Thank you so much for gathering this information, you are providing a valuable resource for hanfu enthusiasts! I love the sumptuous cuts and fabrics, but as someone often involved in physical labor, it isn't realistic for me. Are there any examples of clothing that might be worn by country folk who have to work in the fields and tend animals?
Hi! Thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply! (image via)
Yes, there is hanfu suitable for country folk who have to work in the fields and tend animals. Historically, such people would have worn a type of unisex hanfu called 裋褐/shuhe. Shuhe goes by a few other names, including 短打/duanda, 短褐/duanhe, and 竖褐/shuhe. They all refer to a two-piece set of attire composed of a cross-collar top that extends to the knees, coupled with tied trousers. Both pieces were typically made out of coarse cloth. It is the basis of almost all underclothing, usually the clothing worn under armor, and the casual outfit of commoners and laborers (x). This outfit was generally worn by people doing manual labor, such as farm work, and by martial artists (x).
I wrote about shuhe in my post on casual/adventurer-type hanfu here. For more information on shuhe, I recommend checking out the following links:
Wikipedia article on 衫裤/shanku
Patterns for shuhe-making
A few images of shuhe in historical art & modern day (1, 2, 3, 4):
Shuhe understandably isn't as popular as other "fancier" hanfu styles, but there are still some available on Taobao, including the following:
Farmer-style shuhe for spring & autumn from 華夏节奏 (x):
2. Ming-style ramie shuhe from 淮边筱竹 (x):
3. Tailor-made Ming-style shuhe from 淮边筱竹 (x):
4. Ming-style quilted cotton winter shuhe from 淮边筱竹 (x):
For more references, please see my shuhe and commoners hanfu tags.
If anyone has more info/recs, please share! ^^
