China's film and television industry is never short of ancient costume dramas. Apart from factors such as actors' performances and popularity that affect ratings, the costumes worn by characters in the drama are also one of the key reasons why viewers choose to follow a series. Who could resist watching an aesthetically pleasing ancient costume drama with historically accurate costumes during their leisure time? When it comes to the costumes in ancient costume dramas, we must mention Hanfu. If you think Hanfu simply refers to clothing from the Han Dynasty, then you are greatly mistaken!
Ancient costumes look good; our Chinese ancient costumes and Hanfu are more suitable for us than wedding dresses. This is due to the unique appearance and temperament of most Chinese people. Of course, this does not include those with a more international appearance; it's not that they don't look good, but rather that they are not suitable for ancient costumes. Perhaps due to differences in our aesthetic preferences, ancient costumes are better suited to the gentle appearance of Chinese people, and the cultural connotations contained within ancient costume Hanfu can enhance our temperament. While most people can wear wedding dresses, I personally feel that they are not as impressive as ancient costumes and look better when worn.
The mainstream forms of ancient costume Hanfu have been continuously changing across each dynasty. The classification methods of ancient costume Hanfu are not simple; some are divided according to styles, while others are based on the functional roles of the garments. In summary, there are many categories. Ancient costume Hanfu has had a direct influence on traditional Japanese and Korean clothing, which is to say, they were plagiarized. In contemporary times, Japan and South Korea both have their national costumes, largely because their styles are simple and easy to promote; however, the diversity of styles in our ancient costume Hanfu makes it difficult to promote, which is one reason why ancient costume Hanfu has not become a unified national costume to this day. There are many reasons, including the variety of categories, etc.
An in-depth analysis of the significant growth of Hanfu in recent years, according to Yang Jian, Chairman of Panzi Women's Workshop, is inseparable from several factors. Firstly, economic development has brought about an increase in national confidence, coupled with the encouragement of innovation and inheritance of traditional culture, leading to the emergence of many companies working in this field. Secondly, in the past, the box office of ancient-themed films and TV ratings did not have an advantage compared to foreign films and TV shows. However, in recent years, ancient costume dramas have gradually dominated the popular lists and have been recognized by the market, with the number of users gradually expanding, which has become a major factor in the rise of the Hanfu market. Thirdly, Yang Jian stated that the promotion and advocacy of Hanfu enthusiasts within the community and the rise of the Hanfu revival movement are also reasons for the rapid development and growth of the Hanfu industry.
Generally speaking, all ancient clothing belongs to the category of “ancient costume.” However, in modern contexts, the term “ancient costume” specifically refers to costumes used in historical dramas, including classical dance costumes, martial arts performance costumes, costumes for films and TV series, theatrical costumes, and painting figure costumes. Such costumes are designed as props specifically for the plot and are not traditional ancient clothing in the strict sense. The reason they leave people with the impression of “ancient costume” (such as the blue robes with wide sleeves) is that their design prototypes are derived from ancient Hanfu, which can be categorized as special functional costumes derived from Hanfu, situated at the periphery of the Hanfu system.
Recently, well-known online celebrity singer Feng Timo took a set of photos wearing ancient costume Hanfu. It turns out that Feng Timo, as a well-known online celebrity singer, is indeed very suitable for wearing ancient costume Hanfu. Wearing ancient costume Hanfu, she exudes a fairy-like aura. To say that Feng Timo is too beautiful, too pretty, and too lovely is no exaggeration. Without delving into other matters, why is Feng Timo the only one among so many online singers who has become famous? Perhaps, there really may be a reason for this. Below, let's take a look at Feng Timo dressed in ancient costume Hanfu.
Ancient costume is a concept familiar to everyone, including “studio costumes” used in photo studios and costumes used in various ancient costume TV series. Although many people believe that Hanfu is ancient costume, strictly speaking, ancient costume does not belong to Hanfu. The main reason is that the styles of ancient costumes do not conform to the basic characteristics of Hanfu: enthusiasts who have taken ancient costume art photos or participated in ancient costume dramas will notice that when they clasp their hands in front of them, the sleeves of the ancient costume cannot completely align, and the cuffs form a certain angle from top to bottom; however, this is different with Hanfu. When someone wears Hanfu and clasps their hands together, the cuffs of the Hanfu will completely fit together. Such designs in ancient costumes are mostly out of practical considerations, making it convenient for actors to move and meet the needs of filming. However, it is precisely because of these designs that ancient costumes differ significantly from Hanfu.
Although the Hanfu market is excellent, it is easy to incur losses without understanding Hanfu and having certain skills and methods in this industry. Understanding what kind of Hanfu one buys and why it captivates so many people is crucial. Only by understanding the reasons for its popularity can one design related Hanfu according to people's preferences. Otherwise, consumers will not grasp your selling points and cannot recognize your so-called Hanfu, thus failing from the start.
Historically, Central Plain civilization has always rejected left lapels. Although Hanfu civilization was once interrupted after the Qing Dynasty, it did not stop. Some people tried to revive Hanfu but failed due to various reasons. With the rise of Hanfu fever, those unfamiliar with Hanfu sometimes mock others for inadvertently wearing clothes with “left lapels” when using Hanfu. This was taboo in ancient times. It is not only disrespectful but also a sign of backwardness, as only defeated people or barbarians wore “left lapels.”
These Hanfu enthusiasts mostly wear their clothes because they like them, not for filming or taking photos. Whether passersby find them attractive is another matter. According to most people's conventional thinking, saying that Hanfu enthusiasts wear ancient costumes sounds like ordinary people wearing costumes or studio outfits on the street. I understand why passersby might think this way, and I feel that this thought is reasonable given most people's lifestyles. However, most Hanfu enthusiasts wear Hanfu for the same reason they would wear a beautiful outfit bought from a fashion store, differing from the thoughts of passersby. I don't want to argue who is right or wrong here. I can only say that different people have different understandings of different things. Passersby are not wrong, and neither are Hanfu enthusiasts who feel unhappy being misunderstood by passersby for wearing their clothes. Personally, I feel that there is no right or wrong in this matter.