#should have a weimao.

[intertexts-moving]

i think ive mentioned b4 that even though it's a pretty big suspension of disbelief i do like wwx regaining his original body in cql. unfortunately i think the mask is the silliest looking thing ever <3

[ziseviolet]

Qipao/Cheongsam Taobao Shop Recs

A while ago I received a direct message asking for recs on where to buy qipao/cheongsam, and I figured I’d make a post for others who’d also be interested. 

First of all - I think qipao should be tried on and bought in-person if at all possible, since having the right fit is important - especially if it’s for a formal occasion like a wedding. However, since that’s often not possible, I’ve compiled a list of online shop recs, mainly for more casual occasions.

Since English-language online qipao shops are plentiful and easy to find, I’ll be focusing this list on Taobao shops only. Please note that these are my personal recs, based on my own aesthetic preferences. Thus most of the recs are for shops focused on retro-inspired, minguo-style qipao made using the traditional 平裁/pingcai (flat tailoring) method. Also, I have not actually purchased qipao from any of these shops (all my qipao were bought in person) - this is based mainly on how appealing I find the designs.

1. 嬉姷/Xi You - Elegant qipao modelled closely on historical designs, mainly from the Republican era/minguo. Careful attention paid to historical details. My favorite qipao shop to browse for fun:

2. 海上芳时/Shanghai Fancy - Specializes in chic minguo-style designs of the 1920s-1940s. Recently came out with a neat art deco-inspired collection:

3. 唐之语/Tang Zhi Yu - Retro-style qipao in a variety of bold prints, with a focus on the form-fitting designs of the 1950s-1960s, including those from the film “In the Mood for Love”:

4. 繁莳/Fancy Dream - Dreamy, delicate retro-inspired qipao and modified qipao. Also has a nice selection of winter majia (vests):

5. Top Ulara - A large selection of classic, retro-style qipao with a hint of glamour. Offers lots of long/thick/layered qipao suitable for colder weather:

6. 梦回故里/Menghui Guli - Nostalgic, conservative retro-style qipao for all seasons. Old-fashioned in a good way:

7. 柳园旗袍/Liuyuan Qipao - Retro-style qipao with bold and interesting prints, in styles from the 1910s to the 1960s. The shop currently doesn’t show any products, but hopefully it’ll restock soon:

8. 限时赏味/Xianshi Shangwei - Streamlined, retro-style qipao in subtle colors and prints that exemplify understated elegance: 

9. 茉茉/Momo - Tons of options for simple, cute, and casual retro-style qipao suitable for daily wear. Designs tend towards monochromes and all-over prints. Another review/rec here:

10. 珞珞如石/RoseEra - Simple yet elegant retro-style and contemporary qipao. I love the shop’s use of sheer fabrics & layering in its designs:

11. 向南飞FLY - Offers a selection of casually stylish retro-style qipao and modified qipao for daily chic:

12. 川黛/Chuan Dai - Soft, feminine, pastel-infused qipao & modified qipao in retro-inspired and contemporary styles:

13. 四斤自制/Sijin Studio - Creative, avant-garde takes on (modified) qipao & qipao-inspired outfits:

14. 密扇/Mukzin - Colorful, playful, and irreverent modified qipao and qipao-inspired outfits. There’s also an English website here:

If you like the above qipao but still want an English website, there are several Taobao resellers that carry similar designs - for example, Beth and Brian Qipao.

Finally, when it comes to in-person shops, I want to highlight Xiangjiang Silk Co., a relatively new boutique in New York City specializing in actual vintage 1950s-1960s qipao. There’s an article here on the boutique and its founder Heather Guo (who was featured in Vogue). Store visits are appointment-only, so you’ll have to reach out to Heather via her social media if you want to drop by.

If anyone has reviews of the above shops and/or more qipao shop recs, please share! ^^

Bonus: I also have online shop recs for hanfu (1, 2), modified hanfu/hanyuansu (1, 2), hanfu accessories, weimao, and hair accessories. 

[viterbofangirllovestheuntamed]

JC gets sick/injured/incapacitated for a week, the feral ones go (extra) wild with worry, now yungmeng jiang disciples aren't the only ones bothering baoshan sanren to get JC to immortality, no one wants to deal with yungmeng jiang without their sect leader's control, and the immortal is only used to chaos on the singular cangse sanren level, not the wwx squared x ever multiplying feral goblin level

Baoshan Sanren had gone through a lot to reach immortality. And it wasn't like her life had been completely idyllic since then. The tragedies that haunted her students upon their departure from her mountain was chief among her griefs.

But there were griefs, and there were GRIEFS, and Baoshan Sanren had recently become acquainted with the latter quite intimately. Ever since the misbegotten disciples of Yunmeng Jiang had gotten it into their collective skulls that their sect leader should be granted immortality, Baoshan Sanren had not known peace. The constant pestering. The combination of bribery and attempted blackmail. And the less said about the... incident... with the goose yao, the better.

Anyway, the point was she had come to the conclusion that the most irritating and annoying nuisances in the Jianghu would invariably be clad in purple.

But that was before she met Sect Leader Yao.

"Oh, Venerated Immortal, we beseech you to hear our plea!"

"Hear our plea, O Venerated Immortal," a chorus of voices droned in echo.

Baoshan Sanren massaged her temples, wishing that a tempest would suddenly strike up and blow everyone off of her fucking mountain. After a blissful two weeks of peace she'd thought the Jiang disciples had finally given up. But now, representatives from half of the cultivation clans had paid her a visit.

How the fuck was she even getting so many visitors, now?! Those little Jiang gremlins, she could almost understand. Their clan specialized in the impossible, and she knew that a determined Jiang was all but unstoppable, but that did not explain the massed group of chucklefucks currently at her doorstep.

And at least the Jiang got to the point. She'd been listening to this Yao asshole heaping mindless praise and petitions for an hour without actually getting to what they were there to ask for.

Pushed past the brink of what any immortal could be expected to endure, she donned her weimao and grabbed her sword, swearing to herself that she would kick a whole bunch of asses if this turned out to be a waste of her time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sect Leader Jiang was missing.

Normally, Lan Wangji would be privately celebrating the situation. Wei Ying's inexplicable fondness for his shidi notwithstanding, Jiang Wanyin was now at the very bottom of Wangji's list of tolerable people now that Su She was dead.

True, Wei Ying was worried, and that was unacceptable. His soulmate had long since joined the Jiang sect's search throughout Yunmeng and beyond. But despite the size and importance of Yunmeng Jiang, the cultivation world could not come to a halt just because one sect leader was missing. There were trade agreements to finalize, conferences to attend, and night hunts to engage in.

And ultimately, those reasons were why he was here today. At Baoshan Sanren's mountain. As Chief Cultivator. At the behest of a number of people who had persecuted Wei Ying in the past.

Because, for the last fortnight, the tasks that Jiang Wanyin would have handled personally had instead been handled by his deputies. His angry, worried, desperate deputies, who had long internalized Jiang Wanyin's simultaneous bitterness at and insistence on Yunmeng Jiang's independent isolation.

The Jiang head disciple, Hu Fai, had glowered quietly during the cultivation conference, except when responding allusions to Jiang Wanyin's absence with blistering and unrestrained commentary that would have made his sect leader both proud and horrified. Jiang disciples scoured the countryside, searching for their leader without concern for territorial borders. And reports said that Jiang Fu had made Anping Rong's chief negotiator actually cry during their trade negotiations.

Faced with the evidence of what Yunmeng Jiang was like without the stern and disciplined presence of Jiang Wanyin, the minor sects were panicking. Sect Leader Jin was too busy helping search for his Jiujiu to be bothered, and that asshole Nie Huaisang was gleefully watching the whole debacle from the sidelines like it was a mummer's parade.

Certainly, the political situation was concerning. Yunmeng Jiang under Jiang Fengmian had been expansive but laid back. Their general lack of discipline had been offset by the influence of their easygoing and indulgent sect leader. However, after the massacre of Lotus Pier and subsequent Sunshot Campaign, Jiang Wanyin had molded the remaining disciples and assorted joining rogue cultivators into a vicious and effective fighting force. The influence of the latter's introduction to the great sect could not be understated. Jiang Fengmian had had a friendly, egalitarian attitude, but because of the influence of the clan elders and his aristocratic wife, the line between high birth and low had been distinct within the sect. But Jiang Wanyin, desperate for numbers and hands after the near eradication of his bloodline, had allowed all but the most despicable of character entry into Yunmeng Jiang, and had bestowed his surname upon anyone who'd earned their desire for it. This chaotic and heterogeneous collection of disciples had bestowed a rather... feral... energy upon the sect, who sometimes only seemed united by their dedication to their bestowed sect and their fanatical devotion to their sect leader. Combined with Jiang Wanyin's rigorous martial training and the clan's motto advocating pursuit of the impossible, the whole situation was rapidly becoming explosive.

And for some reason, this had resulted in the amassed sect leaders coming to the conclusion that the current problem would be solved if Jiang Wanyin was granted immortality and not, under any circumstances, be allowed to ever resign from the position of sect leader.

To actually petition for such an offense was beyond Lan Wangji's ability to stomach. However, his presence had been demanded by the sect leaders for propriety's sake, and anyway, they needed someone of his skill level, talent, and power to find the Immortal Mountain for them.

Lan Wangji was sure that even the densest of observers could detect his pained expression.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Prince Han Ye on Horseback

This royal gentleman upon his noble steed is Crown Prince Han Ye from the upcoming drama An Le Zhuan, or Legend of Anle (安乐传).

You can (and should) watch the trailer if only for the most incredible shot of Gong Jun wearing a weimao.

If you don't have time, no worries, busy figthusiast, because I have screencapped it (oh yes I have!) here:

Can't wait for the fig that is produced for this look!

Just to digress for a minute, I just think the weimao is an incredibly visually stunning piece. Doesn't hurt that my intro to the concept was Zhou Zishu looking impossibly gorgeous in his own weimao in Word of Honor. Anyway!

An Le Zhuan looks incredible. Gong Jun looks stunning in every promo or behind the scenes shot I've seen. Here he is in this fig's costume:

All the costumes I've seen have been gorgeous. A few of them have been SHL-adjacent enough to my admittedly very biased perception that it's easy enough to imagine an AU Wen Kexing.

This fig maker has done a nice job of rendering this costume in shimmering tonal and pearly colors, and Han Ye's horse is both very cute and very tiny.

I totally get that making the horse more proportional would make the fig quite large, and from a display / storage angle, any additional height could potentially make it difficult on some fans.

It does make for some funny angles though 😄 They make the horses small but mighty in Dajing!

Here's a better shot of the detailing of his robes and a blurrier shot of his guan:

You can see they did a nice job on the costume detailing. It would be wrong (wrong, I say!) of me at this point not to illustrate this costume further with this shot of Gong Jun tossing his hair back:

I can't wait for this show!

Material: PVC

Fig Count: 35

Diorama Count: 4

Snowglobe Count: 1

Rating: Small but mighty

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[yueqqi]

he knows invisibility ninjutsu and that's why his left foot went poof

[silverflame2724]

Happy Prompt (if you feel like it): WWX being the genius/ex first disciple of great scet that he is realizes they can't sustain the Burial Mounds. So he comes up with a Plan to make them all dissappear. Knowing how important lineage is so them, he asks them to give up the Wen name and take up Wei. (The wens are mostly common folk who just want to live so they agree). He the proceeds to hide them among other clans. People who have met and remember all the good young master Wie always did. He hides them among the Jiang and Nie. (I always head cannon that part of WWX'S flirty reputation comes from him helping women who are in bad situations/ NHS somehow finds out/knows and begins to help him. I figure theyhad to get several Lan women out. Mama Lans ghost helps?). JC knows but ignores it, they aren't WENS anymore, so his pride can leave it be. I'm not sure if A'yuan would still end up with Lan Zhan? But then WWX, WN, and WQ all fake thier deaths and go travel as rogue cultivators. But now WWX has all these living and dead people praying to/for him as the patron Saint of lost causes? And he accidentally becomes an immortal without realizing it? To the absolute fond disgust of WQ, of course. Anyway, I figure old Jin perv still pulls his bullshit at a discussion conference and between NHS, JYL, and LWJ? They somehow clear everyone's nsme. And then newly immortal WWX rocks up in there (to the horror of the Lan Elders who now have to face thier own bullshit/ hypocrisy) and lives happily ever after.

I think I read a prompt or a fic somewhere with the concept of the Wens hiding in plain sight.

________________________

The thought came to him out of nowhere. 

It had been a peaceful day with the Wens as he farmed, invented and tinkered with various incomplete contraptions when Wei Wuxian was struck with a thought: they could not continue like this.

Wei Wuxian wasn’t an idiot. He knew that they couldn’t sustain themselves in the Burial Mounds. Their crops hardly prospered, one by one the more elderly individuals of the Wens got sick and died, the resentful energy messed with everyone’s temperament, the cultivators never stopped trying to break his wards.....the list went on and on.

He had to come up with a plan. He thought they could live here for a time, but that was just wishful thinking. 

With this in mind, he takes the next few days to come up with a concrete plan.

...............................

The first task, and perhaps the most important one, is to ask the Wens to give up the Wen name. It would be easier from then on.

As he presented this suggestion, he was surprised by how readily they agreed. He knew how important lineage was to them, so the rapidness of them giving up their name was shocking. 

“Would you......take up my name?” Wei Wuxian asked quietly. 

The Wens were silent before cheering. Wei Wuxian didn’t know how to react to this. The Wens told him that they were more than happy to accept his name since they were his family. 

Wei Wuxian held back the tears and laughed happily instead as he went on to tell him the next plan of action: hiding them in plan sight.

Various people from various clans owed him favors and remembered the good in him, as they were more than happy to take on the refugees he hid away now that they were no longer Wens.

They had to do this quietly and slowly though. It would be suspicious if a large group of people suddenly left Yiling all at once. So Wei Wuxian took each of them to different places. Some of them went back to their original homes, some went to the Nie, some to the Yao, some to the Ouyang clan. 

He even sends some to the small village of women who he helped run away from their horrible home situations.

It was a little tricky with Nie, but Nie Huaisang pulls through and Nie Mingjue suspects nothing.

He sends some to the Jiang and Jiang Cheng grudgingly accepts them, knowing that they are no longer Wen. 

And for A’ Yuan.......He sends A’ Yuan to Lan Zhan, who is familiar with A’ Yuan. Wei Wuxian sends a letter to Lan Zhan asking him to meet and instead of appearing, A’ Yuan is there in his stead. The letter to Lan Zhan details what to do with A’ Yuan and to hide his identity.

Wei Wuxian trusts that Lan Zhan would take his suggestion and tell his brother and uncle that A’ Yuan was a child that Lan Zhan was asked to take care of by a dying mother.

Wei Wuxian watches from afar as Lan Zhan takes A’ Yuan away and takes the last step in ensuring that the cultivation world forgets him: He fakes his, Wen Qing’s and Wen Ning’s deaths. There’s enough corpses in the Burial Mounds and ones with their physique to replace the Wens and him. He gossips to the town that he’s going to destroy his weapon, the Seal, and subsequently fakes an explosion of resentment, quickly disappearing with the Wen siblings to a random direction. 

He always thought how nice it would be to be like his parents and be rogue cultivators. He guesses that he’ll find out now.

..................................

Years pass and Wei Wuxian makes decent salary by taking care of monsters in the area. Wen Qing is a doctor, of course, and Wen Ning becomes her assistant.  

They move to a little village near Dongying and settle down there. The people there a little more open to demonic cultivation and dark arts and don’t bat an eye at Wei Wuxian using such means. 

Wei Wuxian invents more contraptions, selling them under a false name in towns far away from Dongying.

One day, on a chance night hunt near Yunmeng, Wei Wuxian hears whispers and gossip about Nie Huaisang, Lan Wangji and Jiang Yanli clearing his name and capturing the actual people responsible. 

He’s happy to hear this. Overjoyed. But that doesn’t mean he’ll gladly return to the cultivation world. He’s had enough of that life. 

He walks around town for a bit longer, catching bits of gossip here and there. As explores the town, wine jug in hand, he nearly chokes around a mouthful of wine as he sees a small shrine encasing a statue of his likeness. What.....the hell??

He quickly asks around and finds out that people are praying to him for protection. Wei Wuxian squirms a little at this, glad he’s wearing a weimao to cover his face. 

All of this...praying makes him uncomfortable. Not long ago, people were spitting on his name and now he’s suddenly become some sort of Patron for protection? The change is remarkable and cements Wei Wuxian’s decision to firmly stay out of the cultivation world. 

People’s opinions change like a tide and Wei Wuxian doesn’t want to stick around long enough for them to switch back. He sighs, disposing of his empty jug, and leaves the town.

.......

Surprisingly, that’s not the end of the changes. 

He got careless on a night hunt and ends up with the claw of a yaoguai piercing him all the way through his stomach. When the yaoguai pulled out its claw, though......Wei Wuxian healed quickly. Too quickly.

He recovers from the shock at this and finishes off the yao.

What just happened?

.

.

A quick trip to Wen Qing answered everything.

“Congratulations.” Wen Qing says dryly. “You’re an immortal.”

“........What.”

Wen Qing sighs, “From what you told me, you healed unnaturally quickly, right?”

Wei Wuxian nods. 

“There have only been records of immortals recovering that quickly. Even Wen Ruohan healed slower than you did.”

“But I don’t have a core???”

“You do. Sort of.” Wen Qing replies. “I’m actually surprised you haven’t you felt it.”

“.....” I mean, I did think it was odd that I didn’t freeze to death in the winter or die of hunger when money became tight over these years, but I thought those were side effects of demonic cultivation! Wei Wuxian quickly goes through the motions of feeling for his core, willing the surge of hope he felt down. 

And he......didn’t feel a core. He felt more of a large mass of energy congregated in his dantian.

Wei Wuxian is glad that he is sitting down right now because he feels very faint.  “But.....this......how?” 

“Hmm. Well, from what I’ve been hearing, you’ve become some sort of Patron Saint?” Wei Wuxian nods. “It’s rare, but cultivators can gain power from prayers. Take Wen Ruohan for example.”

“He became powerful through the same means?”

“Yes. Well, his people believed him to be all powerful, not so much as what people are praying to you. As the Sunshot alliance chipped down on his people, so too did they chip down on Wen Ruohan’s power.”

“So if people stop praying to me, I’ll stop being immortal.”

“Yes and no. Right now, there’s just a mass of energy concentrated there. It’s basically unrefined energy. All you have to do is refine that power into a core and cultivate normally. Otherwise, yes. You will lose this power as soon as people stop praying to you.”

“I see.......”

Wen Qing raises an eyebrow and brandishes her needles. “What are you doing just sitting here? Go and cultivate!”

“Aiya, Qing-jie! I’m in shock here, give me a moment to absorb this all!”

“I have patients to see! Get your ass to your room and cultivate!”

“Are you my mom or something?”

Wen Qing’s expression turns thunderous.

Wei Wuxian didn’t want to provoke her any further despite wanting to banter more and left to his room.

..................................

“You should visit your siblings.” Wen Qing says one day. “And Hanguang-Jun. I want to hear about how A’ Yuan is doing.”

“Where did this come from?”

“Wei Wuxian.” Wen Qing says patiently. “It’s been over a decade. Your name and our name has long since been cleared. People no longer hate you. And.....they miss you. Your siblings have commemorated the day you “died” and go into mourning for that day. Hanguang-Jun is a little subtler but he wears a mourning sash now.”

“They’ll be better off without me.”

“Says who?”

“The rest of the world.” Wei Wuxian says weakly.

“And why should you care for their opinion? You never seemed to mind it.”

“Ummm.....Lan Zhan hates me? Jiang Cheng might resent me? And Shij---Jiang-guniang---the Young Madam Jin has a life already.”

“First, if Hanguang-Jun hates you, why would he frequently glare at people who badmouthed you?”

“Because he’s a good person. How do you know this anyway?”

“I have friends. Try again. Hanguang-Jun is a famously reticent person. Would he do this for every person?”

“.........I don’t know.”

“The answer is no.”

Wei Wuxian pouts.

Wen Qing then begins to tell him how Jiang Cheng frequently takes demonic cultivators back with him in hopes that one of them would be Wei Wuxian and even added Wei Wuxian back to the Jiang sect register. Jiang Yanli smiles while ruthlessly talking people into apologizing every time she hears something bad said about Wei Wuxian.

She even lectures him on his feelings towards Lan Wangji, that he would entrust A’ Yuan to him.

Wen Qing closes off her speech with threats of her needles if Wei Wuxian doesn’t get his ass over there.

“There’s a Discussion Conference at Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian, wait till they’re done and go meet them.”

Wei Wuxian, sufficiently threatened, hightails it back to what was his home.

.......

Wei Wuxian also decidedly forgets that he was supposed to wait for the Conference to end. Well, he had assumed that they would be done considering the empty state of the area in front of the conference room and stupidly bursts through the door to a room full of people.

Wei Wuxian blinks, “Uhh......”

“Wei Wuxian?!”

“Wei Ying?!”

“A’ Xian?!”

Wei Wuxian tittered from side to side, “Hello, all! I bet you thought I was dead! Well, you guessed wrong! Hahaha......”

..............................

Lan Wangji did not know what this time’s discussion conference would be like. He expected Jin Guangshan to try and subtly slander Wei Ying. He expected Jiang Yanli, Jiang Wanyin and himself to stand up for Wei Ying, as he was unable to do before Wei Ying died.

But he certainly didn’t expect Wei Ying, who he thought was dead, burst into the room.

Everyone was silent as soon as they heard Wei Ying speak, but soon burst into a cacophony of noise.

Continuing the Discussion Conference was futile after that and it was quickly closed. Lan Wangji watched Wei Ying be surrounded by many people, some crying, some happily angry, some exasperated and he couldn’t help his reaction after seeing him once again.

He rushes forward and hugs him.

“Wha--Lan Zhan?”

“You’re alive.” Lan Wangji breathes, voice full of wonder. “You’re alive.”

Wei Ying’s arms come up around him and Lan Wangji feels the strong heart beat through their robes. His elders yell at him for his shamelessness and he comes back to himself, embarrassed at his lack of control.

“Aww, Lan Zhan! I’m so glad you missed me!”

“Mn. Missed Wei Ying a lot.”

A slight blush rose to Wei Ying’s cheeks and he laughed, a little shy. Lan Wangji couldn’t help his response to hearing his laugh again after so, so long. He kissed him.

The crowd gasped around them and Lan Wangji pulled back quickly, wanting the ground to swallow him up. But then......Wei Ying kissed him back.

“Aiya, Lan Zhan. How bold of you! To steal a kiss from me in public!” He giggles, not seeming mad at all and even pressing forward, tangling his fingers in his forehead ribbon.

Lan Wangji’s breath stutters at the gesture.

“You’d better take responsibility!”

Is Wei Ying asking what I think he’s asking? “Responsibility?”

“Yes! You took a kiss from me in public! It looks like I can’t marry anymore.”

“Will marry Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji replies, voice hoarse, ignoring the cries of outrage from his elders, the angry shouts from Jiang Wanyin, and the smirks from Jiang Yanli and his brother. “Will take responsibility.”

“I hope that isn’t the only reason.”

This is his chance to come clean. Lan Wangji already told himself that he wouldn’t hold himself back if he met Wei Ying again. “Like Wei Ying. Love Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying laughs brightly. “I like Lan Zhan too. Now, you’ll finally admit we’re close?”

Lan Wangji ignores everyone, eyes only on Wei Ying as they should have always been, “Mn. Let’s get married.”

___________________________

I feel like Lan Wangji may be a bit OOC......hmm. Well, whatever. I finally got this done and with that, I think I’ve cleared all the prompts I haven’t answered, so asks will open up again!

Hope you all enjoyed this!

[friendlybowlofsoup]

Hi! You reblog a lot of fashion and hanfu type posts, so I was wondering if you could maybe tell us which (if any) of the posts match what you envision for characters’ clothing? Thank you for your time!

Σ (￣ω￣;) OoOh boy, Anon, this is definitely going to be a long post.

I should mention that I tend to be vague in narrative to allow for reader imagination, and that will not change. Nothing I show is canon, and is more how I, personally, see the characters.

That said, you will notice that most of the below are examples of modern hanfu/kimono or straight-up guzhuang (historically inspired costumes), but I do try to keep aesthetics to what feels right for a story about spirits, gods and monsters.

--

Qiu is, of course, always function over fashion. He wears a basic robe (some sort of yichang, most likely), that he ties the sleeves of to keep out of the way.

However, he does occasionally dress up for formal events, and in that case, he will wear a simple yichang with an elegant dachang, usually in colors of dark crimson or dark blue (his signature colors). It is also during formal events that he ties his hair up into a bun and secures it with a guan.

--

An will wear anything she thinks beautiful, but does have a preference for parallel-colored ruqun and flowy daxiushan. 

That clothing style doesn’t really change whether she’s going for informal or formal, except she might add a few layers for the latter. She is very big on hair pins though, and especially loves to collect them!

--

Min He generally wears very formal zhiju, and other straight-hem type of hanfu, and usually in solid color or with minimal designs.

Though, I have mentioned before that she wears miansha (a mouth covering), and weimao (a veiled hat).

--

Kaski takes surprisingly good care of his clothes, though he wears light attire these days. Often times, it is a very simple yuanlingpao/yichang or just a basic kimono, usually in a single layer (he overheats easily).

He used to wear more formal attire, in which case, it was elegant but functional. A simple, single-color yichang with a straight-hemmed skirt. (Never in this shade of red though, it’s too much of a decadent color for him).

--

Xinyi is human and a commoner, so he what he usually wears is reflective of that. Usually he wears regular shirt and trousers, sometimes a basic robe like a yukata for when the Red Mountain gets too hot (as it often does during summer).

He always wears a red cord somewhere on his person, usually on his waist, that denotes him as the Seer for his village. He also has formal attire for rituals, which I imagined to be similar to dark-colored Buddhist monk attire.

--

Hiemi wears what is easiest for her to move in, though something light so that her senses are not obscured in cloth. Typically, something like a plain yuanlingpao, or even a Vietnamese ao dai.

She also has a hidden closet/cache of formal clothes that she sometimes can be seen wearing, though those tend to be lighter in color. Among them, she has a style of hanfu called quju.

--

Go Ro has an elegant wardrobe, and I like the idea of him wearing quju and elegant yichang.

He also wears a lot of heavier jackets (haori and dachang), as they are easy to slip on and can easily hide any accumulated ink stains on his main sleeves.

--

Chun wears what is easiest for her to move in (top and trousers), and doesn’t think much of it, though she does take care of what she owns. (These tend to be more dull colors, like ash or brown, as she doesn’t enjoy standing out very much)

However, if she had the ability, I think she would enjoy wearing a formal zhiju.

--

Spider has likely worn a little bit of everything, and his taste changes all the time. Currently, I’d say he’s more into flashy yuanlingpao, though he’s not above dramatic sleeves as well (though they are decidedly harder to run in lol)

((Most of these provided thanks to @ziseviolet!!))

[besanii]

hello! first of all, let me just say that i love your writing !! second, i was reading shattered mirrors (bc that verse owns me thanks) and in the nightmare fic, wwx mentions a water prison, which sounds super terrifying and interesting so I guess my question is does wwx have a fear of water because of it? If so, does LWJ know? -C

[from here (#21) and here (#28)]

“Xian-er, my dear, a moment of your time.”

He feels Lan Wangji stiffen beside him when Wang Dafu wanders over to their table partway through the festivities. The other guests are in various states of inebriation and growing rowdy, although Wei Wuxian suspects they are behaving themselves more so than usual today. Usually around this time he would be excusing himself for some fresh air to escape the noise, but there had been little chance of it with Lan Wangji beside him, still as a statue, preventing his exit.

Wang Dafu bows to Lan Wangji.

“Er-wangye, may I perhaps be so bold as to borrow a moment of Xian-er’s time?” he asks. “I would like to have a word with him in private.”

Lan Wangji does not move. Wang Dafu starts to sweat under his stony gaze, glancing around for assistance without causing a scene. Eventually, Wei Wuxian takes pity on him and rises to his feet with an easy laugh.

“Of course, Wang-daren,” he says. “Shall we adjourn to your delightful little garden? I am afraid I have been terrible company tonight and should excuse myself before I displease Er-wangye any further.”

The cup in Lan Wangji’s hand hits the table top with a loud thud that catches the attention of everyone in their immediate vicinity. Within a second, everyone stops what they are doing to bow in the wake of his anger, cowering further when Lan Wangji rises to his feet. He ignores Wang Dafu completely and turns to Wei Wuxian with the same stony gaze.

Wei Wuxian hesitates, keeping his head bowed.

“Wangye…” he says, “if I have indeed displeased you—”

“You have not,” Lan Wangji interrupts him to say. 

His tone, however, is flat and abrupt. It has been a very long time since Wei Wuxian has heard this tone directed at him and it shocks him more than he would like to admit; he keeps his hands tucked into his wide sleeves, hidden beneath the silk veil he has yet to remove, unable to stop the way they tremble at the thought of Lan Wangji angry because of him.

“Raise your head,” Lan Wangji tells him. When Wei Wuxian hesitates to obey, Lan Wangji sighs. “W—Xian-er.”

The name sounds foreign on his lips—sounds wrong. He finds himself hating it, hating the sound of it, in that instant. But the moment passes and he raises his head, all smiles and good humour once again.

“Yes, Wangye?”

“I will join you in the gardens,” Lan Wangji says. “I also find myself in need of some fresh air.”

–

There is a large pond in the middle of the garden, which Wang Dafu boasts took months to create. It is deep, he says, deep and wide enough for them to be able to take a small boat around the perimeter and allow them some privacy.

Lan Wangji stays a ways behind to give them a semblance of privacy, watching as Wang Dafu leads Wei Wuxian to the water’s edge with a simpering, doting smile on his lips. Wei Wuxian responds in kind, with a hand on his arms, puncturing holes in Lan Wangji’s lungs with each whispered word and soft laugh that floats back into his ear. He forces himself to watch, even though he is too far away to hear what they are saying; each passing second burns bitterly in the back of his throat.

“Wangye,” a servant says quietly from behind him. “Would you like to take a seat in the pavilion to wait for the master?”

“No, I will wait here,” Lan Wangji says. “You may leave.”

“Yes, Wangye.”

He watches Wei Wuxian shiver just as the boat is pulling close to the shore, and Wang Dafu coos and fawns over him before he is striding off, calling for Mo Xuanyu to bring an extra cloak for his master. Wei Wuxian watches him go, his hands falling to his side, no longer shivering, the playfulness gone from his gait. Turning away from the water, he looks to a spot to Lan Wangji’s left and raises his voice.

“You can come out now,” he says.

A young woman, no more than twenty, charges out from behind a tree. One of Wang Dafu’s concubines, Lan Wangji realises, from the fine silks and gold ornaments in her hair.

“Liu-furen,” Wei Wuxian says. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“You bitch,” she hisses. “I know what you’re here for! You have your greedy little eyes on my husband. You think that parading yourself around like the shameless thing you are will get you out of your miserable little life? It won’t be that easy. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Wei Wuxian laughs, but it is not the soft, breathy laugh from before; instead, it is sharp and mocking, cutting through the woman’s fury like a sharp knife.

“Pardon me, Liu-furen,” he says. “I wasn’t aware you had any say. Did you not serve Wang-furen as a maid before you climbed into bed with her husband? And you dare to lecture me on being shameless?”

She gapes at him for a moment, to stunned to speak. In the next moment, she raises her hand and slaps Wei Wuxian across the face, nearly dislodging his veil. Wei Wuxian does not retaliate, fixing the veil around his head to disguise how he raises his hand to still Lan Wangji’s furious step forward.

“Xian-er thanks Liu-furen for her guidance,” he says coldly. “I must remind you that I am here at Wang-daren’s personal invitation. What do you think your husband will say if he found out how you treat his guests?”

“I am his wife,” she says haughtily, but there is a trace of nervousness in her tone. “He would not believe the words of a slut over mine.”

“Pardon me, Liu-furen, but you are a concubine,” he reminds her. “And the lowest ranking one too. I would really advise you to worry about yourself first, rather than picking needless fights with me.”

She grabs his arm roughly to prevent him from leaving. The force of the motion has him stumbling backwards and crashing into her, causing both of them to lose balance and slip on the wet grass by the edge of the pond. She shrieks as she falls, and claws at him in a desperate attempt to regain balance. The ensuing struggle knocks his weimao to the ground and his long hair spills over his shoulder.

Lan Wangji, who had already started moving the moment he saw her lay her hand on him, gets there in time to catch Wei Wuxian by the waist, hauling him away from the water’s edge. The motion dislodges her hands in the process; she tumbles into the water with a scream, followed by a loud splash. He pays her no mind, attention already on Wei Wuxian, who has gone deathly still.

“Wei Ying?” he says softly. “Are you alright?”

Tremors start to run over his body, small and barely noticeable at first, rapidly building in intensity until he collapses in Lan Wangji’s arms, his legs giving out from beneath him. His breath comes in choked, dragging gasps, terrifying similar to the way his attacker gasps and struggles in the water behind them, and he claws at his throat frantically trying to draw breath.

“Wei Ying!” He takes hold of Wei Wuxian’s face between his hands and presses their foreheads together. “Wei Ying, focus on me. Listen to me. You have to breathe. With me. Listen to me. Breathe.”

Servants and guests alike have come out at the sound of the commotion, shouting for help. Someone fishes Wang Dafu’s concubine out of the water, spluttering and crying, but Lan Wangji does not concern himself with anything other than Wei Wuxian. He holds him close, keeps their foreheads pressed together so he can feel his breath against his lips, deep and slow, until he subconsciously starts to mimic the pattern. After a few deep breaths, his body begins to relax little by little. The colour returns to his cheeks and the eerie blankness fades from his eyes.

“Lan Zhan?” he rasps, muddled and confused. “Where—?”

“Shh, you’re fine,” Lan Wangji tells him. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

People are starting to crowd around them, shouting questions and clamouring to get a better look. Wei Wuxian flinches at the noise and ducks his head; Lan Wangji grabs the fallen weimao from the ground and places back over his head before sweeping him up into his arms. A startled gasp sounds from beneath the veil as shaking hands grasp the front of his robes tightly. Wang Dafu bursts out from the crowd as he is about to leave, wild-eyed and panting.

“Wangye!” he gasps, falling to his knees. “Please forgive my concubine for her offense! I will see to it that she is punished for her transgressions!”

“I am not the one you should be apologising to,” Lan Wangji says, his voice quiet and cold as ice. “This woman will receive fifty slaps across the face and confinement to the ancestral shrine for reckless endangerment of a guest of her husband’s house and failure to observe proper etiquette as befitting a concubine of her station. Wang Dafu shall receive fifty lashes and withholding of six month’s salary for the endangerment of a guest of his house as a result of his failure to enforce proper conduct within your household. Report to the Ministry of Justice at dawn.”

He adjusts his arms so Wei Wuxian is tucked securely in his arms, his head leaning against his shoulder beneath the weimao, and strides past the crowd without a backward glance.

Notes:

Liu-furen (六夫人) - Sixth Madam, or “sixth wife”

// buy me a ko-fi //

Master Post is here

[drwcn]

If it’s not too much to ask can we get some ideas on how chengqings relationship ship bloomed both before and during the war? Not just romantically, I also mean as friends and comrades. Sorry I just rlly love the ship I THIBK they’d go nicely but the fandom generally calls them the forced het pairing so there isn’t much content

You asked for chengqing, I give you chengqing. I don’t care what people say; i’ve only seen CQL and as far as I’m concerned chengqing is a tragic pair and I’m gonna fix that. 

Warning though: Spoilers. There is nothing about this relationship that won’t spoil the plot. The beginning of their relationship essentially drive plot forward in many ways. So... :) happy reading. Reminder that yes Jiang Cheng is a demonic cultivator in this. 

Snow came early this year. Stretching north west from Yunmeng, the mild winters of the river lands gave away to Qishan’s mountains and its harsh storms. 

The villages in the border region between the two sect’s juridical territories were on average poor, too out of reach of Lotus Pier or Nevernight for either clan to claim responsibility. The people got by on small scale farming, mostly for sustenance, but some families hunted game meat too, to be cured and kept over the long harsh months when the land yielded no more grains or greens. 

Yet by the first snow fall, most hunters had already packed up their gears and headed home for new years. Their cabins, littering the mountain range stretching some several hundred li from southeast to northwest, would be locked up and abandoned until spring. 

A perfect place for a clandestine meeting. 

Black weimao shielding her face, Wei Qing trekked through the unfamiliar terrain, the crunch of her boots on fresh snow the loudest sound in the dead forest. She counted the hours in her head and reckoned that she had about a day before she was needed again.  

Up ahead, she spotted the wooden lodging where they’d agreed to meet, her and her secret. There was a row of faint footsteps leading up to the entrance, nearly indistinguishable now with the way the wind blew bitterly through the trees. 

Jiang Wanyin had arrived before her. 

Sword in hand, Wen Qing nudged the door open, on guard. It could be him, or it could be Wen Ruohan’s men lying in wait. Since Meng Yao’s compromise and subsequent escape, Wen Ruohan’s paranoia had increased ten fold. He still trusted her, but Wen Qing was not naive enough to assume she was safe from his suspicions. She knew perfectly well how close her neck was to the edge of the blade, how precariously her life perched on the brink of a horrible end. 

Not all of them could be swallowed by death and be spat back out whole and anew. 

Jiang Wanyin was an anomaly, an outlier in the data. A miracle. 

The space she entered was cramped, but not entirely inhospitable. It seemed somehow tidier than last she’d been here, like someone had cleaned up.  A man's black threadbare cloak was thrown over the low table, the evidence of snow long melted into the collar. 

Wen Qing turned. 

There was no bed in the hut, not that she expected there to be. Over by the far wall under the small high window was a kang built from mud bricks and clay. Covered in a measly layer of dried hay, it was in a poor state. Clearly the hunter who’d originally constructed this hut had not returned for some years. That had been one of the reasons Wen Qing had picked this particular location. 

Jiang Wanyin sat cross-legged on the kang, eyes closed and in deep meditation. 

For a minute, Wen Qing simply stood there and stared at him. In her mind’s eye, she could still see the boy she met at Cloud Recesses, recalling his shy smile and uncontrollable blush as he bowed to her on his sister’s doorstep. It was hard to reconcile that Jiang Cheng to the man he was now. 

If he was a man at all anymore. 

The snake wrist-let that had once been Zidian slithered around his forearm, coiling and uncoiling as though possessing a cogntion of its own. The violet lightning, its name sake, was a thing of the past, for it glowed now an ominous red, the only source of colour on a body that was otherwise black cloth and ashen skin. 

Wen Qing suppressed a shudder at the wisps of dark smoke that seemed to evaporate from Jiang Wanyin with his every breath. 

"You're late," he said without opening his eyes, voice gruff from disuse. She wondered when was the last time he’d spoken to another human that wasn’t a spirit or ghoul. 

"Not all of us can afford to be a wanderer. A full time commitment, keeping a madman happy." replied Wen Qing, tugging at the draw strings of her cloak. She let it fall to the floor unceremoniously and stepped up to the kang.

Dark eyes slowly opened.

“Give me your wrist.” 

Jiang Wanyin obeyed, letting her feel for his pulse.  

“Did you kill since last we spoke?” 

“I did.” 

“With demonic cultivation?” 

“Naturally.” 

“How many?” 

“Hm. A hundred? Give or take. It was a mid ranged squadron.” 

“I told you to take it easy.” 

“You told me to distract Wen Ruohan’s men while you spun your lies. I did that.” He glared up at her and tilted his head at his wrist between her fingers. “Well, am I to your liking?” 

The innuendo was blatant, but whether it’d been intentional was unclear. Wen Qing felt something close to regret gnaw at her conscience. The boy she knew would’ve never had the audacity to talk like that. The boy she knew was a gentleman, a little rough around the edges perhaps, bristly even, but a gentleman. 

Now, now he was uncharted water. 

Patient, her father’s voice echoed in her mind. It was always her father’s voice. He is a patient. A patient just like any other patient. 

Wen Qing scanned her patient with her eyes, assessing. 

Jiang Wanyin was understandably perhaps a little apprehensive, but beyond that...nothing.  His pale, gaunt face, once handsome with its strong jaws and sharp cheekbones, betrayed very little.

No matter, Wen Qing told herself. She gleamed what she needed. His steady heart rate and the calm flow of his dark energy through his meridians satisfied the criteria they must meet before proceeding. They had a goal today, and that should be her focus.

"Did you read the texts I asked you to?"

“Yes,” he answered blandly, no trace of embarrassment detectable. 

“Did you bath?” 

“Did you take precautions?” He snipped back at her. A flash of irritation fleeted across his face.  

Touché.    

Lifting her weimao, revealing herself to him fully, Wen Qing climbed onto the kang in one smooth motion.

Taking one of his hand and placing it on her waist, she met his eyes unblinkingly as she reached for the clasps of her own waist-belt.

“I’ll be gentle,” she said, her tone softening. 

His bland expression didn’t change. “Just be thorough.” 

"Then let's get started."

~ 

kang 炕 - this is something you can see even now in really rural places in china. For the longest, poor families in villages didn’t have beds. Beds did not retain heat and was something only rich families had. A kang is basically a platform that people sleep on usually made out of brick and is hollow on the inside. It is build against a wall, on the other side of the wall would be the hearth. The heart is connected through a hole in the wall to the inside of the kang. Heat from the hearth from cooking would escape under the kang and be trapped there to keep the bed on top warm through the night. Because the kang is made out of brick, thick blankets are needed on top for sleeping and comfort. 

weimao - is a wide brim hat that has a long veil to hide one’s face. Usually worn by assassins in xianxia and wuxia novels. 

[freshlybakedspiderbread]

seiga or aya :)

breaking them down... (x)

You get a twofer because i am nothing but generous. Firstly, Seiga...

How I feel about this character

You know how I feel! Probably my favourite character, or at least always floating around number one spot. She’s unashamedly wicked, but also fun and charming in her own way. She’s determined to live her best life forever and also helping the people she cares about (prestigious company!) to live their best lives forever too. I’ll try to sum up all snappily: I love her a lot, unfortunately!

All the people I ship romantically with this character 

Are we talking like ship as in “ive put a lot of thought into her potential romances” or ship as in “just name anyone and everyone i’ve ever thought it would be nice for them to kiss”? Since I’m trying to not drag these out, I’ll go with the latter...

Obvious close connections that spring into something bigger: Miko (they bring out each other’s best and worst qualities), Tojiko (incredibly spicy), Yoshika (when she was alive! then tragedy struck...).

Fateful encounters that stick forever: Kaguya (you did this to me), and Marisa. The latter isn’t something I’ve thought about more than “its be kinda funny if they bothered each other a whole bunch for a while, and got semi-attached”.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Among all the taoists, her relationship with Futo is by far the funniest and the dramaless. Whatever respect or reverence Futo might have had for Seiga has since transformed into treating her like a quirky familial buddy who does the occasional crime but that just means she’s flawed like the rest of them. Meanwhile Seiga finds Futo bewildering more often than not and gets irritated whenever Futo implies they’re both equals under Miko, but wouldn’t change a thing about her.

Honourabe mention goes to their back-and-forths with myouren crew leading to Byakuren thinking Seiga is a complicated soul in need of a friend, and driving Seiga crazy (Nobody is allowed to think she has emotions!)

My unpopular opinion about this character 

I’m suspicious of all fanarts of her in qipao... That includes you 👁️ Sadly, it is totally in-character for her to cash in on her ‘exotic’ appeal and Miko would eat it up...

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. 

One thing about this question i wanna make clear is i don’t have often have any big hopes from canon outside of the standard ‘she should show up’ because so much of touhou taking and making their own ideas with the content.

That said, she should show up. With a new outfit. Give her a weimao and/or a veil.

Aya time...

How I feel about this character 

The only other character who hovers around my number 1 as often as Seiga, and it’s this tengu reporter. I think I was destined to be attached to her from the beginning, since Wind God Girl from pofv was the first piece of touhou music I ever heard and my first exposure to series as a whole. Nostalgia aside, I love her a lot and I couldn’t have picked a better candidate for a favourite character because she’s actually someone who shows up in canon regularly! Sorry to people whose favourite is Alice...

All the people I ship romantically with this character

There’s Hatate, and then there’s Reimu, and... I think that’s it? I think any relationship that has someone dealing with Aya is probably a ton of fun to think about though.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Her rocky work-relationship with Momiji which usually ends with the latter biting her is pretty funny, but I think just as funny is whenever she runs into Suika at the hakurei shrine or wherever. Aya in general I like to think is wary or not fond of being in the compay of oni, and so she can’t help but to have her guard up at least a little even around Suika who is the oni least deserving of any respect. But it’s hard to maintain that when Suika just doesn’t care and keeps almost spilling alcohol on Aya’s notebook whenever she tries peeking and badgering about what she’s writing.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. 

What if in the next hypothetical bunkachou book, the gimmick is that it’s a live coverage of an ongoing event and she’s hastily reediting the notes as it goes along, and now and then someone else gets their hands on the book and writes their own thoughts for a page or two, which Aya can’t erase. Maybe I just like the thought of having her be tormented a little.

[ziseviolet]

Ziseviolet’s Hanfu Q&A Masterpost Part 2

=== See Part 1 here! ===

Buying Hanfu & Hanfu Accessories, Part 2 (Part 1 in Pt.1 of Masterpost):

Where to buy crane-print skirts

Where to commission high-quality screen-accurate Hanfu

How to find Hanfu for BJDs

What Hanfu is suitable for high-tea event

Black & white Hanfu with stripes

Navigating my tumblr:

How to navigate tags on my tumblr

Hanfu in films/dramas/animations:

Hanfu in television dramas

Hanfu in “The Empress of China"

Hanfu in “The Rise of Phoenixes” - Pt 2  

Hanfu in “Mo Dao Zu Shi” - Part 2

Where to buy clothing similar to that from “The Untamed”

Hanfu in “Eternal Love"

Historically accuracy of hanfu in xianxia dramas (e.g. Eternal Love)

Historical accuracy of the clothes in the film “The Myth”

Hanfu in “Court Lady/Li Ge Xing”

Hanfu in “Consort Meng Arrives” 

Significance of flowers in skirts & floral tattoos in “Consort Meng Arrives”

Historical accuracy of flowers in back of dress in "Consort Meng Arrives”

Historical accuracy of floral tattoos in “Consort Meng Arrives”

Identifying actresses in Huadian compilation

Recs for historically/stylistically accurate Chinese drama

My cdrama recommendations - Part 2, Part 3

Are there any fictional dramas/films about people in modern day choosing to wear Hanfu

Have I seen Zhang Yimou’s film “Shadow”

Bedlahs in cdramas

Mulan (general):

Inspiration for designing Mulan costumes

Disney’s animated Mulan film:

Accuracy of Hanfu in “Mulan”

Is Mulan wearing Waist-high Ruqun

Disney’s live-action Mulan film:

Historical accuracy of Mulan’s matchmaker outfit

How I feel about the costuming

What time period the film is set in - Part 2, Part 3

Are the costumes & makeup accurate for the dynasty

My thoughts on the historical accuracy of film - Part 2

Is Mulan Hakka based on architecture

Hanfu Revival Movement:

What direction I think the Hanfu Movement will take

The motivations for the Hanfu Movement

How I feel about the inconsistency of the Hanfu Movement

Do I think Hanfu should have a standard style

Comparison with Kimono and Hanbok:

Comparing Hanfu & Kimono (padding)

Comparing Hanfu & Kimono inspired figure skating costumes

Comparing Hanfu & Hanbok (resources)

Identifying Hanfu models:

Who is Coser小梦

Who is 玖柯9k

Who is 尤小棋

Who is 宫寒Ghan

Wearing Hanfu & Hanfu Accessories as someone who is not Chinese:

Non-Chinese wearing Hanfu - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21

Non-Chinese wearing Weimao - Part 2, Part 3

How I feel about people from other cultures taking interest in/wearing hanfu

Connecting with other Hanfu lovers:

Where to connect with other Hanfu lovers online

Recs for Hanfu Youtube channels

Chinese animation (Donghua):

My donghua recommendations

Hanfu in games:

Hanfu in Love Nikki dress-up game

Hanfu & art:

Drawing Hanfu respectfully

Artists online that do Hanfu-related art

Qing dynasty fashion:

What do I think about Qing dynasty clothing compared to that of previous dynasties?

Clothing/hair culture of the Qing dynasty

Can Qing dynasty clothing be considered Hanfu?

Qing dynasty & modern day Hanfu

Qing dynasty Hanfu

Qing dynasty nail guards

Scarves of Qing dynasty concubines - Part 2

Qing dynasty hairstyles

Resources for Manchu women’s board-like hairstyle during Qing dynasty 

Clothing in Cdrama “Nothing Gold Can Stay”

Qipao/Cheongsam & Republican era/Minguo fashion:

Why is Qipao/Cheongsam not considered Hanfu? - Origin of Qipao

Historical differences between Hanfu & Qipao

Recs for Qipao Taobao shops

Non-Chinese wearing Cheongsam

Clothing in Cdrama “Legend of Fragrance” - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Other Asian fashion blog recs: 

Kimono blog recs

Hanbok blog recs - Part 1, Part 2

Vietnamese fashion blog recs - Part 2

China’s ethnic minorities fashion blog recs

Chinese Opera:

Do Chinese opera costumes count as Hanfu? 

What type of clothing do Beijing opera actors wear?

Chinese Music & Instruments:

Resources for Chinese OST-sounding tracks

Gufeng music recommendations

Tumblr blogs about Chinese instruments

Resources on how to play Chinese flute (dizi) - Part 2

Chinese Language:

How to name Chinese characters

Using tattoos of Chinese script for a character

Personal:

What started my interest in Hanfu

Do I wear Hanfu myself

What Hanfu do I own - Part 2

My favorite dynasty - Part 2

How I came about my Hanfu/hairstyles knowledge

What my username means

Have I watched “The King’s Woman”

Have I watched “Nezha”

Chinese Heritage:

Learning about Chinese background as part-Chinese

Misc:

Dior mamianqun controversy

History of foot binding - Did foot binding involve all women in China

Basing clothing designs on Hanfu in graphics novels

What is “Gufeng”

Mixing styles from different eras for a fantasy China setting

Identifying location of beautiful snowy photoset

Mythology-related content

Matchmaking in ancient China

Courtesans in ancient China

Where to watch Huafu Day show

Chinese architecture blog recs - Part 2

Ancient Chinese houses’ furniture & interiors

Chinese landscape/scenery blog recs

Modern Chinese fashion magazines

Identifying glutinous rice balls (Tangyuan)

(image via)

[friendlybowlofsoup]

oh SWEET in that case - if you feel like it, could you share some of the aesthetic/period influence for this story? I have no idea what the general guidelines of xianxia (?) fantasy’s clothing aesthetic are, all my defaults are european fantasy!

Of course, though this post would go on forever if I talked about all of my aesthetic inspirations, so I’ll just focus on clothes for now!

Huge disclaimer going forth though: 

GotRM isn’t true a xianxia, as I take my inspirations from many different places, not just Taoist/Buddhist/Chinese folklore, so bear that in mind. Also, the descriptions of clothing/architecture is purposely a little vague in the narrative to allow reader freedom. You don’t have to adhere to the aesthetics I’m about to show you, this is mostly just what I think of while I’m writing.

This is long, and therefore under read more, because pictures are included, and because fashion and aesthetics make me weep.

((If you want I can make another post about things like architecture/atmosphere or even influences from media/folktales. Or if you want more fashion stuff too, that’s cool! Just send me another ask ;)))

–

ANYWAYS CLOTHES

Lots of Chinese historical-fantasy dramas (be it wuxia or xianxia) will often costume their characters with very “floaty”, light-colored clothing, with long sleeves that can be used to emphasize movement as they perform their crazy actions while in flight/combat. 

In particular, you might be familiar with the daxiushan, which is the outer robe with characteristically long, gaping sleeves (in the picture below, it’s sheer, but these can be solid in color too):

Or the dachang, which is an open, heavy robe (almost like a haori but heavier and longer): 

Or maybe the pibo, which is the thin, long scarf that you often see wrapped over, then under, the arms. Usually these are worn by divine/celestial/noble characters, as a symbol of grace and beauty:

The inner robes, or standalone robes, tend to vary wildly. Here’s some popular styles off the top of my head though:

Yishang/ruqun (blouse tucked into a waist-length or chest-length skirt, usually with “left over right” crossed collar, though feminine styles might also have a parallel collar):

Zhiju (Long, draping, one-piece robe):

And my personal favorite, the Yuanlingpao (round-collared, usually worn with trousers underneath. Allows for dynamic movement.):

For actual historical periods, most costumers of the genre will point to the Tang/Ming/Han dynasties, and also sometimes Sui. Lots of sleeves in these eras, and layers!

BUT NOW THAT’S JUST XIANXIA/WUXIA FASHION

I’m not nearly as well-versed in other cultures, but I have been inspired by Japanese kimono:

Yukata + haori: casual wear, mostly worn in summer. The haori is the jacket, the yukata is the robe inside.

The Furisode (draping sleeves, also with really pretty designs hng):

Hakama (Long pleated skirt/trousers worn over a basic kimono):

--

Bonus:

You can find all sorts of really neat hair accessories if you look up kanzashi hair pins, but my real love is veils and mysterious hats.

Min He, for example, wears two kinds of veils, one that covers her whole head (weimao/mili) and one that just covers her mouth (miansha):

And there are plenty more out there too~

This post got pretty long, and I’m not sure if it’s coherent, but looking around these styles should help with figuring out the general aesthetic! If you need some more help, here are some tumblr blogs with A++ content in terms of this kind of fashion

@ziseviolet: has a master list of fashion styles and they do excellent historical/cultural write ups.

@hanfugallery : hanfu just translates to clothes, and they post a really nice collection of all sorts of hanfu styles, not just the ones I mentioned!

@tokyo-fashion: more modern fashion styles, but really good to look at for inspiration and references.