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Costuming for the China LARP

China-a-GO-GO. Kimono a NO-NO.

So you want to costume for Once Upon a Time in China? Well, let’s just say that if there are those of you that have always wanted to learn to sew, THIS is a good place to start. The simple shapes and easy fit of the early Chinese clothing styles are perfect for a novice and a wonderfully blank pallet for the expert. They are, however NOT a kimono.

No, the costume police will NOT be there ticketing brazen kimono wearers, but if you like to immerse yourself in the game, and the culture from which it is derived, why not start with the correct costume? The Han styles are just so wonderful, why not have a good excuse to wear them? Wearing kimono for a Chinese game would be like wearing lederhosen to a square dance: yes, it would suffice as both are dancewear, but it’s not square dance attire—and not even American. The Chinese style is not a kimono, and the shapes are fundamentally different. So, get those sewing machine humming, folks, as you will probably never be so comfortable in a costume!

I suggest that you look at our core movie list for some good visuals first, but then feel free to glean what you will from the pointers below. If you look to books for your primary sources, you will mostly find the Chinese jacket from the much later Qing Dynasty. This is what the Folklore pattern is. I’m inclined not to worry too much about this dateline issue, as this ought to be a fun game, and costuming a non-stress producing endeavor.

Once Upon A Time In China loosely sets itself in the Han Dynasty—well before the queue (that long pigtail the men wore). There is a very concise history at wikipedia that may get the fires going!The costume is flowing, flattering, beautiful and a dream to wear. What about bound feet? Well, though there is some evidence that small feet were desirable as early as the Han Dynasty, we are going to ignore it completely as the first documented account does not appear until the Tang Dynasty. Let’s all just be able to walk under our own power, eh?

http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2003-09/24/content_28354.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_China#Han_Dynasty:_A_period_of_prosperity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Chinese_clothing

http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/g_clothing.html

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworld/asia/hanchinese.html

Now, for the meat of it. Let’s start with the easy route. The experts out there can easily drape these patterns from scratch. Novices, this is a good place to try your hand at draping. Go for it! Need a pattern? There is that Folkwear Chinese Jacket pattern that will do, although as stated earlier, it is from a far later period. This is a one-stop shop. You can get by with just that pattern--or if you wish, their cheongsam (qi pao), even though it’s from an even later period.

http://www.folkwear.com/asian.html

Don’t want to sew? Well, if you like to travel, any city’s Chinatown will have some nice, inexpensive costumes to pick through, though not usually as early as Han. We love New York City for this. If you go there, stop by the Green Leaf Tea Room for dumplings and bubble tea afterward! Ebay is also a good source of beautifully embroidered Chinese clothing. You may even get something cheap if you look under “kimono” as some listers don’t know the difference—but you do, and YOU can get a steal this way!

http://www.ebay.com

This seller seems to be a great source as well. Gotta love the Cosplay crowd! Use keywords “Han” or “Cosplay” to find tons of stuff.

http://stores.ebay.com/hunny-lee

Here is a GREAT site with many examples for sale. Use it as a reference to make your pattern! I LOVE this site!

http://www.trocadero.com/honggallery/items/523725/en2.html

If you can get your hands on the book “5000 Years of Chinese Costumes” by Zhou Xun and Gao Chunming, you will be in FINE shape. This is the definitive English language book on Chinese costume history. You’ll want to get it from your local library, as it’s trés cher. It is, however filled to the brim with simple drawings that show the cut of these garments. In my search for other book sources, I came up pretty dry as others seem to only touch upon the Chinese jackets and skirts from the Qing dynasty.

You are sure to have fun in these costumes, and are sure to find a price point that fits your budget. Go crazy! Indulge your embroidery and silk joneses, or go frugal and use simple cotton. The beauty of this era is that it’s all pretty much cut from the same pattern, so you can start costuming early and add on—or not—as your character dictates! Either way, we’ll see you “Han Style” in September!

My favorite fabrics sources are on line. Oh how I hate to give away my secrets, but hey, I’m here to help, so here goes:

www.thaisilks.com   Best prices on all things silk—not just Thai silks, but all types of silk.

www.dharmatrading.com   Great source for artist blanks, fabrics and dyes.

http://www.silkconnection.com/    My favorite, though mostly whites and artist’s supplies. Great prices. Dye it yourself! Used to be Rupert Gibbon and Spider.