The shape and structure of Chinese upper garments, generally referred as yi (衣), varied depending on the time period.

[1] Garments that overlap and close to the right originated in China and are called youren (Chinese: 右衽; pinyin: yòurèn; lit.

[2] 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.

[6] The term yi appeared in ancient texts to refer to upper garments, such as in the Luyi,[7] in the Mao Commentary,[8]: 94  in the Analects,[9] and in the I Ching.

[10]The term ru (襦) has sometimes been used as a synonym word for the clothing items shan (衫) and ao (袄; 襖).

[12]: 65 The term ao (袄; 襖) appears in a Sui dynasty rime dictionary called Qieyun, published in 601 AD and can be translated as "padded coat", but it can also refer to a lined upper garment.

'coat'), sometimes pronounced zhe (褶), also exists and is typically associated with the upper garment worn in military clothing called kuzhe/kuxi.

[2] Chinese robes and jackets must cover the right part in a style called youren (右衽; yòurèn; 'right lapel').

[34] The jiaolingyouren yi (交領右衽 衣; jiāolǐngyòurèn yī) had been one of the major symbols of the Sino Kingdom,[3] and eventually spread throughout Asia.

The structure of the jiaolingyouren yi (交領右衽 衣; jiāolǐngyòurèn yī) may have some differences and variations in terms of features depending on time period and styles of upper garment.

For example, a style of Ming dynasty jiaolingyouren yi have the following features: The traditional way to distinguish between Hufu and Hanfu is by looking at the direction of the collar.

[35] In Ancient China, some ethnic minorities had clothing which generally closed on the left side in a way referred as zuoren (Chinese: 左衽; pinyin: zuǒrèn; lit.

[34] This can be found in the Analects where Confucius himself praised Guan Zhong for preventing the weakened Zhou dynasty from becoming barbarians:[36][37][38]"But for Guan Zhong, we should now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lapels of our coats buttoning on the left side [微管仲，吾其被髮左衽矣]"Unbound hair and coats which were closed on the left side were associated with the clothing customs of the northern nomadic ethnic groups which were considered as barbarians by the Han Chinese.

[34] However, the youren rule was not always respected: for example, in some areas (such as Northern Hebei) in the 10th century, some ethnic Han Chinese could also be found wearing zuoren clothing.

[42] Based on this belief, the left lapel needs to be outside (i.e. youren-style) to indicate that the power of Yang is suppressing the Yin, which therefore symbolized the clothing of living people.

[8]: 94 In the Han dynasty, short waist-length ru could be worn with trousers or skirts by men and women respectively.

Clothing worn by the Northern Song dynasty people living in Kaifeng are depicted in the on the painting Qingming Festival on the River by Zhang Zeduan.

[54] Han Chinese women also wore jia ao (夹袄), a form of lined jacket, typically over a long-length qun underneath as winter clothing.

[11]: 48–50  According to the Discourse of Northern Learning (Pukhak ŭi; 北學議: 완역정본) by Pak Chega (1750–1805) who visited the Qing dynasty in 1778, in the Ming dynasty, Chinese women's upper garment barely covered the waist during the Hongzhi era (1488–1505); their upper garments then gradually became longer and reached below the knee-level during the Zhengde era (1506–1521).

[55]: 72–74  Pak Chega based his description of Chinese women's clothing by using the Records of Daily Study (Rizhilu) by Gu Yanwu (1613–1682), a scholar from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

[11]: 93–94  The standup collar were closed with interlocking buttons made of gold and silver,[56] called zimukou (Chinese: 子母扣).

[61] According to the Discourse of Northern Learning (Pukhak ŭi; 北學議: 완역정본) by Pak Chega (1750–1805) who visited the Qing dynasty in 1778, Chinese women wore upper and lower garments which were similar to those worn in ancient paintings.

[55]: 72–74  Pak also observed that the Chinese women's clothing preserved the old traditions (which were mostly intact) and which he contrasted with the Joseon women's clothing trend which he claimed to be taking more after Mongolian in style, an influence which he attributed to the close relationship between Goryeo and the Yuan dynasty and continued to exist in Joseon during his lifetime.

[62] During this period, auspicious symbols and narrative scenery were especially made into embroidered roundels and borders and became fashionable in Han Chinese women's clothing; this new trend was an influence of the late imperial secularization of arts and culture on textiles.

[62] The wide sleeves used in the upper garment were a heritage of the Ming dynasty and a distinctive feature which differentiated Hanfu from Manchu clothing.

[1] It has a front centre closure and then curves crossover to the right before secured with frog buttons in a style called pianjin.

[11]: 48–50  The front closing, collar, hem, and sleeves cuff have edging of contrasting pipings and side slits.

[27] There was also a special form of ao called mangao,[63]: 184 which was typically used as part of a type of Chinese wedding dress attire.

[1] In the 1920s, the jackets had curved lower hem at the waist-hip region and low standing collar; it was a component of the Wenming xinzhuang Chinese: 文明新裝; lit.

[80]: 248  The loosening of women's fashion found in the 1920s loose-fitting fashion, especially the disappearance of nipped-in corset, appears to have also been influenced by the loose lines and roomy armholes of the traditional Chinese robes and jackets along with other factors, such as the experience of freedoms of elite women at that time, the sportswear-designs of Chanel, and the garment designs by Paul Poiret who designed Middle-Eastern inspired garments.