Hanfu Women’s Skirts: Striped Skirts and Phoenix Tail Skirts

Striped Skirts

During the Wei, Jin, and Northern-Southern Dynasties, women adored striped skirts. These simple yet bold stripes never left the fashion scene, and today, top celebs rock them to set trends. Vertical stripes back then were a hit for their fresh, slimming vibe—something those ancient ladies totally knew! The go-to look was the striped skirt.

Called “Jian Se Skirts,” these were stitched from two or more colors, creating a playful mix. They made wearers look tall and graceful, truly living up to “serene like a flower by water, moving like a willow in the breeze”—super cute and fresh! Some daring women even paired red and green for a bold contrast, making the colors pop.

By Tang, striped skirts stayed hot, but the stripes got thinner. You’ll spot these fine-striped skirts in murals and figurines from Taizong to Empress Wu’s Zhou era. They faded out after the Kaiyuan period.

For a long stretch, these patchwork skirts vanished, until the early Qing when white skirts, like the Yue Hua Skirt, took off. Jin Li Gui Ci describes it: “No need for tacky embroidery to look elegant, polished silk shines like white clouds, painted with 72 colors on a trendy ten-panel skirt.” It’s all about a classy vibe—skip the fussy stitches, let the light silk and colorful patterns shine, perfect for the modern lady’s wardrobe.

Ancient skirts were pieced from fabric panels, so more panels meant a bigger, flowier skirt. Back then, skirts had wide panels with tiny pleats, each painted with different colors that danced like moonlight—hence Yue Hua Skirt. No real examples survive, but this painted-pleat idea birthed the Phoenix Tail Skirt.

Phoenix Tail Skirts

The Phoenix Tail Skirt emerged in the Qianlong era. Per Li Dou’s Yangzhou Hua Fang Lu, “Skirts cut from satin into strips, each embroidered with flowers, edged with gold thread, pieced together as a Phoenix Tail Skirt.” Satin strips with embroidery and gold edges formed the skirt, mimicking a phoenix’s tail. The Palace Museum holds Qianlong-era examples from theatrical costumes, showcasing these colorful strips.

Initially a fashion statement, it later became part of Qing women’s formal wear, staying popular through the Republic era, often paired with brides’ outfits. Even today, Miao women’s festive attire features Phoenix Tail Skirts, a proud part of their heritage.