Maybe you often have the idea of making your own Hanfu, in addition to buying a new Hanfu. In this article, we will briefly introduce the steps of Hanfu making and the common fabrics used in Hanfu making. I hope it will be helpful to you.
01 Steps & Difficulties of Hanfu Making
The first step in Hanfu making is to determine the shape (style) and draw the pattern design.
The second step of Hanfu making: determine the fabric and pattern. The process of fabric usually includes: printing (印花, yìn huā), embroidery (绣花, xiù huā), gold weaving (织金, zhī jīn), gold sprinkling (洒金, sa jīn), gold printing (印金, yìn jīn) and so on.
For example, this one-piece pleated skirt is made with embroidery + decorations on the skirt head, gold and silver silk fabric (colorful silk fabric) + different printing patterns on the left and right + gold sprinkles and gold foil effect fabric and technology, rich in layers.
Printed Patterns
The fabric of the Hanfu needs careful preparation: because the patterns and embroidery printing may need to be redesigned and drawn, and even if there is a prototype of the pattern, it needs to refer to the material for secondary creation. The time and effort spent on this cost are often huge.
The third step of Hanfu making: refer to the cultural relics and make a prototype. Combine the data of the excavated artifacts and the pattern style to do multiple tests.
The fourth step of Hanfu making: cutting and sewing the Hanfu (many different techniques will be used).
02 Characteristics of Hanfu Fabrics
Most of the styles of Hanfu are Tongcai (通裁) and wider, which require more fabrics and cost more compared to other costumes.
Hanfu is very inclusive of fabrics. According to the different styles, different seasons, and different effects you want to present, you can choose to use different fabrics to make it. For example, in Mamian skirt, in order to keep the skirt pleats in shape, it is suitable to use a harder fabric.
03 Common Fabrics Used in Hanfu Making
Since Hanfu is very inclusive of fabrics and has diverse choices, we will mainly introduce you to the scenarios of using 8 common fabrics for Hanfu. (Most of the fabric components are polyester fiber, only the subtle characteristics of the fabrics are different, so they have different names.)
1. diamond chiffon fabric (钻石雪纺, zuàn shí xuě fang), touch soft, light and transparent texture, drape strong, overall light and comfortable. For example, this “The Legend of Qin” co-branded model of the North and South Dynasties style of Hanfu, which has a straight collar and large lapel wide sleeve Ru, to restore the sense of flowing anime character sleeves, using this material.
2. While this large-sleeved Shan in the picture is made of crystal cotton (水晶棉, shui jīng mián ), which is characterized by a certain stiffness, luster, thinness, and slight transparency. This shows that the same “floating” texture, because of the nuances of the meaning of the Hanfu itself, the choice of fabric will also be different!
3. Bamboo silk crepe fabric (竹丝绉, zhú sī zhòu), good stiffness, not easy to wrinkle, thin fabric with texture, light and slightly transparent, easy to clean. Suitable for Hanfu style which highlights the unique atmosphere and elegance.
4. horizontal striped plain fabric, often used in the Xiapei, this fabric is interwoven points, firm texture, flat surface, lighter, wear-resistant, breathable. High-grade embroidery fabrics are usually plain fabrics. Because Xiapei mostly reflects a sense of dignity and carries a complex and gorgeous temperament, it should be made of thick fabrics and decorated with more embroidery.
5. Rhombus Yarn fabric, with a certain sense of stiffness, and then set by the cold pressing process, not easy to deformation. It can be applied to the horse face skirt.
6. Han element clothing, more suitable for daily wear, in the choice of fabric is more diverse. For example, this one:
The square collar lapel Shan (方领对襟衫) is made of micro-gloss satin fabric (微光缎, wēi guāng duàn), which is smooth, comfortable and soft, with a certain degree of elasticity and luster.
The camisole is made of Huayao Zhou fabric (花瑶绉, huā yáo zhòu), which has a distinct luster and a fuller coloration. The feel is more skin-friendly, smooth, and soft with elasticity; breathable performance is better, and the clothes made from Huayao Zhou fabric have a stronger sense of design and more unique shape.
And the Sanjian skirt (三裥裙) using stretch satin fabric (弹力缎, dàn lì duàn), is characterized by good elasticity, comfort, relatively small shrinkage, and not easy to wrinkle. Both to ensure the comfort of wearing, but also to ensure the visual beauty and generosity.
So this whole set of Han elements of clothing, wear comfortable, very suitable for spring and summer wear, take pictures also super good-looking!
In short, the distinctive features of the Hanfu form, the elaborate design of the pattern, the large amount of material used in Hanfu (Tongcai, large hemline, many layers, etc.), and the tedious fabric processing, a series of factors that make the process of making Hanfu requires more effort and time. Of course, if it's your first time trying to make a hanfu, you can start with the basics. The most important thing is to enjoy the fun of making Hanfu.
After reading this article, do you have a better understanding of Hanfu making and fabric selection? Welcome to the Hanfu Group to share and discuss with us.
