Xiuhefu

() is a modern style of Chinese bridal attire. It consists of a two-piece garment ensemble designed to resemble traditional Chinese wedding attire while adhering to the traditional Chinese clothing system. The is a modern recreation of the Qing dynasty wedding , a form of worn by Han Chinese women which composed of a as lower garment and an as an upper garment. It was developed in modern China and became popular in 2001 when it was popularized by Zhou Xun, the actress who played the role of Xiu He in the Chinese television drama (), thus gaining its contemporary name from name of the television drama character. It is often confused with another traditional Chinese wedding dress known as due to their similarities in appearance.

Origins

The direct precursor of the originated from the Qing dynasty-style wedding worn by Han Chinese women. It consisted of a (a specific type of ) as lower garment and an (a specific type of ) as an upper garment.

In 2001, the prototype of the modern was a wedding dress costume designed by costume designer Ye Jintian for the character Xiu He, portrayed by Chinese actress Zhou Xun in the 2002 Chinese television drama (), known in English as Ripening Orange. The drama is set in the Republican era of China. The wedding costume worn by Xiu He thus became known as . Although Ye Jintian based the costume on Qing dynasty clothing, he did not fully adhere to historical accuracy. Instead, he incorporated and combined elements from several closely related eras in his costume design.

Owing to its perceived dignity and beauty, the designed by Ye Jintian became progressively popular and eventually became a widely chosen form of bridal attire. It was especially popular among several Chinese female celebrities.

Construction and design

In general, the design and construction of the are not bound by traditional garment-making rules. However, as an ensemble, it follows the traditional system and is typically composed of a waist-length , a type of (two-layer jacket) characterized by an overlapping front closure crossing the chest and fastening on the right side with a (), and a long-length . The qun resembles a , as it is considered one of its derivatives. The upper garment is not always a ; it may also be a , a type of with a round collar. The sleeves are typically horn-shaped and relatively wide and may sometimes be double-layered.

The used in the is influenced by a specific late-Qing style of the , particularly the variants worn during the 1910s, when the skirt continued to form part of the bridal attire. This wedding skirt is also referred to as . The used in the may take the form of either an A-line skirt, pleated skirt, or a pleated circle skirt. It features flat fabric panels embellished with decorative motifs executed using an embroidery technique known as (). Unlike the historical whose overlapping construction creates () or (), the flat, straight panels used in the are attached to the exterior of the pleated skirt in a pendulum-like manner. The skirt may also feature more than two visible flat panels. The skirt is long enough to reach the tops of the wearer's feet.

Embroidery

The is typically embroidered with floral motifs (e.g. peonies) and birds (e.g. peacocks), which symbolize enduring love throughout whole seasons. It may also be embroidered with pairs of butterflies and auspicious Chinese characters.

Xiuhefu

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