The styles of men's clothing in the Han Chinese society during the Ming Dynasty were diverse, and the cutting methods and garment structures were very distinctive, presenting different styles in different periods. One of the most representative structures is the “flap” located on both sides of the armpits, which can be divided into internal and external flaps depending on the fixing method. This article analyzes the external flap structure in late Ming Dynasty artifacts, draws cutting diagrams, and produces physical samples to study such structural methods. Additionally, a computer program is written to quantitatively analyze the impact of factors such as fabric and body data on the cutting of external flaps.
1. External Flaps in Late Ming Clothing
1.1 Overview of External Flaps in Ming Clothing
Ming Dynasty clothing has a relatively rich collection of unearthed or preserved artifacts, and there are also many realistic depictions in paintings and sculptures. According to the chronological order, the external flap structures of men's clothing reflected in these materials can be divided into at least four main types: the obtuse-angled, unslit external flap represented by the hemp robe from the Yejiadang Ming Tomb (early Ming); the obtuse-angled, slit external flap represented by the clothing from the Xu Fan couple's tomb in Taizhou (mid-Ming); the upturned, slit external flap with a straight outer side represented by the clothing from the Dingling Tomb (late Ming); and the upturned, slit external flap with a curved outer side represented by the Zhishen and round-collar robes from the old collection of the Confucius Mansion (late Ming). [1] Each type of external flap may appear in various styles of clothing, including Zhishen, round-collar robes, shoulder guards, and scholar's gowns. Even after the Qing Dynasty's hair-cutting and clothing change, the structure of external flaps can still be seen in theatrical costumes.
This article mainly uses the late Ming Zhishen and round-collar robes from the old collection of the Confucius Mansion as examples to analyze the structural characteristics and production methods of typical external flaps during this period.
1.2 Analysis of External Flaps in Artifacts from the Old Collection of the Confucius Mansion
1.2.1 Green Cross Silk Robe
The artifact in Figure 1 is a Zhishen robe with a cross collar, right lapel, large sleeves, and no detailed actual size information [2]. The main body uses one piece of fabric on each side, with the sleeves attached using whole pieces and about 1/6 of the width of the fabric. There are pleats on both sides of the armpits on the front of the garment, and each side has an external flap. The flap does not show any stitching marks, with a pointed top and a certain curvature on the outer side, and it is sewn to a lining fabric at the back. The back piece of the main body has no flaps, and the shape is directly cut out, narrower than the front piece.
Figures 2 and 3 show the details of the construction of this garment. As shown in Figure 2, there is a “factory” shaped seam under the armpits on the front piece. Combining this with the shape of the external flap, it can be known that the external flap is cut from the same piece of fabric used for the main body. However, the material for the flap conflicts with the sleeve, so another piece of fabric is needed to patch the armpit area. After the initial cutting of the flap, the top part of the flap is folded along a diagonal line, and the outer side is folded along a smooth curve towards the back and fixed, utilizing the tension of the fabric to basically flatten it, forming a shape similar to a blade, as shown in Figure 3(a). The lining fabric sewn inside the flap makes the local area stiffer. Based on the above features, the cutting diagram of the pieces can be obtained as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Cutting Diagram of the Zhishen Robe, Showing Only the Composition of Pieces and Not Actual Proportions, Without Indicating Seams
1.2.2 Plain Red Silk Robe and Red Silk Robe with Cloud and Crane Motifs
Both artifacts have a round-collar robe style with a right lapel, pleats under the armpits, and external flaps, as shown in Figure 5. The plain red silk robe is formal wear, measuring 135 cm in length, 65 cm in waist width, 249 cm in total sleeve length, and 72 cm in sleeve width; the red silk robe with cloud and crane motifs is informal wear, measuring 132 cm in length, 60 cm in waist width, 242 cm in total sleeve length, and 63 cm in sleeve width [3]. The structures of both are largely the same, and the external flap design is consistent with the characteristics of the Zhishen robe described in 1.2.1, but the details differ slightly.
Both round-collar robes also adopt the method of “using the sleeve fabric for the external flap + patching the sleeve,” but the shape of the sleeve body seam differs from that of the Zhishen robe, being a curve, as shown in Figure 6. Both sides of the external flaps are connected with rectangular or trapezoidal pieces, with the seams aligned longitudinally, and the outer and upper parts are folded backward along the contour of the external flap and fixed. In cases where the fabric width is limited, the patching method can achieve a larger external flap, and the vertical seams make the flap stiffer.