A Thousand-Year Journey: Evolution of Chinese Skirts in Traditional Clothing

The Beauty of Skirts

Skirts have been praised from the Book of Songs to Song poetry, and people still rave about their beauty today.

As a wrap-around lower-body garment, skirts date back super early. Legend says even 4,000 years ago in the Yellow Emperor’s time, there was talk of “upper coat, lower skirt”—that “skirt” being the skirt itself.

From rough woven fibers to fine silk embroidery, the evolution of Chinese skirts over millennia mirrors China’s material culture growth and packs deep traditional philosophy and aesthetics. The “every design has meaning, every meaning brings luck” art, with dragon-phoenix totem vibes, showcases the nation’s cultural taste in traditional Chinese clothing styles.

Shen Yi

The Shen Yi comes from the Li Ji’s Shen Yi chapter in pre-Qin classics. It’s made by cutting and sewing a top and bottom skirt together with specific rules. One of China’s earliest outfits, it’s called “Shen Yi” for how deeply it fits the body.

So, the skirt in Shen Yi is stitched right into the top, cool huh? This shows an early stage in the history of Hanfu skirts, where form and meaning were already connected.

Ruqun

Ruqun popped up in the Warring States and took off in the Wei, Jin, and Northern-Southern Dynasties. It’s a Hanfu style where a short top (Ru) pairs with a tied skirt, the classic “upper coat, lower skirt” look. The top, or Ru, is short, usually above the knee, while the bottom is the skirt. So, “Ruqun” is really two pieces in one.
Ruqun was a top pick for Chinese women’s wear for over 2,000 years, from Warring States to Ming, with tweaks in length and width but keeping its core shape.

In Han, with Shen Yi all the rage, fewer women wore Ruqun, but they didn’t ditch it—Han Yuefu poems mention it a lot. Back then, the Ru was super short, just to the waist, with long, floor-skimming skirts.

Wei, Jin, and Northern-Southern Dynasties Ruqun followed Han’s lead—short top, long skirt. Skirt fabrics got richer and bolder with Buddhism’s rise, adding lotus and honeysuckle patterns. Women loved vibrant materials, colors, and designs, though plain white skirts also had their fans.

Tang

Tang saw long use of small-sleeve short Ru with floor-length skirts, but post-prosperity Tang, nobles went for loose, dragging styles. Skirts were sewn from four panels, narrow top, wide bottom, hanging to the ground without edges. Waists had silk strips with ties.

Skirt fabrics were silky, often multi-paneled, with waists pulled up. Colors popped—deep red, purple, moon blue, grass green—with pomegranate red reigning longest, a dazzling variety that kept things fresh and eye-catching. Like Princess Anle’s bird-pattern skirt, a masterpiece of Chinese weaving, or Wu Zetian’s jingling skirt with 12 bells at the corners, chiming with every step—pure Tang elegance, paired with short Ru and shawls, oozing poetic beauty and rhythm.

Song

Song flipped Tang’s bold colors for a soft, calm vibe. Skirts trended with “thousand pleats” or “hundred folds,” tied with silk belts, brighter than tops. Older women and rural folks favored plain, deep tones. Materials leaned on gauze and silk, with embroidered patterns or bead accents, plus front-slit “Xuan Skirts” and tied “Gan Shang Skirts.”

This period highlighted elegance in the ancient Chinese dress culture, shifting from grandeur to restraint.

Ming

Ming brought Aoqun (Ruqun’s evolution), found in tombs, with cross-collar waist-length Ru for everyday folks like maids or farm women, paired with knee pants under skirts. Early colors were light with subtle patterns.

By Chongzhen’s time, skirts turned plain white, with embroidery limited to a one- or two-inch floral trim at the hem. Starting with six panels (“skirt drags six widths of Xiang River water”), they grew to eight, with tiny waist pleats rippling like water when moving.
Late Ming upped the game—ten panels, dense pleats, each in a different color, swaying like moonlight in the breeze, earning the “Yue Hua Skirt” name.

Mamian Skirt

The Mamian Skirt, or “Mamian Zhe Skirt,” is a Hanfu type with four front-back panels, two overlapping, side pleats, and a smooth “horse face” middle.

It kicked off in Ming (maybe earlier) and lasted to the Republic. Paired with an Ao, it’s called Aoqun. Except for the flat front-back, it’s all pleated, with big, spaced folds on a contrasting waistband, tied with side ribbons. The hem’s wide, often woven or embroidered with Lan (borders) like bats for luck, bat-clouds for “boundless blessings,” lantern patterns for “abundant harvest,” or eight-treasure tassels and conch for extra good vibes. Fancier ones sported dragon or cloud-python designs.

As one of the most iconic designs in the history of Hanfu skirts, the Mamian Skirt reflects the refinement of traditional Chinese clothing styles and remains influential even in modern Hanfu revival.

Qing Skirts

Qing’s hair-and-clothes policy shifted Han styles, but the “ten follow, ten don’t” rule kept some Han women’s elements alive. Qing saw a mix of Manchu and Han styles, blending cultures.

Bai Zhe Skirt

Bai Zhe Skirt has 20cm flat panels front and back, with the lower half as the decor zone, embroidered with flashy bird, insect, or butterfly patterns, edged with trim. Sides have fine pleats with detailed embroidery, plus a waistband and ties, with a hem border.

Mamian Skirt

Mamian Skirt has four overlapping front-back panels with decor, the smooth “horse face” middle from overlapping, side pleats with gaps. A white waistband with ties symbolizes “white hair together forever.”

Lan Gan Skirt

Lan Gan Skirt mirrors Bai Zhe with big side pleats, Lan Gan edges between folds, and wide hem and panel borders in matching colors.

Fish Scale Skirt

Fish Scale Skirt uses multiple panels like Bai Zhe, with silk threads crisscrossing pleats to hold shape, expanding and contracting like a grid when moving—hence the name. Popular in late Qing’s Tongzhi era, it added a unique touch to the ancient Chinese dress culture.

Yue Hua Skirt

Yue Hua Skirt has ten panels with dozens of fine pleats, each in a different color with light floral patterns, elegant and soft. A breeze shows five colors in one pleat, glowing like moonlit radiance—thus the name.

Phoenix Tail Skirt

Phoenix Tail Skirt cuts silk into strips with pointed ends, embroidered with flowers, edged with gold thread, attached to the waist. Walking makes them flutter with golden sparkle like a phoenix tail. Three styles: one with embroidered strips below the waist, one with strips and dangling bells, one with a connected top and skirt plus bell-tipped strips.

The Depth of Chinese Culture

It shines through in food, housing, travel—every aspect.
A simple skirt holds centuries of elegance.

From the Shen Yi to the Mamian Skirt, the evolution of Chinese skirts shows how fashion carries history, philosophy, and artistry. Stay tuned for more awesome posts, and soak in the magic of ancient Chinese dress culture!