Banbi (Chinese: 半臂 ; pinyin: bàn bì), also known as banxiu (Chinese: 半袖 ; pinyin: bàn xiù), is a short top developed from the upper ru (Chinese: 襦 ; pinyin: rú) since the Wei and Jin dynasties.
Banbi are generally classified based on their collar shapes:
1. Dui-jin (Chinese: 对襟 ; pinyin: duì jīn) which is a central front collar
2. Jiaoling (Chinese: 交領 ; Pinyin: jiāo lǐng) which is a cross collar
3. Tanling (Chinese: 袒领 ; pinyin: tǎn lǐng) which is U-shaped collar
4. Yuanling (Chinese: 圆领 ; pinyin: yuán lǐng) which is a round collar
5. Fangling (Chinese: 方领 ; Pinyin: fāng lǐng) which is a square collar
The arm length of a regular banbi only reaches the elbow.
In the Tang Dynasty, the banbi became a popular garment worn by both men and women.
Banbi is in the form of a waistcoat or outerwear with short sleeves, which could either be worn over or under a long-sleeved ruqun.
Origin of banbi
Banbi is a type of short-sleeved jacket in ancient China, developed from half-sleeved in the Han and Wei dynasties.
The length of the banbi reaches the waist and the sleeve length is less than the elbow.
Banbi is suitable for work, so it is popular among the people.
Banbi was also a modern dress for women in the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Banbi later appeared in a large number of murals, statues, and other cultural relics in the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Banbi was very popular in the early Tang dynasty, which is associated with wearing a small sleeve jacket at that time.
In the early Tang dynasty, banbi were narrow and close to the body, and most of them had a low collar.
At the end of Wu Zetian’s reign, the banbi was changed to a symmetrical collar, and the clothes on both sides were tied with ties.
At the end of the Tang dynasty after the developing Tang dynasty, the clothes gradually became wider, wearing a large sleeved shirt on the outside, thus making the banbi no longer wearable outside. In this period, the scope of application of banbi gradually narrowed.
In the Song dynasty, banbi was still a fashionable garment, but it had become a very common garment. It was no longer an exclusive attire for the upper aristocrats. Banbi at this time can be used by men, and women, both young and old.
Banbi were still popular in the Yuan dynasty, and most of them were decorated to be more beautiful and stylish.
Banbi can also be used well in everyday life.
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