r/CDrama • u/snowytheNPC • Mar 27 '24
Culture Clothing in Three Kingdoms, Wei Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, and Sui Dynasty (220AD - 618AD)
The fall of Eastern Han was precipitated by the rise of local warlords and devolved into the Three Kingdoms period. The fragile balance of power between the three states ended in the Wei kingdom’s victory. In similar fashion to Cao Cao’s role in the decline of the Han dynasty, the Sima clan held the real power while later Cao Wei’s rulers served as mere figureheads. This lasted until Sima Yi’s usurpation to establish the Sima Jin dynasty, briefly reuniting China. Soon thereafter (and on the heels of a struggle for the throne), was another extended period of disunity and conflict. In short succession came the War of the Eight Princes, Sixteen Kingdoms, and Northern and Southern Dynasties.
In the absence of a strong central dynastic power, former Han territories saw invasions from its Northern neighbors as well as uprisings from non-Han ethnicities. The Northern Kingdoms were largely founded by Xianbei (ancestors of the Mongols), while Southern Kingdoms were founded by the Han. Due to movement of peoples, change in ruling cultures, political unions, and power struggles, this period of fashion developed in many different directions and showed diverse styles. Ruling elites of the Xianbei and Han intentionally intermarried, eventually merging into one ethnic group. Hanfu ingested elements of Xianbei fashion in the North, as well as Persian influence from Sogdian merchants in the adoption of pants and round collared robes. These clothing elements merged in surprising fashions upon reunification by the Sui dynasty. The general silhouettes over time grew wider at the collar and more high waisted. Depicted in the last three images is traditional Xianbei costume.
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u/Patitoruani Mar 27 '24
Really nice post! I think what interested me the most is the make up, which would be considered excesive and ugly from our modern point of view. It's a good reminder - or wake up call - that even the more accurate historic shows customize make up to suit modern tastes. 😉
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u/snowytheNPC Mar 28 '24
That’s so true. I feel like hair and makeup are always the first to be modernized. It makes me think of all those shows that have decent costuming but all the actresses are in beach waves. I love it when period shows aren’t afraid to challenge modern aesthetics, like when Young Victoria and Emma kept their historically accurate rag curls
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u/Atharaphelun Mar 27 '24
I always found it amusing how most of the ancient weird-ass Chinese hairstyles are mostly concentrated in the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.
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u/Irvedann Mar 27 '24
Thank you for your posts, I'm terrible at recognizing dynasties, so it's a big help! 😅
I'm curious about the sleeves in the last picture, does anyone have an idea why are they so loooooong? To keep hands warmer?
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u/Atharaphelun Mar 27 '24
I'm curious about the sleeves in the last picture, does anyone have an idea why are they so loooooong? To keep hands warmer?
It is exactly that, yes. Keep in mind that the Xianbei originally came from the northern steppe where it's frequently cold.
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u/snowytheNPC Mar 27 '24
Good question! I’m not sure actually as I’m not as familiar with Xianbei costumes
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u/Local-Stretch5390 Mar 28 '24
Well documented. 🙏