Ru (upper garment)
Ru (Chinese: 襦; pinyin: rú), sometimes referred to as shan (Chinese: 衫; pinyin: shān), ao (simplified Chinese: 袄; traditional Chinese: 襖; pinyin: ǎo), and yi (Chinese: 衣; pinyin: yī), is a form of traditional Chinese upper garment, or coat, or jacket, which typically has a right closure; however, they may also have a front central opening. It is traditional everyday wear for women of the Han Chinese ethnic group. It can be worn in combination with a skirt in a style called ruqun, or a pair of trousers in a style called shanku.
| Ru | |||||||||
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Theatrical coat for Court Lady, 18th century. | |||||||||
Han Woman's ao, 19th century, from the Cleveland Museum of Art | |||||||||
| Chinese | 襦 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | short coat/ jacket | ||||||||
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| Shan | |||||||||
| Chinese | 衫 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | shirt; robe; gown; jacket | ||||||||
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| Ao | |||||||||
| Chinese | 袄 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 襖 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | outer garments/ coat/ jacket/ lined coat | ||||||||
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| Yi | |||||||||
| Chinese | 衣 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Clothes/ garment | ||||||||
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The shape and structure of Chinese upper garments, generally referred as yi (衣), varied depending on the time period. Garments that overlap and close to the right originated in China and are called youren (Chinese: 右衽; pinyin: yòurèn; lit. 'right lapel'). The style of yi which overlaps at the front and closes on the right in a y-shape is known as jiaolingyouren (Chinese: 交領右衽; pinyin: jiāolǐngyòurèn; lit. 'intersecting collar right lapel') and first appeared in the Shang dynasty. Since then the jiaolingyouren yi has been one of the major symbols of the Sino Kingdom and eventually spread throughout Asia. The structure of the jackets worn in the late Qing shared some features of those worn by the ethnic Han during the Ming dynasty. They continued to evolve and be worn in some form during the Republic of China. Since the 1930s, the popularity of traditional Han fashion declined in favor of the qipao and Western dress. It has regained prominence in the 21st century following the Hanfu movement.