Xiu He Fu 秀禾服, often mistaken as the Dragon and Phoenix Qun Kua 龙凤裙褂, is another type of traditional Chinese wedding attire Brides can consider wearing. In the past decade, many Asian celebrities have taken to incorporate such an outfit during their weddings to uphold Chinese customs and culture. While some of them wore the magnificent Dragon and Phoenix Qun Kua 龙凤裙褂, others went for the dainty looking Xiu He Fu 秀禾服. Whichever your preference, let’s take a quick look at the key characteristics and differences between the two.
CUT
Dragon & Phoenix Qun Kua
This attire comprises of a jacket and a skirt, of which, the skirt is straight cut. With improved technology and demands, the jacket is now tapered to reflect the curvaceous figure of the bride.
Xiu He Fu
This attire sports a right diagonal placket (opening) for the top and has a wide and loose sleeve opening. It is paired with an A-line cut skirt, otherwise known as Ma Mian Qun 马面裙, which has a central pendulum area embellished with design motifs.
EMBROIDERY
Dragon & Phoenix Qun Kua
Adopts the embroidery method known as Bu Xin卜心绣, which is 3-dimensional, giving the Dragon and Phoenix a more realistic feel. The density of the embroidery is key to the value of the wedding dress and can range from 50% to 100%. A 100% density piece takes approximately a year to be completed.
Xiu He Fu
Using an entirely different embroidery technique known as Chao Xiu 潮绣, the stitches are flatly laid. However, the diversity of colorful threads usually makes up for the lack of 3-dimensional depth on the motifs.
DESIGN MOTIFS
Dragon & Phoenix Qun Kua
Dragon and Phoenix, the main characters, is a must for such attires, which is hand-embroidered using mainly gold and silver thread onto a red-based material for the brides; maroon or black-based material for the elderlies.
Xiu He Fu
The design motifs used on this attire is more diversified. Not only can they feature the Dragon and Phoenix, any flowers, animals or motifs that symbolises marital bliss, good luck and fortune to the Chinese culture and traditions can be used.
