Chinese Republican era wedding look

The definition of Hanfu is somewhat problematic, with most people in the “circle” considering anything before Qing (Manchurian rule) as Hanfu. However,  even though the Manchus forbade the Han Chinese from wearing Hanfu, there were exceptions (or rather,  non-enforcement) in some instances.

Women,  for example,  were spared from the rule to abandon Han clothing for Manchurian clothing. Therefore even though there is a break for men in their use of Hanfu, the women carried on the dressing from previous dynasties

Towards the end of the Manchurian rule, the Han Chinese women’s fashion and Manchurian women’s fashion cross influences and both took inspiration from one another.

The Chinese republican era wedding dress I took the photo in,  is a good example of such late Qing style of dressing. It has to be completed with a super elaborate headpiece,  literally called the phoenix crown.

Of course men don’t wear black for wedding, but this is kind of the fashion for men a few decade after the Manchurian rule, when the Chinese absorbed more western influences in their dressing.