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| Example of contemporary Hanfu fashion |
There are various ways one can showcase their culture and cultural traditions. This can occur through language, traditions, beliefs, and the promotion of cultural symbols (e.g., flags, images, etc.). In China there has been a revitalization movement focusing on traditional cultural elements of the Han ethnic group that has occurred for two decades, and fashion, particularly women’s fashion, has been at the forefront of this movement. This blog post will discuss this further.
The Hanfu fashion movement began in the early 2000s, driven by what many in the West refer to as millennials (individuals born in the 1980s and 1990s). These young people wanted to embrace traditional Chinese cultural elements, particularly fashion, which had largely been reserved for special occasions and tourism. While there are various traditional Chinese cultural fashions to choose from Chinese consumers rejected the rigidity and difficulties in wearing some of these clothing items, leading them to embrace the Han/Hanfu fashions. These fashions are known for their loose-fitting clothing that are suitable for various body types, while also reflecting functionality as the clothing can be and are layered and employ thicker and warmer fabrics for the cold winters. The Hanfu fashions also employed a variety of traditional Chinese imagery, including but not limited to the dragon, phoenix, auspicious cloud, twig, and more.
Ultimately, young consumers wanted to incorporate their rich Chinese heritage into contemporary fashion, leading Chinese fashion designers to create fashions that blend the old with the new. There are hybrid fashions that can be seen throughout the streets and boardrooms of Chinese people, and then there are also more traditional Hanfu fashions for those who want more traditional stylings. Chinese designers have selected one or more Hanfu fashion elements, be it the images or the specific stylistic aspects, into their contemporary fashions, blending traditional and contemporary fashion accordingly.
The desire for throwback cultural elements in modern fashion has led many to question why consumers are devouring this trend, and the answer is actually pretty simple: it is about reclaiming Chinese identity. Over the years, particularly post-colonization, the Chinese people felt like they were losing out or giving up on their own culture. In the age of globalization and the internet connecting diverse people across the globe to each other the Chinese people felt a stronger need to reconnect with their pasts and what makes them distinctly Chinese. As most of the Hanfu fashions were made for women it is women consumers who are driving these (fashion and nationality) trends among the Chinese, showing the power and influence of Chinese women in contemporary China.
Works Cited
Hu, Shaoying. "Hanfu elements in modern fashion design and innovation." Asian Social Science 10.13 (2014): 89.
Xiaodie, Pan, Zhang Haixia, and Zhu Yongfei. "An analysis of the current situation of the Chinese clothing craze in the context of the rejuvenation of Chinese culture." 2020 4th International Seminar on Education, Management and Social Sciences (ISEMSS 2020). Atlantis Press, 2020.
Yao, Ruiting, and Noppadol Inchan. "Design and Development of Traditional Han Chinese Ethnic Clothing for Contemporary Apparel." International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews 4.6 (2024): 639-650.
