Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Three Realms: Clothes, Volume 2

The White Inner Robe

original: "白中單" (Bái Zhōngdān). This is a "middle" garment worn between the innermost layer and the heavy outer ritual robes.

White Inner Robe (白中單, Bái Zhōngdān): A full-length garment made of fine white silk or linen. In the complex layering system of Ming Dynasty ritual dress, the "Middle Robe" served as a crucial buffer, ensuring the outer robes draped correctly while representing the wearer's inner purity.

Though titled "White," this garment was rarely plain. According to Ming ritual regulations, the collar, cuffs, and hem were finished with a distinct border—usually of red silk—which would be visible at the neck and sleeves when worn under the primary sacrificial robes. For the Crown Prince, this robe was an indispensable component of his formal attire for ancestral sacrifices and major court audiences.

As seen in the accompanying woodcut, the robe features the classic "cross-collar" (jiaoling) which laps over the chest from left to right, and exceptionally wide, "voluminous" sleeves that signify the wearer's high status and exemption from manual labor.

Construction and Material

The choice of material was dictated by the season: light gauze was used for the summer heat, while heavier damask or padded silk was used for winter ceremonies.

The structure of the White Inner Robe follows the "straight-cut" tradition of ancient Chinese tailoring. It is designed to be secured by the "Great Sash" previously described, which holds the overlapping front panels in place.

original: "木刻本" (mùkèběn). This refers to the woodblock printing method used to produce this encyclopedia.

In the context of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Three Realms, this entry serves to document the precise standards of the Ming court. By the time this encyclopedia was published, such garments were no longer merely clothing, but were symbols of a cosmic order where every layer of a prince's dress corresponded to a specific level of virtue and ritual propriety.