Hanfu is not just about clothing but also includes complete accessories and hairstyle systems. These elements together constitute the complete形象 of traditional Chinese dress.
Hair Accessories
Hairpins (簪): Used to fix hair buns, usually made of gold, silver, jade, or wood. Single-pronged hairpins were daily accessories, while multi-pronged hairpins were more decorative. Phoenix hairpins were high-grade accessories for noblewomen.
Hair clasps (钗): Double-pronged hair accessories, more decorative than hairpins. Gold and silver flower clasps were popular among Tang Dynasty women.
Step-shaking hairpins (步摇): Hair accessories with dangling decorations that shake with movement. These were noble accessories, with strict等级 restrictions in ancient times.
Hair crowns (冠): Men's headwear, including various official crowns and scholar crowns. Different crowns represented different identities and statuses.
Hair Styles
Women's hairstyles: Evolved from simple buns to complex styles. Han Dynasty women mostly used垂云髻 (cloud-hanging buns); Tang Dynasty women favored高髻 (high buns) and双环望仙髻 (double-ring immortal-looking buns); Song Dynasty women preferred包髻 (wrapped buns); Ming Dynasty women used牡丹头 (peony heads) and堕马髻 (falling horse buns).
Men's hairstyles: Mostly束发 (tied hair) or戴冠 (wearing crowns). Before adulthood, men used总角 (double buns); after the crown ceremony at 20, they束发戴冠. Qing Dynasty's queue was not part of Hanfu tradition.
Other Accessories
Belts (腰带): Hanfu uses belts to fix clothing and hang accessories. Jade belts were high-grade accessories for officials.
Jade pendants (玉佩): Worn at the waist, symbolizing noble character. 'A gentleman wears jade' was an important concept in ancient times.
Sachets (香囊): Small bags containing香料, worn at the waist or hung on clothing, both decorative and functional.
Fans (扇子): Round fans were women's accessories; folding fans were popular among literati in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Shoes
Boots (靴): Worn by officials and military personnel, mostly black.
Shoes (履): Various styles of cloth shoes, with different styles for different occasions.
Wooden clogs (木屐): Popular in the Wei, Jin, and Southern-Northern Dynasties, often paired with wide robes.
These accessories and hairstyles are important components of Hanfu culture, together creating the unique charm of traditional Chinese dress.