#fouryearsofshades

[fouryearsofshades]

I wanted to make this post since a couple of months ago. As proper summer is coming, Song and Tang style might make a come back in another couple of months.

[ziseviolet]

This is for East Asian hairstyles in general but idk where else to ask this(and this does include traditional Chinese fashion): How much of women’s (or men’s though I would guess mostly women) hairstyles was composed of wigs? Feel free to just answer this in relation to Chinese hairstyles specifically if answering for any others deviates too much from the blog purpose.

Hi! Thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply!

Historically, it was quite common for Chinese women to use wigs to create their hairstyles, as many historical hairstyles were not meant to be done with real hair -- although I don't know the specific percentage of women who did so. Wigs became prevalent in China starting from the Spring and Autumn period (771-476 BC) when they were popularized by upper-class women, and were widely used by women until the 20th century, when hairstyles became simpler. Wigs could be made from real human or animal hair, other fibers, paper, or wood.

The following posts/links discuss wigs in Chinese history in more detail, please check them out!:

Historical wigs (with images of artifacts) by @fouryearsofshades

My post addressing the use of fake hair in historical Chinese hairstyles with more info/images by @fate-magical-girls

Specific wigs during the Southern dynasties and Ming dynasty by @chinesehanfu

The history of wigs in China by New Hanfu

The history of Chinese hairpieces by Five Thousand Years

Chinese traditional hairstyles & hairpieces by National Clothing

As for men, they typically put their hair into a bun and encased it in some kind of covering (cloth, hat, cap, headdress), so there was no need for them to use wigs. However, as I explained in this post, some men would insert a wig/towel/other material inside their hat/cap to give it more structure.

To this day, wigs/hairpieces/extensions are necessary and commonly used in creating traditional Chinese hairstyles.

For more information and references, please see my wigs tag for all posts related to wigs and hairpieces.

If anyone has more info on this topic, please share! ^^

Hope this helps! (image via)

[wangxianficfinder]

Hey, so i have this random question: The word for 'gay' is 'cutsleeve' in ancient Chinese era.(idk if it's true irl or not in history). So are there any word(s) for 'lesbian' and 'bisexual'?

Cutsleeve is an actual historical term! It's from the ancient story of an emperor who cut his sleeve that his sleeping partner was laying on so he would not wake him up when he moved. Here's a few articles about it.

As for a word for lesbian, according to Wikipedia and a few other sites, "Lala (Chinese: 拉拉; pinyin: lālā) is a non-derogatory Chinese slang term for lesbian, or a same-sex desiring woman" this seems to be the word used most, if I am wrong please correct me.

I couldn't really find anything for the word bisexual, but I did find this article that might help a bit?

If anyone else has more info, or if I am wrong with anything, please let me know! ^^

- Mod C

Fun fact: in my research I found out that Baihe is the lesbian version of Danmei – "The female same-gender counterpart to danmei is known as bǎihé (Chinese: 百合; lit. 'lilies'), which is an orthographic reborrowing of the Japanese word yuri, but it is not as well known or popular as danmei."

---

batinaburnouse said: These two tumblr posts might be helpful? fouryearsofshades and audreydoeskaren

[yugiri315]

LWJ Cosplay Log - Master Post

Making Lan Wangji

(AKA My Lan Zhan Cosplay Log)

This went from a historical project to cosplaying all the Hanguang-Jun, Lan Wangji in existence!  The main concept is Lan Wangji’s (LWJ) novel/manhua/audio drama design.  As the project started pre-pandemic, I didn’t consider the butler or dragon au in the design.  That would be too much.  There is a dash of videogame in him since there were some details I liked in that model.  If the title is “Mo Dao Zu Shi” then I have incorporated Lan Wangji’s description and concept arts into my design.  

Lan Wangji as known in The Untamed was generally avoided save for a tiny nod to the show’s Gusu Lan Clan.  “Mo Dao Zu Shi” Wangji and “Untamed” Wangji are distinct in my opinion.  Neither is superior from the other, just different enough that I need to pick one interpretation to play with.  The actors of Untamed, especially Xiao Zhan, really claimed the characters as their own and portrayed them wonderfully.  Wang Yibo’s Wangji is his Wangji, I won’t interfere that.  If you want to see that interpretation of Lan Wangji, then go watch the show.  It already exists.

A few caveats before you dive in:

1)     I am not a seamstress or tailor so I don’t know all the proper sewing terminology in English or any other language 2)     Also, modern romanization of Chinese confuses the shit out of me, a native speaker, so apologies for any spelling mistakes.  The Yale Romanization made so much more sense but then China thought they understood the English alphabet better than native English speakers so here we are.  Do as the Romans do, I guess. 3)     I am not a historical costumer either so all my info come from conjecture and research 4)     I am not a Chinese historian but I like to think I know enough about my history and culture through osmosis and the hell-hole disguised as Chinese school to talk about it 5)     I am not trying to make an authentic historical costume, I’m trying to make an anachronistic fantasy costume. Historicity went out the window the minute LWJ and every adult character decided to have their hair down.  I did try to make a semi-historically accurate version?  Depended on the mood at time of construction. 6)     I suck at being Chinese apparently so that will be my safety net if everything fails horribly :P  

The Lan Zhan Cosplay Log Layer 1:  Undergarments! 中衣 Layer 2A:  Yichang 衣裳   Layer 2B:  Ruqun 襦裙 Layer 3:  Zhiju 直裾 Layer 4A:  Leatherwork Layer 4B:  Jade Bling Layer 5A:  Dachang 大氅 Layer 5B:  Bijia 比甲 Layer 0:  Hair, Props, “Cheating,” & Overall Stats

Exhibit:  LWJ cosplay in action [1][2]

Citation

Patterning:  https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Qb411j7z6?spm_id_from=333.905.b_72656c61746564.1

http://www.yeoh.com/index2.php?section=journal&g=691

https://cosplayqna.tumblr.com/image/38971971992

https://torguqin.wordpress.com/hanfu/hanfu-tutorial-list/

Hanfu Resources:

@ziseviolet:  https://ziseviolet.tumblr.com/about

@fouryearsofshades:  https://fouryearsofshades.tumblr.com/post/179249195707/hello-do-you-happen-to-have-a-master-post-of-all

[buried-in-stardust]

Get to know me ask game

tagged by @scarletlich thank you!!

RULES: bold the ones that are true and tag how ever many people you feel like to do it.

APPEARANCE

Blonde hair // I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing // I have one or more piercings // I have at least one tattoo // I have dyed or highlighted my hair // I have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces // I sunburn easily // I have freckles // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile // I am pleased with how I look (mostly) // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball hats backwards

HOBBIES AND TALENTS

I play a sport (used to do karate but i wanna get back into it now) // I can play an instrument (flute) // I am artistic (not sure about this one. i'm not very imaginative) // I know more than one language // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe (i've been through culinary school) // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing // I can do origami // I prefer movies to tv shows (i don't watch enough of either to form an opinion) // I can execute a perfect somersault // I enjoy singing // I could survive in the wild on my own // I have read a new book series this year // I enjoy spending time with friends // I travel during work or school breaks (i wish) // I can do a handstand

RELATIONSHIP

I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year // I have a crush // I have a best friend who I’ve known for ten years // My parents are together // I have dated a best friend // I am adopted // My crush has confessed to me // I have (had) a long distance relationship // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends // I have made an online friend // I met up with someone I have met online

AESTHETICS

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sun rise // I enjoy rainy days // I have slept under the stars // I meditate outside // The sound of chirping calms me // I enjoy the smell of the beach // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep // I enjoy thunderstorms // I enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire // I pay close attention to colours // I find mystery in the ocean // I enjoy hiking on nature paths // Autumn is my favourite season

MISCELLANEOUS

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle // I am the mom friend // I live by a certain quote // I like the smell of sharpies // I am involved in extracurricular activities // I enjoy Mexican food (i don't think i've properly tried anything authentic) // I can drive a stick shift // I believe in true love // I make up scenarios to fall asleep // I sing in the shower // I wish I lived in a video game // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial // I am a redhead // I own at least 3 dogs

tagging: @oceans-bluem @ziseviolet @nougatto @misha-kitsune @theabstruseanon @aestian @m-ushroomtale @fouryearsofshades (if you want) + anyone else who wants to do it!

[phlebasphoenician]

tag game thing!

Rules: tag 20 people you want to get to know better.

Tagged by @luninosity​ five days ago and I'm still squeeing over it!

Relationship status: happily married to an Awesome Husband!

Favourite colour: Green! From a colour swatch I love a really rich emerald shade, but my actual favourite colour is the green of a bamboo forest when the wind is whistling through the leaves and the whole world is green and growing in the sunlight.

Song stuck in my head: Straight No Chaser's Movie Medley, I find myself humming it at the most random times. 

Last song I listened to: Crabbuckit, sung by the Good Lovelies

Three favourite foods: teppanyaki, chai tow kueh, bak chor mee pok

Last thing I googled: the website to repot scams in my country 🤣

Dream trip: Japan again!

Anything I want right now: oh gosh, um, more writing time. Or to be assured that my retinas are going to be fine, that would be very nice too...

Tagging: 20 people is a lot but here goes!

@tarutaruga​ @magnolian-gold​ @writhingbeneathyou​ @jellyfish9650​ @artbythedarkside​ @momo-ceros​ @longliveustherecklessandthebrave​ @raegunblast​ @swiftfrost​ @mooshi-png​ @madmothmadame​ @woofgang69​ @heyitswrenn​ @hidendumbassvillage​ @evapourate-rn​ @sugah--bee​ @greyduckgreygoose​ @emilx311​ @fouryearsofshades​ @zanahoriabaila​

[little-pisces-dreaming]

I posted 924 times in 2022

That's 213 more posts than 2021!

203 posts created (22%)

721 posts reblogged (78%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@fouryearsofshades

@bebewrites

@queerical

@marzipanandminutiae

@wqnxs

I tagged 894 of my posts in 2022

Only 3% of my posts had no tags

#inspiration - 104 posts

#gif - 81 posts

#video - 79 posts

#the writer speaks - 62 posts

#words - 53 posts

#historical fashion - 50 posts

#character inspiration - 48 posts

#chinese historical fashion - 47 posts

#dusk rewrite - 45 posts

#history - 39 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#dusk is still a priority but i still haven't cleared fucking [] after it scooped up the fifty pdfs i downloaded so i don't have the gd stor

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

after watching c*alamity - the absolute best gdamn thing i've ever seen - it inspired me to start writing a wee thing of my own. it's planned to be serialised eventually on my writing blog, Tales of Devran and Others.

The scream that rent the mountains would in time have spawned cryptids and legends if it had survived the day. Instead the canyon left in its wake was fled. A whisper of sinners and a surge of cults were its legacy. Terror of the Gods and their whims scarred hearts across generations and the wild places of the world were abandoned for fear of offending some primordial power. But there was nowhere safe from the fury of the Earth Mother.

1 note - Posted June 17, 2022

#4

2 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

#3

panicking in not having made more progress with publishing has somehow turned me to poetry which i do not know how to write but i think these words are pretty

2 notes - Posted February 20, 2022

#2

I've been drifting that way for a while but who knew it'd be cr that finally got me to start drafting an orc romance.

2 notes - Posted January 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

images @/oweni and @/bjorns

The House of....

NaNoWriMo '22

Ness arrives alone at her great uncle's home as her family congregates, expecting his death and awaiting the reading of his will. Surrounded by strangers with her surname, and deeply insecure about her place in the family, she finds relief in halls long abandoned, and a beautiful painting hung in its loneliest hall.

key words

xianxia inspired fantasy . romance . sino main character . adoptee main character . adult .

2 notes - Posted November 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[hanfugallery]

brocade handbag for chinese hanfu by honeylone

[guzhuangheaven]

Hello! I was watching Sword and Brocade (and loved it!) and the clothes were lovely. Can you please explain what the long outer garment is that the female lead (and all the married women in the marquis mansion) begins to wear once she is married as opposed to the short, waist length jacket she wears when she's unmarried? And can you walk us through the many layers underneath that long outer robe? Thank you, love your blog!

We know very little about Ming dynasty clothes, but the basic hanfu for Ming dynasty women is called aoqun. From this post by @ziseviolet

- Aoqun/袄裙 ...became fashionable during the Ming Dynasty. It consists of a double-layered top called “ao/袄“ and a waist-high skirt (”qun”), hence “aoqun”. Unlike the “standard” ruqun that has the top tucked inside the skirt, the aoqun’s top is worn untucked, above the skirt. There are two types of “ao” - “short ao” and “long ao”. The “short ao” reaches the waist, while the “long ao” covers the knees. Ao collars can be crossed, upright, or square. Only worn by women.

We also recommend consulting hanfu blogs like ziseviolet, @hanfu-asks @fouryearsofshades for specifics about hanfu. We know nothing. 

So, above, the outermost layer that Shiyi Niang is wearing is a square-collar ao. I think the inner buttoned layer probably is an upright collar unlined top (shan/衫)? Probably? 

Ming dynasty women also wear a jacket called pifeng 披风. It is the outermost layer that Lianfang is wearing in the photo below. 

The shorter jacket Shiyi Niang wears when she was unmarried is a bijia 比甲:

Here are some Youtube video with English narration on cross-collar aoqun and how to wear it, upright collar, mamian qun, bijia. Here’s a video on different types of Ming dynasty women’s clothes. It has the name of the different types of clothes in Chinese characters which unfortunately doesn’t have English subtitles, but you can see the different styles and how they layer.

See also: Powerpoint on Ming dynasty fashion,  Evolution of the Traditional Chinese Dress

[fouryearsofshades]

Some Chinese fashion styles

Disclaimer: The following styles and their definitions were observed by me and are not authoritative. I am only familiar with Hanfu and if I made mistakes and picked the wrong photo examples or fraud shops, please let me know. Also, this post focused on women's fashion because 1. I am not into men's fashion so I don't know much about them. 2. The algorithm also knew that so I don't really see them.

汉服/Hànfú

传统服饰/Chuántǒng fúshì （传服/chuán fú）

清汉女/Qīng hàn nǚ

旗装/Qí zhuāng

旗袍/Qípáo

新国风/Xīn guó fēng、新中式/Xīn zhōngshì 汉元素/hàn yuánsù 茶艺服/Cháyì fú or 茶服/chá fú 唐装/Tángzhuāng 中山装/Zhōngshānzhuāng.

汉服/Hànfú

The ethnic clothing of Han Chinese (not the Han Dynasty).

There was a prohibition of Han clothing and hair styles in Qing dynasty, i.e. the 剃发易服/Tìfā yìfú qu Queue Ordinance, so modern hanfu is an on-going revivalist moment.

Modern hanfu are based on archeological evidences with minor twists to suit modern like, such as the type of fabric used and cut.

As a result, there are many types of garments and sub-styles. The figure above shows some examples.

While which style should be included and promoted is a constant debate, but in general, the cutout line is the Qing dynasty (however small accessories such as purses are alright).

传统服饰/Chuántǒng fúshì （传服/chuán fú）

No example because I am not sure who identified with this label.

The Chinese traditional clothing.

This either referred to historical clothing restorers (regardless of ethnicity) or people who promoted that the traditional clothing of Han people should be in the late Ming dynasty style, since "people should get up at where they had fallen".

They might be agreeable with the hanfu movement or not.

清汉女/Qīng hàn nǚ

The clothing of women of Han Chinese in the Qing dynasty.

Since the Queue Ordinance wasn't that strictly enforced on Han women, the Han women clothing in the Qing dynasty had quickly absorbed Manchurian's elements while retaining the characteristic two-piece silhouette. (Manchurian women wore a one-piece robe.)

I believed it appeared around 2019 when the styles of hanfu had moved to fully embroidered surface to a more tone down brocade or weaved patterns.

旗装/Qí zhuāng

The ethnic clothing of Man people (Manchurian).

The women's clothing are generally in round collar opened on the left (youren) with straight sleeves.

The most basic item is a 衬衣/chènyī, which doesn't have vents.

However, the most common item I have seen on the street is a 氅衣/chǎng yī (probably rented), which should be worn on top of 衬衣, since they have side vents.

They usually have no standing-up collar but in some cases a fake collar could be worn.

On top of changyi they could wear a 马褂/mǎguà、坎肩/kǎnjiān、褂裥/guà jiǎn.

旗袍/Qípáo

The Chinese clothing of women originated from the Minguo era, known in English as qipao or cheongsam.

The male equivalent is 长衫/chángshān.

Currently in style is the retro-cut, while uses the traditional flat cut (no shoulder seam) instead of the more body-hugging modern draping style.

There are also many variations and cuts, but the overall silhouette is similar.

新国风/Xīn guó fēng、新中式/xīn zhōngshì

Innovative clothing that was inspired by Chinese traditional aesthetic.

It is an umbrella term.

汉元素/hàn yuánsù refers to clothing inspired by hanfu specifically, while xinguofeng could be inspired by qipao and other ethnic clothing. In addition, hanyuansu is a term more familair to hanfu-ers, so the target audience is slightly different between hanyuansu and xinguofeng.

茶艺服/Cháyì fú or 茶服/chá fú,i.e tea dress, which aimed to convey a zen and rustic aesthetic could also be considered a sub-style. They are often worn by retirees, artists or workers in tea shops, calligraphy shops, Chinese spas, Chinese traditional medicine clinics etc.

The older "Chinese style" generally refers to 唐装/Tángzhuāng and 中山装/Zhōngshānzhuāng.

Tangzhuang (Tang Suit) was a men suit characterized with a mandarin collar with a row of 盘扣/pán kòu frogs in the middle. There are two pockets at the bottom front of the suit. It was a well-known looked worldwide due to the 2001 APEC summit. However, other clothes resembled a 马褂/mǎguà could also be called a tangzhuang.

Zhongshanzhuang was designed and named after Sun Yat-sen but was often known in English as the Mao Suit. Mao Suit was characterised with a 关门领/Guānmén lǐng（“closed-door collar", but also known as Mao collar in English) with a row of round buttons. There are four pockets at the front of the suit.

中华lolita/Zhōnghuá lolita

A sub-style of the lolita fashion inspired by cheongsam/qipao, hanfu or other Chinese artistic elements.

The same item could appeared in different styles, but with different cut and accessories. The following examples showed a mamianqun used in different styles.

THE END

[ziseviolet]

Dior Mamianqun Controversy

I received the following message via chat from a follower, that I would like to share here:

Hi, 小紫, do you know that Dior appropriates the modernized mamianqun designed by some hanfu brands in china? link of discussion about Dior 2022 A/W show on weibo: https://weibo.com/6323095999/LChcJyPTa?refer_flag=1001030103_&type=repost#_rnd1657858224778 , I think Dior indeed directly referenced the structure of how it's pleated and inner cutouts of mamianqun which has a long history dated back to ming dynasty and influenced the shape of qing dynasty skirts as well, it is sussy, look how the DIOR model turned around when the skirt spread to reveal the split style, this is indeed the unique inner structure of mamianqun, a more rigorous examination requires DIOR to show the flat design, but Dior is not responding, it claims on the official website that this is their exclusive style launched this year, yet the same style of mamianqun has been prevalent among young people in China for several years, there are several taobao stores making exactly this kind of modernized mamianqun since 2018 or even early (metal leather buckle belt + fabric suitable for autumn and winter + long skirts), such as 四时景, 你好美荔, etc., I don't know how to make it an anonymous ask for you to post my question but I would like to listen to your and other followers' comments on this, thank you 小紫(also feel totally free not to post this one, it's your blog and you make the call ❤️

Here is a screenshot of Dior’s official shop with the skirt in question: 

And here are screenshots of the skirt being displayed on the runway:

Although I am not an expert on tailoring, it does look extremely similar to a Chinese mamianqun/马面裙 (horse-face skirt). Below is an actual modern mamianqun from hanfu brand 你好美荔’s 2018 collection, for comparison:

And here’s a reference sheet on Ming dynasty mamianqun history & construction:

Below is a summary of key points of Chinese netizens’ comments on Weibo:

Based on tailoring and construction, Dior took direct reference from mamianqun for this skirt

However, this is not necessarily “wrong” in and of itself. After all, fashion brands take inspiration from different cultures all the time

What IS wrong, and what is leading to the backlash from Chinese netizens, is that Dior is claiming that the skirt uses an “iconic Dior silhouette” (标志性的Dior廓形) and is a “completely new...fashion item” (全新的优雅时尚单品). See below for screenshot of the item description on their shop, using these exact words:

Personally, I agree with all of the above points. The act of a Western fashion house such as Dior taking inspiration from (or directly using) sartorial styles from other cultures is not new. It is also, in my opinion, not necessarily wrong - as long as due credit is given to the culture(s) that served as a reference for the styles. I do not believe that a historic fashion house like Dior is unaware of the existence of mamianqun. After all, even Princess Diana wore a Qing dynasty-style mamianqun before, in 1981 (x): 

Claiming that the style is totally original and unique to Dior, even an “iconic silhouette” of the brand, is disingenuous in the extreme and deserves to be called out. 

I am interested in hearing what my followers think about this. Especially tagging @fouryearsofshades​ and @audreydoeskaren who are knowledgeable about mamianqun construction and history. What do you all think?

[audreydoeskaren]

Hi! I was looking through your blog and i gotta say, it's wonderful to read through and learn all this history! I was wondering if you knew anything about childrens fashion? I know in most history, kids just wore mini versions of adults clothing, but i was curious nonetheless!

I think generally children did just wear mini versions of adults' clothing, but had distinct hairstyles and accessories. I can only speak for the Qing as most of the children's clothing I've seen is from the Qing. 19th century artworks also frequently depicted children running around in nothing but a 肚兜 dudou, something often mistaken for Qing Dynasty women's underwear but was in fact more of a pocket or extra layer of warmth. It's possible that dudou was worn by younger children, whereas when they reached a certain age they would be decked in full grown up's garb.

Children often had parts of their head shaved and the remaining hair made into buns and braids, as opposed to whatever hairstyle was fashionable for adults.

Qianlong era export painting showing a child in formal adults' clothing.

Qianlong era print showing a child in casual adults' clothing, with hair in a double bun.

Mid 19th century print showing children in dudou.

As to unique children's accessories, an example is the tiger hat @fouryearsofshades posted about.

[offishwhite]

Got some new followers over the past few days, so just wanted to say hi 👋🏻 and thanks sm for the lovely comments!! Also I’m gonna shamelessly plug my twitter lol

If you’re here because of my maleficent or other hanfu art you may also be interested in these hanfu blogs which I browse a lot for reference & research: ziseviolet , hanfugallery , fouryearsofshades​ (this doodle is based off this outfit)

[yugiri315]

LWJ Cosplay Log

Finale!

Overall Stats!!

Given my cosplay history, I am no stranger to monochrome.  My characters seem to wear either all black or all white.  To make an outfit like that work you need to layer and think more on your fabric choice.  So different shades of white or blue and different textures were used to make LWJ something interesting to look at other than being a cloud or steamed bun.

Also, most of the bias tape, ribbons, and lapels were made from scratch.  They’re all basically bias tape of varying sizes and functions.

This whole project went from, I’ll just buy the cosplay off Taobao and find someone to do gay shoots with to an intense project that took 2 years to make and, calculating for minimum wage…has a net worth of under $7000!  Holy shit what a scary number, I don’t want to look at it again.  QAQ Even not counting labor, the material cost is as low as it can get but still...whoa ^^;

All that time and money and I have no remotely descent pics to show for it.  These cos-test shots by Dr. Tog will have to do.  Some day, I will have a proper LWJ shoot.  I hope!

References

Patterning:   https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Qb411j7z6?spm_id_from=333.905.b_72656c61746564.1 http://www.yeoh.com/index2.php?section=journal&g=691 https://cosplayqna.tumblr.com/image/38971971992 https://torguqin.wordpress.com/hanfu/hanfu-tutorial-list/

Hanfu Resources: @ziseviolet​:  https://ziseviolet.tumblr.com/about @fouryearsofshades​:  https://fouryearsofshades.tumblr.com/post/179249195707/hello-do-you-happen-to-have-a-master-post-of-all

[epaireart]

Hey :) could you please tell me what clothes everyone is wearing in your atla AU? I'm writing a fic, and I'd rather ask someone who knows than aimlessly Google. I love your art btw 😊😊😊

Hello! 

Thank you for your kind words and it makes me very happy that people are interested in this AU. I’m not an expert but I’ll try to explain as best as I can.

The AU predominantly takes place in the EK, which largely draws cultural inspiration from China (correct me if I’m wrong), so I’ve depicted most of the characters dressed in traditional hanfu. Other than Azula and Katara, who are dressed in wuxia fantasy-inspired hanfu, Ursa and Zuko are dressed in mostly historically-accurate hanfu.

I’ve depicted Ursa wearing a waist-high ruqun (襦裙). The ruqun is elegant yet versatile, especially since in my AU, she’s a working-class woman. Zuko is wearing a half-sleeved jacket (半臂 banbi) over a straight robe (直裰 zhiduo). In this AU, Zuko has a profession in the performing arts, specifically as a dan performer for Chinese opera. The costumes for Chinese opera are collectively called xingtou 行头 or juzhuang 剧装. The costumes are hand-embroidered and very costly to make. The long silk sleeves common to most of these costumes are called water sleeves (水袖 shuixiu).

Like her Painted Lady persona in canon, Katara is wearing a veiled hat (帷帽 weimao) and there are also similar variants of the hat across other Asian cultures, such as the Japanese uchikatsugi.

If you’re interested in learning more about hanfu, I’d recommend tumblr users @ziseviolet​ and @fouryearsofshades​ for further reading and photo references. I’ve included a link to a masterpost of references you can refer to here.

I’ve also previously answered someone on Twitter regarding this AU on my personal blog, so I’ll link that post here.

I would also like to read what you’ve written, if that’s not too much to ask for. 

Thank you for asking!

[afishtrap]

Tagged by @keiyoshi and now that I have like 200-something people following me for whatever wacky reason, might as well do this so you know what you’re in for.

Rules: You have to tag followers you want to know better.

Gender: mostly female, idk

Star Sign: Virgo sun, Sagittarius rising, Venus in Libra, Mars in Leo, idk what in Moon. I used to know.

Height:  5′6″ to 5′6&3/4″. No really. I have one leg longer than the other. It makes for a great parlor trick when the nurse is trying to measure me at checkups.

Sexual Orientation: seventeen rabbits in a trenchcoat

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor, I guess? Maybe Ravenclaw.

Favourite Colour: ALL OF THEM. Except maybe chartreuse.

Favourite Animal: fish? insect? mammal? what. shark, bumblebee, elephant.

Average hours of sleep: I should get 8, I need 8, but I’m a night owl with a day job.

Cat or dog person: yes.

Favourite fictional characters: Will Stanton (Dark is Rising), Furiosa (Fury Road), Kusuriuri (Mononoke), Maia (Goblin Emperor), Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell), Ginko (Mushishi), Avice of Thornbury (Cadfael series).

Number of blankets I sleep with: one duvet

Favourite singer/band: no way, we’ll be here all day. My dad raised me on opera and marching band, my mom raised me on classic R&B and bluegrass. I will literally listen to, and find something to like about, anything.

Dream trip: any place with mountains.

Dream job: the one I have, actually. took me awhile to get here but it’s awesome now that I’ve arrived.

When was this blog made: 2014, I think? Or early 2015. Uh.

Number of followers: more than I would’ve expected, given for a year I was mostly focused on academic articles, architecture, and textiles. then I do one stinking post about my job in college, and a few snarky commentaries about Yuri on Ice, and suddenly followers are popping up like daisies.

What made you decide to create this blog: mostly as a place to store bits and pieces of research, but then pop culture happened and then the election happened and who knows why this exists anymore, it’s just a place to connect with everyone else also trying to keep their balance in this mixed-up world

who else to tag? @tinycatlips, @dorotheian, @whitehorseisnotahorse, @shinysherlock, @fouryearsofshades, @the50-person, @seatreading XD