A resistance to blending into the background, not some type of full-fledged politically fueled patriotism, draws the Gen Z eye to hanfu. As we live in an ever-faster-trending digital era, the question beckons: how can traditional clothing design better suit a modern lifestyle? The enduring popularity of hanfu among young Chinese indicates a further and deeper attachment to their cultural heritage, breaking the shackles of a once Western-centric beauty standard. Fast forward to 2022 and not only does the trend decline to bow down, but it is looking at the masses, ever-evolving in trendy and trending strength. Disclaimer: we may have gone slightly overboard on the use of the actual term hanfu. Popular dramas set in imperial times have contributed their fair share to the rise of the traditional dress biz. Hanfu, meaning Han Chinese dress, is based on the age-old fashion traditions of the largest of all 56 ethnic groups in China: the Han (covering some 92 percent of the population). With the help of social media, a hanfu revival movement has emerged out of a desire to express national identity and the growing confidence of self-expression by Chinese youths. The traditional dress code declined in popularity under Manchu rule during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) as it represented the Han ethnic minority who were back then Manchu political rivals. Evolving throughout several dynastical eras in Chinese history, the cultural clothing appears in different variations, which conveniently offers more choice for modern adoptees. Today, the garb is being reclaimed by millennial and, especially, Gen Z women, gradually moving from a subcultural aspect towards popular culture. The Ming is known for its luxurious materials, including satin and silk, that often use gold leaf to enhance their sense of abundance. Popular styles include the Tang (618-907), Song (907-1279) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. The Tang panache is popular for its vibrancy, often employing bright colors. “It’s lively yet cute; and youthful,” wrote one aficionada on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter-esque platform. The layered silhouette is also accompanied by detailed embroidery that requires a high level of craftsmanship. Fan following hit 6.89 million in 2021, with over 70 percent of fans being Gen Zs aged 16 to 24, and-big biz fact-overall hanfu sales had reached 10.16 billion RMB (1.597 billion USD),” according to the December 2021 iiMEdia stats. Popular hanfu aficionada, and store owner, Zheng Qi poses as a “plump” Tang Dynasty (618-907) court lady. That number almost doubled from 3.56 million in 2019 to over 6 million in 2020. And in 2019 alone, the hanfu industry made over 4.52 billion RMB (645 million USD) in sales. In the past couple of years, young Chinese have elevated the dress code from a niche hobby to a generation’s tool of cultural expression while transforming it into a passionate consumer market. Driven by a mix of KOL-propelled hype and heritage-inspired fashion knowhow, the rise of hanfu is a tale of young Chinese acknowledging their cultural heritage and taking a post-hegemonic attitude to carving out their own style path. China’s passion for hanfu has also turned this trend from just another online phenomenon into one of the hottest cultural themes nationwide. Since 2018, the annual Xitang Hanfu Culture Week has been attracting more than 100k visitors every year and has become a hot hub for the spotting of new trends in the genre. At Shanghai Fashion Week SS21 last year, hanfu shows were scheduled as a central part of events. 300 million views; yet actual fashion content is only a minor slice of that pie. The tag mostly covers posts about traditional cultural hobbies people practice whilst dressing up in tradition, such as martial arts or finger dances or tea pouring or… Which once again brings us to the topic of the related KOL, taking their content from cultural clothing to a full-scale revival of Chinese traditions. Introducing dynastic carnivals, runway shows, weddings, coming of age ceremonies, the festival advocates the rule, integrity, balance, and harmony of the Han clothing culture. Shiyin, who actually was featured by American Vogue‘s March 2021 issue as the face of China’s hanfu movement, cheongsam with skirt now has launched a short video series revealing Chinese luxury traditions of yore. According to Alibaba, over 20 million people got their hands on some imperial style last year on e-commerce giant Taobao. In July 2019, Alibaba launched its Gutao app, a social platform dedicated to hanfu shopping to meet skyrocketing consumer interest. Big biz fact: Shisanyu, a label founded in 2016, climbed to the top of the site’s best-selling brands list last year and is now worth $16 million. For many fervid fans, wearing hanfu is a nod to their cultural identity and symbolizes their inspiration to delve deeper into that heritage. China’s younger generations want to wear something according to their own traditions, those outside of the consolidated Western beauty standards. Though there is a sense of national pride (in the cultural sense) involved, a resistance to being dragged across the board, a resistance to homogenization, not some type of full-fledged politically fueled patriotism, draws the Gen Z eye to hanfu. Another advantage of hanfu is “how the embroidery, wide sleeves, and loose robes will make you look elegant, no matter what your body shape may be,” according to another devotee who wishes to remain anonymous. On prevalent short-video platform Bilibili, popular hanfu KOL content now includes “everyday hanfu guides” and “genderless, streetwear hanfu.” as more and more youngsters match their dynastical throwback pieces with Balenciaga sneakers and Supreme hoodies. As we live in an ever-faster-trending digital era, the question beckons: how can traditional design better suit a modern lifestyle? The trend of blending traditional Chinese elements into one’s daily fashion routine is here to stay -among the younger generations. Travel vlogs entitled “Wearing hanfu in Rome/London/… ” where young bloggers tszuj up their global wardrobe game by adopting traditional dress as their go-to uniform when visiting Western tourist destinations, have also become a popular genre.
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