Zhàojiǎ (罩甲)
The Zhaojia is a men’s sleeveless surcoat with a straight opening in the front and a square collar. The length can vary from the thigh to the calf. The zhaojia features side slits and a slit at the center back to accommodate horseback riding. The zhaojia was commonly worn over a crossed-collar pleated robe such as a tieli or a yisan, and would be cinched at the waist with a leather belt.
The Zhaojia was worn as the military uniform in the Ming Dynasty. When worn in the Ming military, zhaojia could be made from leather, iron, or iron-laminated cloth. However, zhaojia were also worn as ceremonial garments by guards and officials, in which case they would be made from luxurious fabrics and feature elaborate golden embroidery of symbolic and auspicious motifs.
Sew Your Own
Interested in making your own zhaojia? Use “The General” hanfu sewing pattern (includes tieli and zhaojia patterns).
Looking for a Hanfu sewing pattern? Making a wuxia, xianxia, or danmei cosplay or Chinese historical reenactment costume of the Ming Dynasty military? 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 2 garments—a tieli and zhaojia—which can be worn layered together or separately. This pattern was inspired by the flying fish robes (feiyufu) worn by the Embroidered Uniform Guard (jinyiwei) in Ming Dynasty China.
This digital download includes:
Printable sewing pattern & fully illustrated sewing instructions for 2 garments: tieli & zhaojia
Printable patterns are compatible with US Letter, A4, and A0 paper
4 unisex sizes covering approximately US men’s XS-L or women’s XS-XXL and instructions on how to resize your pattern
See size chart image for detailed measurements
Instructions on how to wear Hanfu
Historical considerations for fabrics, colors, motifs, and fit
Estimated yardage and sample cutting layouts
Note that I pattern in metric, so the standard seam allowance is 1 cm (3/8 in). 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 at 100% scale, 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:
Hanfu: A Visual Primer of Historical Han Chinese Attire by the Northern California Hanfu Association
5000 Years of Chinese Costume by Xun Zhou
