Chinese New Year clothes have historical, customary, and symbolic significance. Find out about Chinese New Year dress traditions and modern customs here. Significance of New Clothes. One of the oldest traditions in the Chinese Spring Festival celebrations is acquiring new clothes for the new year. This is symbolically in line with many other Lucky Attire: What to Wear on Chinese New Year for Good Fortune. When celebrating Chinese New Year, it is important to wear lucky attire in order to attract good fortune for the upcoming year. Chinese culture places a strong emphasis on symbolism and superstitions, especially during this auspicious time. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), everyone would show off their new clothing as they visited friends on New Year’s Day. In the Republican period (1912-1949), beautiful new clothes were needed as the youths paid their respects to the elders. New clothes are a part of Spring Festival celebrations, just like the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner Fun fact, you can’t wash your hair on Chinese New Year’s Day. I’m serious! As the pronunciation of hair in Mandarin means “Good fortune”, no one wants to wash the money away. But that being said, many people will have a new haircut before the Chinese New Year as a refreshing start. 10. Chinese New Year traditions: No shoes & clocks giving Traditional Chinese clothing such as Han Chinese clothes (Hanfu), Chinese suits (Tangzhuang), and cheongsams (Qipao) are still popular choices for the Chinese new year. 1. Traditional Han Chinese Clothes (Hanfu): Traditional Han Chinese clothes (called "Hanfu" in Chinese) are the traditional clothing worn by people during the Han Dynasty (221 The traditional way to dress for Chinese New Year is to wear a qipao or a cheongsam frock. Leaf advised that traditionally you would wear this in red. Right now, many designers have been influenced by this style. From Rixo to The Attico to Prada, you can easily find a piece (in a wide range of colors!) that takes its inspiration from these dresses. It is believed to bring strength and prosperity, particularly for those born in the year of the current Chinese zodiac. As the New Year dawns, people often wear red from head to toe — including red underwear, thought to bring additional luck in games and mahjong. Gold for Opulence: If red feels too bold, gold is an excellent alternative. The first day of the new year is particularly significant, and individuals often wear their best attire for family gatherings, visits to temples, and other festive activities. Traditional Chinese Attire. Chinese New Year clothing traditionally includes garments that reflect the cultural heritage of the wearers. There are so many special Chinese New Year traditions that are real eye-openers for the Westerners, such as the New Year red envelope, New Year Eve’s dinner, and the New Year clothes! For Chinese people, especially the children, the Chinese New Year clothes, outfits, and dresses are important part of what create lasting memories and make the The traditional Chinese New Year outfit is one that celebrates culture, history, and beauty. Traditional Chinese New Year dress is colorful and ornate, bringing joy and prosperity to those who wear it. Whether you’re looking for something subtle or something dazzling, there are plenty of traditional options for Chinese New Year dress. Wearing blue during Chinese New Year is believed to invite negativity and dampen the celebratory mood. It is best to opt for colors that evoke joy and prosperity. Tips for Choosing Your Chinese New Year Outfit. With a plethora of auspicious colors to choose from, selecting the perfect outfit for Chinese New Year can be an exciting endeavor. Two traditional Chinese garments can be found during the Lunar New Year: the cheongsam (also known as a qipao), a high-necked, tight-fitting dress with short sleeves and side slit skirt—a men's sized version adapts this as a shirt—and the hanfu, which is a two-piece consisting of a unisex shirt with long lapels and a long-skirt that starts 1. Red. Red is the most popular and auspicious color for Chinese New Year. It symbolizes good luck, happiness, and prosperity. Wearing red clothing during this time is believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune for the coming year. Avoid These Fashion Faux Pas on Chinese New Year 2025: What Not to Wear. Chinese New Year is a time for celebration and tradition, which means that wearing the right colors is important to ensure good luck and prosperity for the coming year. While it’s important to know what colors to wear for Chinese New Year, it’s equally important to In this guide, we explore timeless Chinese dresses, including Qipao (Cheongsam), Tang suits, and Chinese wedding dresses, along with styling tips and accessories to make a statement this New Year. 1. What to Wear for Lunar New Year 2025 Lunar New Year isn’t just a celebration - it’s a spectacle of colour, culture, and couture. Marking the start of the lunar calendar, it’s a time for dazzling festivities, lavish feasts, and From luxurious fabrics to creative designs, all of our homegrown labels have crafted some of the best Chinese New Year 2025 fashion collections for you to wear. If you’re overwhelmed with choices, then take a look at our curated guide of pieces to wear this festive season. New clothes are held to represent a clean slate, and wearing them at Chinese New Year is said to help usher in good fortune. There must be some red in your outfit, for luck, and yellow or gold for Traditional Chinese attire includes cheongsams and tang suits, which are often worn on special occasions like Chinese New Year. These garments showcase the rich cultural heritage of China and are adorned with intricate patterns and vibrant colors. Discover more about what Chinese people wear during the Lunar New Year festivities. You might commonly hear LNY referred to as “Chinese New Year”, but the more appropriate term when referring to the celebration as a whole is Lunar New Year, because a number of different Asian cultures celebrate the occasion! Without further ado, here are some Lunar New Year outfit ideas to wear to celebrate the 2024 year of the dragon!
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.