sorry for the bother. could you explain a little on who wears what? i want to know what men wore in formal occasions like diners or ceremonies :)
Hi, thanks for the question!
I’m not very knowledgeable on mens’ formal hanfu, but here’s what I’ve managed to put together from various sources:
The most formal Hanfu that a civilian can wear is the Xuanduan (玄端), which is a very formal dark robe; equivalent to the Western white tie. The Xuanduan is basically a simplified version of full court dress of the officials and the nobility. It’s the most formal outfit still used in contemporary times, for rituals and ceremonies, as well as weddings.
The Xuanduan consists of a black or dark blue long-sleeved top that runs to the knees, which is worn over (untucked) a red or yellow chang wrap-skirt, accessorized with a red bixi (trapezoidal decorative cloth), white belt with two white streamers called peishou, and a long black guan (headdress). Wearers may carry a long jade or wood tablet called huban.
Here’s a Xuanduan with a blue top:
Men’s formal hanfu also includes:
- Shenyi (深衣): a long full body garment, which can also be equivalent to a white-tie for men (but not as formal as Xuanduan). The black and white outfit below is a type of Shenyi, as are Quju and Zhiju.
- Quju (曲裾): curved-hem robe, in which the bottom hem of the left lapel spirals its way up to the waist of the wearer.
- Zhiju (直裾): straight-hem robe. The Zhiju got its name in contrast to the Quju. Unlike the Quju, the Zhiju’s bottom hem circles around levelly, hence a “straight” line.
- Yuanlingshan (圓領衫) and lanshan (襴衫): closed, round-collared robe; mostly used for official or academical dress.
- Daopao (道袍): the formal wear of choice of scholars and gentry in the high and late Ming.
Hope this (very brief) overview helps! :)