About a decade ago, wearing hanfu, a traditional style of clothing worn by China’s Han ethnic group, was considered more of a hobby, with a relatively small number of Chinese individuals participating in the trend. Currently, there is a notable shift as young consumers in China are urging brands to acknowledge their heritage and adapt to it to influence the market. In a bid to showcase this traditional type of Chinese clothing to a global audience, Shanghai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2021 prominently featured hanfu. One key appeal that is very attractive to Western audiences is its perceived gender-neutral nature, which aligns with the progressive attitudes toward gender expression among youth in Europe and North America. The hanfu movement rather suits this rhetoric, advocating cultural autonomy infused with a touch of patriotism-a perspective echoed by experts tracking this social trend. Many Chinese Gen Zs have come to realize that fashion is not exclusive to Western styles; they have also recognized the allure and appeal of their own traditional garments. Jun Baoyuan, a 24-year-old graduate from the Beijing Institute of Technology, told me that people who develop an interest in hanfu will in turn learn more about the traditional skills rooted in Chinese culture, chinese traditional dress hanfu including cloth weaving and traditional jewelry handicrafts. Cultural confidence has played a significant role in popularizing these traditional clothing choices. She also noted that many of her close friends today had entered her life as a result of their shared passion for hanfu. Jun often shares her hanfu-clad adventures on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, where she has gathered a 60,000-strong following. Serendipitously, qipao traditional the person from whom she acquired her first set of traditional garments turned out to be her future husband. As her reputation as a high-flying hanfu model grew, she started collaborating with museums in China and participating in a range of events, including charity events alongside ambassadors and their spouses. But Jun also warned that with the popularity of hanfu events and the rising number of enthusiasts who want to join the movement, some merchants have fueled unfair competition by selling poor-quality hanfu garments at high prices.
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