Yīcháng (衣裳)
Yichang is a generic term for a style of clothing consisting of an upper garment, the yi, and a lower garment, the chang. Most commonly, the upper garment would be a cross-collared top and the lower garment would be a skirt (qun) or trousers (ku/kun). The division of the upper and lower garment was considered symbolically important, as a representation of the greater order of the heavens and the earth. The traditional sensibility was that a woman’s upper garment should end around her waist with her lower garment meeting the top, to show the earth supports the heavens; whereas a man’s upper garment should extend long enough to partially cover his lower garments, to show the heavens embrace the earth.
The particular styles of the yichang upper and lower garments varied greatly throughout history. In the Shang Dynasty, the yi was worn over the chang and tied with a sash. In the Qin and Han Dynasties, women began to wear the chang over the yi. Sleeve depth and yi length trends would also evolve throughout history. For instance, in the Shang Dynasty, the yi featured narrow sleeves and a tunic-length hem; whereas in the Northern & Souther Dynasties period, women favored deep sleeves trailing to the knee and a shorter top. Chang length would also vary from knee-length to trailing on the ground, largely as a measure of status since workers needed their clothing to not obstruct their work whereas nobility could afford to wear impractical garments. Despite its many changes in form, the basic yichang silhouette was worn from the Shang Dynasty through the Song Dynasty. Most styles of yichang have been unisex, however styles like qixiong ruqun and aoqun were only worn by women.
Sew Your Own
Interested in making your own yichang? Use my unisex hanfu sewing pattern (includes yichang, shenyi, and beizi patterns).
Looking for a Hanfu sewing pattern? Making a wuxia or danmei cosplay or Chinese historical reenactment costume? Want a pattern that provides info on how to properly wear Hanfu and historical considerations like sleeve length and fabric choices? I have made just the pattern for you!
This pattern includes 3 outfits—a yichang, shenyi, and beizi—which can be worn layered together or separately. This entire ensemble would be most at place during the Song Dynasty, however the yichang and shenyi would be appropriate as early as the Warring States Period.
This digital download includes:
Printable sewing pattern & sewing instructions for 3 garments: Yichang, Shenyi, and Beizi
Printable patterns are compatible with US Letter, A4 paper, and A0 paper.
Sizes S/M/L/XL and instructions on how to resize your pattern
See size chart image for detailed measurements. Since hanfu are loose fitting this size range covers approximately US sizes XS-XXL womens or XS-L mens
Instructions on how to wear Hanfu in a historically accurate way
Historical considerations for fabrics, colors, motifs, and fit
Estimated yardage & sample cutting layouts
Note that I pattern in metric, so the standard seam allowance is 1cm (3/8in). Information to alter the seam allowance is provided
When you purchase this pattern, a checkout page will open containing a link to the digital download that will last for 24 hours. You will also receive an email with the same link. The download is a zip file which you will need to unzip to access the PDFs of the printable patterns and instructions. Please make sure to provide your correct email address so that the digital download is delivered to you successfully and remember to download it within 24 hours of delivery. To use the digital pattern, print out the pattern PDFs, tape together the numbered grid of pages, and then cut out the pattern pieces.
Note that this pattern is to be used for your personal use only. Commercial use and redistribution are not permitted.
Sources Consulted:
Chinese Clothing by Hua Mei
5000 Years of Chinese Costume by Xun Zhou
Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation by Antonia Finnane
Six Dynasties Civilization by Albert Dien
Modern Meaning of Han Chinese Clothing by Eun-Young Lee
