You’ve got a closet full of women’s clothes, but you’re still scratching your head over how to put together the perfect outfit? You bought Hanfu, but you’re not sure when to wear it. The full set feels too formal, and you’re at a loss on how to style individual pieces… Well, after delving into fashion, I discovered that in everyday outfits, many common trendy items can actually be replaced with Chinese outfit pieces!

Stick to your usual styling methods, but swap out some regular items for Hanfu pieces, and you’ll enter a whole new world of fashion!

Let me give you some examples:

A few years back, if you hopped on the “French-chic” trend, you surely know that French-style tops often feature wide, deep necklines that show off plenty of neck and collarbone, giving off a super feminine vibe. (Left image)

Now, let’s take a look at Hanfu. Among Hanfu styles, the Tang Dynasty round-collar shirts also come with particularly wide necklines. Doesn’t that make them a great substitute for French-style blouses? (Right image)

If there are many beautiful patterns and romantic floral motifs in modern fashion that are really eye-catching every spring and summer, then Hanfu also boasts a great variety of gorgeous patterns. In particular, the patterns from the Tang Dynasty can probably be regarded as the originators of “high-end and classic patterns.”

If you want to wear a patterned shirt in spring or summer, just look for Hanfu pieces in the style of the Tang Dynasty. You’ll definitely find ones with extremely beautiful patterns and colors!

Apart from the cross-collared shirts that are not only slimming but also make the neck look elegant, during the Tang Dynasty, “inter-colored skirts” (actually a style of the so-called “po skirts”) were also in vogue. Some Chinese dresses merchants have even released restored versions of these skirt items.

And the inter-colored skirts are incredibly stylish! The fashion elements that only appeared in Vogue magazine in the 1950s were already popular during China’s Tang Dynasty!

Perhaps it’s because the promotion of Chinese culture hasn’t been extensive enough, which is why many people are unaware that China once had its own unique fashion trends.

Many people think that all Hanfu comes with long sleeves and isn’t suitable for wearing in summer.

This is a misunderstanding! Hanfu also includes short-sleeved and even sleeveless styles! Although the ancients might have worn them in layered combinations, we modern people enjoy the freedom to dress as we like, so of course, we can wear them on their own!

For example, in the picture below, in recent years, the “old-money style” that’s popular in summer often features people wearing a suit vest on its own and pairing it with a long skirt. Similarly, a sleeveless beizi (a type of Hanfu outer garment), combined with a Song Dynasty-style undergarment (Song mo), and matched with a xuan skirt, can also create a neat and elegant look.  

It would truly be a waste not to wear the Ming Dynasty clothing bijia (a kind of sleeveless outer garment) as a sleeveless dress in summer! It’s bound to be really cool and comfortable!

Moreover, the silhouette of the Ming Dynasty-style bijia is narrow, long, and smooth. The front opening can be left unfastened. Wearing it over your body in summer can make your figure look both slim and slender!

As for the short-sleeved shirts and T-shirts in our daily outfits, they can also be replaced with the round-collar half-sleeved shirts (banbi) in the style of the Tang Dynasty. 

Also, I strongly recommend that everyone give the Hanfu po skirts with 8 sections, 10 sections, or 12 sections a try! They are incredibly effective at making you look slimmer, making your legs appear longer, and accentuating a slender waist!

These sectioned skirts are not only very economical in terms of fabric usage. Even if you have a bunch of fabrics in different colors, it doesn’t matter at all. They will still look great when made into a skirt!

And here’s another thing! In fact, the sectioned skirt is similar to modern three-dimensional tailoring!

don’t like wearing skirts, you’ll have no chance to wear Hanfu, right?

No, no, no! We actually had incredibly beautiful wide-leg pants over a thousand years ago!

How about a pair of improved Song Dynasty-style pants paired with a Ming Dynasty-style zhuyao (a type of upper garment) Can’t they serve as a substitute for a H-shaped top and casual wide-leg pants? Just thinking about it gives off a super “New Chinese Style” vibe! I’m so excited that I’m rubbing my hands together…  

Even the trendy “balloon skirt,” which has been a popular item in the past couple of years, has a strikingly similar counterpart in Hanfu! That is the pleated lantern pants from the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

Just ask yourself, doesn’t the chest-high ruqun look similar? The picture on the right shows a camisole-style chest-high hanfu and the same style can be found on ancient cultural relics, such as pottery figurines.

For instance, take this painted maid figurine from the Northern Qi Dynasty. The white area on it is the camisole part.

Summary

In fact, the things that are considered fashionable in the world of fashion don’t really change all that much. Fashion is a cycle. Nowadays, the global popularity of Hanfu is gradually increasing. Who knows, maybe one day traditional Chinese dress will lead the new global fashion trend!

In any case, I sincerely and strongly recommend that you replace some items in your daily outfits with Hanfu pieces. You’ll surely enter a whole new world of fashion!