached to the costumes. For example, the familiar “Feitian (飞天)“, “Bodhisattva leading the way (菩萨引路)”, “Rebounding pipa (反弹琵琶)”, “Nine colored deer (九色鹿)”, etc. If these cultural elements are incorporated into the design of traditional hanfu, it will be a stunning work.
Tips for Wearing Dunhuang Style Costume
Choose a classical color scheme with a strong traditional flavor
The color scheme in the Dunhuang Grottoes is very recognizable, as it incorporates the exuberant and enthusiastic color scheme of the Western regions at the time, but the overall color palette remains true to the traditional Chinese classical color scheme.
Based on the traditional “five colors” in Chinese painting – green, yellow, red, white, and black – the brighter colors collide with the simple low-purity colors of classical colors, with a unique style of “Dunhuang color scheme”, incomparable stunning.
The “clash of colors” is a very important technique in the Dunhuang style color scheme, such as the classic “cerise” plus “sapphire blue” they can bring a strong visual impact, so that people do not forget to see it and impressive. But it should be noted that these two colors belong to the brightness and purity of the higher, if the direct match will be a little stiff, then we can choose the broadest tolerance of white to do the transition and reconciliation.
In addition, the bright style of the “earth color system” is also very Dunhuang sense, you can choose “turmeric + orange + lake blue” multi-layered color scheme, this collocation is especially shown classical temperament.
With Flowing and Textured Fabrics
In the Dunhuang frescoes, the most common is the fairy, their clothes fluttering, light body. If we want to display this style, we must first work on the clothing material, both to consider the choice of light and airy gauze fabric, but also reasonable with the texture and good drape of thin brocade satin.
Gauze material generally chooses a soft and good sense of light transmission chiffon or brocade silk, this fabric: one is light and thin can sway with the wind, the second is a strong sense of haze can highlight the atmosphere. Brocade fabric generally has a dark pattern or print on it, which can highlight the texture of the wear. The combination of these two types of clothing materials can be used to show a strong Dunhuang style.
How to match the Dunhuang style costume with a strong exotic style
Get unique style with Feitian costume
“Feitian” is a very important theme in Dunhuang's frescoes, and Feitian costumes have a strong Western region, blending Buddhist costume features with traditional Chinese clothing.
The Feitian costume is often topped with silk “Luo Ye”, which generally reveals half of the shoulders and waist and abdomen, highlighting the thin features. Often match a long, flowing skirt, usually made of translucent chiffon, which can reveal the legs in a haze, with a little bit of charm.
“Pibo (披帛)” is also essential, in order to create a very impactful sense of floating, also can even choose a two-color Pibo, which can highlight the visual hierarchy.
Get classical style with Beizi and Jiaoyu Qun
During the Tang Dynasty, there was a wide exchange between Chinese and foreign people, and much of the Hu culture began to penetrate into the traditional Han costume.
“Tang Beizi (唐背子)” is one of the typical representatives. This half-armed design requires a plain “round-necked lapel shirt” to be worn inside. The round collar design can show the neck line, which is very beautiful.
Try to choose a thin brocade Tang beizi, so that the shoulders will be broader, which is good for the shape of the shoulders, and the Tang Beizi usually has the traditional “auspicious pattern”, which has a classical atmosphere.
The bottom can be paired with a high-waisted “Jiaoyu Qun (交窬裙)“, a skirt shape that is very slimming because it is not pleated and does not make the body redundant, but rather trims the bottom line and makes the overall look more fluid. The actual “Dunhuang” pattern is a traditional one, so the theme will be more clear.
Jiaoyu Qun's skirt is designed to be color-blocked, both in line with the characteristics of Dunhuang and modern aesthetics, and if the traditional “Dunhuang pattern” is used as a decoration, the theme will be clearer.
This set of matching must not be missing the “Pibo”, recommend choosing wider silk, highlight the Tang spontaneous tolerance of the temperament. And the wide poncho can be used to second with our Tang back son, directly it will be draped on the shoulder also have a special mood.
Add charm with delicate accessories
To better highlight the Dunhuang style of dressing, it must not be missing the delicate and elaborate accessories, “Bihuan (臂环)” can be fixed up the Pibo, can show a strong western regions style.
The “waist chain” is also essential, the various colors of the treasure beads can make our dress more elegant and luxurious. Finally, wear a delicate crown to complete the whole look.
Such classical and charming Dunhuang style costume, do you like it? Why not put on gorgeous costumes together and have a reunion with Dunhuang across the millennium.
