Xiuhefu
() is a two-piece garment set of attire which was designed to look like a style of traditional Chinese wedding dress and follows the traditional Chinese  clothing system. The  is a modern recreation version of the Qing dynasty wedding , a form of , which was worn by the Han Chinese women, 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 when 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  which was worn by the Han Chinese women, composed of a  (a specific type of ) as lower garment and an   as an upper garment. In 2001, the prototype of the modern  was a  wedding dress costume which was designed by costume designer Ye Jintian for the role of drama female character Xiu He, played by Chinese actress Zhou Xun, in the 2002 Chinese television drama  (), also known as Ripening Orange in English, a drama set in the Republican era of China. The wedding dress costume worn by Xiu He, thus, became known as . While basing himself on the clothing of the Qing dynasty, Ye Jintian, however, did not fully respected the historical accuracy of the dress and instead mixed several elements together from similar eras in his costume design. As it gives a feeling of dignity and beauty, the  designed by Ye Jintian became progressively popular and eventually became a form of wedding dress chosen by brides during their marriage. It especially became popular among several Chinese female celebrities. Construction and design 

In general, the design and construction of the  is not bound by any traditional clothing making rules. However, as a set of attire, it follows the traditional  system being typically composed of a waist-length , a form of  (a form of Chinese coat) which has front lapel overlapping across the chest and closing on the right side with a  (), and a long-length , which looks similar to a  as it is one of its derivative. The upper garment is not always a ; it can also be a , which is an  with a round collar. The sleeves are horn sleeves, which are relatively wide; the sleeves can sometimes be double-layered. The  used in the  is influenced by the historical  of the Qing dynasty, especially those used in the late years of the Qing dynasty in the 1910s, which was used as part of the bridal attire. This wedding skirt is also called . The  used in the  can either be an A-line, pleated skirt or a pleated circle skirt. It has panels of flat fabric, which is embellished with decorative designs which uses an embroidery technique known as  (). Compared to the historical  which has  () or  () created by the overlapping characteristics of the skirt, the flat and straight panels of fabric used in the  are added on top of the pleated skirt, like a pendulum; it can also have more than two visible flat panels. The skirt is long enough to touch the top of its wearer's feet. Embroidery 

The  is typically embroidered with flowers (e.g. peonies) and birds (e.g. peacocks) to symbolize love for whole seasons. It can also be embroidered with pairs of butterflies, and auspicious Chinese characters. Related content 

 Hanfu
 Ruqun
 Mamianqun
 Guzhuang

See also 

 Traditional Chinese wedding dress
 Traditional Chinese marriage

Gallery

References 

Chinese traditional clothing
Marriage in Chinese culture
Wedding dresses
Embroidery