In previous TV dramas and movies, we often saw clothes with such large necklines, which were like the ancient version of “deep V” necklines. Did people really wear such off-the-shoulder hanfu in ancient times? And why are such clothes less common nowadays?

I. The Universal Undershirt

In fact, that statement is only half right. People did wear clothes like that, but it’s more accurate to say that there were similar styles, and at most, they exposed the neck.

In history, there were indeed some impressions that made people mistake them for off-the-shoulder clothes. Various marketing accounts often compared them with the murals in the Xu Xianxiu (徐显秀) Tomb, as well as the figurines from the Wei and Jin Dynasties. However, generally speaking, when wearing normal waist-tied dresses and skirts, people would wear an undershirt inside the upper garment. The black layer under the neck in the murals is indeed an undershirt.

For instance, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, large-sleeved ru hanfu robe like this were in vogue. This style is really fascinating. It can be commonly observed on various figurines. However, as for the actual unearthed artifacts, only the sleeve sections have been found so far, just like the picture on the lower right.

So, based on the large open collar, the sleeve sections of the cultural relics, and the characteristics of the ru robe, we can infer that the large-sleeved ru hanfu generally looks like the one shown below, which is the general source of our inference for this style. Of course, since the size of the open collar varies from person to person, the final effect will also be different.

And it should be noted that for the figurines wearing large open collars like this, there is an exceptionless coincidence that there are rings or horizontal lines at the neck. In fact, this ring is the collar of the round undershirt or liangdang (裲裆, a kind of traditional Chinese clothing) inside.

II. The “Off-the-Shoulder” Look Is False

In the Southern Dynasties, following the development of fashion trends, the waistline of the skirt gradually shifted upwards to the chest. Some upper garments still retain the style of the large-sleeved ru robe. The large open collar of this period is somewhat similar to the visual effect in modern movies and TV shows. It barely exposes the collarbone, but it still takes some courage to have a collar as wide as those in movies and TV shows. However, this kind of large open collar can be regarded as a fashion of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. When it came to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the collar gradually returned to a normal state.

But why were early TV dramas so obsessed with off-the-shoulder Chinese hanfu, while they are much rarer in modern ancient costume dramas? One reason is that modern people have a much deeper understanding of clothing culture and have a wider variety of styles to choose from. Another reason is related to the liberal atmosphere during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. After all, this historical period was relatively short, and the corresponding themes for TV dramas are limited. Under the visual fatigue caused by extensive use of such styles in the early days, it could only become a trend for a certain period.

However, there are indeed many famous and eye-catching looks of celebrities. The swan-like necks of female celebrities make the whole outfit look much more noble. But it’s important to note that there is an element of exaggeration in TV dramas. In reality, the traditional Hanfu styles don’t expose as much of the shoulders. When wearing Hanfu, if you want to imitate those looks, you need to be very careful! If the collar is too low, there is a risk of revealing too much! If you really want to wear it like that, it’s better to wear an undershirt inside.

Summary

So, is there still a claim that the ancients were conservative when it comes to Chinese outfits? If we delve into the aesthetics of our ancestors regarding Chinese outfits, we will find that they far surpass those of modern people. However, no matter what, even if the ancients had large open collars in their Chinese outfits, the way they dressed was completely different from the style of the red-light district.

Instead, it was dignified, elegant, and imposing. But nowadays, in order to take “suggestive content” photos, in some photo studios, the clothes that are not originally that revealing are deliberately pulled open. It can only be said that there is a bit of “fancy trick” intended.