Wondering what to wear to a Chinese new year party? You are in the right place!
Unlike the western new year party, the Chinese one is a whole lot different.
Believe it or not, there are so many things you should and should not wear at the Spring festival.
If you wear the wrong colors or give the wrong gift, that can cause disrespect.
As one of the most important celebrated festivals in China, the Chinese new year signatures the start of spring.
It’s also the time to reunite with family and friends and embrace the joy of the new year together.
To make sure you can enjoy the CNY party to the fullest, below I’ve gathered 18 Chinese new year outfit ideas for you to get inspired. Enjoy!
1. Wear Cheongsam dresses (Qipao) for the Chinese New Year party
If you want to fully embrace the Chinese culture at the CNY party, what else is better than wearing a Cheongsam dress to impress everyone?
Featuring the tasteful high collar, form-fitting cuts, and feminine side slit, you’ll look oh-so-fancy when you step out in Qipao.
The best part? 10/10 your Chinese friends will be pleasantly surprised you are interested in Chinese culture and wearing the dress.
Trust me, this darling is bound to receive compliments and turn you into the spotlight of the show.
Be sure to take a ton of shots as it’s truly instagrammable in every way.
PRO TIP:
To respect the Chinese culture, we should always behave well when we are wearing Qipao.
After all, the dress symbolizes the ultimate elegance and classiness in a lady and you certainly don’t want to ruin that.
Below, I’ve handpicked two affordable Qipao dresses from Amazon.
I know the model in the picture is terribly skinny but no worries ladies, it fits all the sizes. (I’ve checked all the reviews)
You will never feel any more feminine in this dress. The ruffle sleeve is forgiving enough to make our arms appear to be slimmer as well!
But as a heads up, this one is a little bit short, so feel free to size it up if you want. The complementary fit is to die for.
Check out HERE on Amazon for more color options!
This is another darling piece.
Featuring lace embroidery, this Qipao dress just looks effortlessly expensive-looking. Check out the try-on photos from Amazon HERE!
2. Wear red on CNY and Chinese birthday party
If you can only take one thing after reading this article, remember this: WEAR RED.
While red is a bold color, in Chinese New Year, this hue is failproof.
As the signature hue of CNY, red symbolizes luck, joy, and happiness.
Seriously, everything is red during the festival from decorations to outfits.
EMBRACE IT.
So yes, you can never go wrong with a bold red dress.
If you want to spice the lookup, adding a darling red headband for a matchy look is totally doable.
If you want a forgiving red knit dress this CNY, this one below is one of my best picks.
Why this dress?
- V-neck: Shed the heaviness of the figure and make the face appear to be smaller
- Self-belted design (entice the high waist area)
- Side slit (Sexy without too over the top)
Most importantly, the quality is unbeatable at this price. Check out more HERE on Amazon!
If bold red is off-limit for you, you can always choose another shade of red, think wine red and blush – they are equally flattering!
This off-shoulder dress below is such a stunner, you can wear this not only at CNY but also to other parties!
The best part? The high-low design can elongate your legs like a GEM. Check out Amazon for more HERE!
3. Iconic Chinese New Year Outfit? Red monotone look
Do you know what’s the best way to celebrate New Year? GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!
With that said, what about going for a monochromatic look that is sure to turn heads?
To look chic and put-together, team red with other similar shades say burgundy as a perfect mix.
The fabric also plays a huge role in creating more dimension to the style. A red ruffle blouse and a faux leather front slit pencil skirt?
Now, THIS is how to celebrate the lunar new year!
4. Wear a red bag as a tint of festive CNY vibes
If you gravitate more to the lowkey festive look, lean into it. Wearing a red purse in CNY is popular these years.
It just shows you’ve given thought to your style but without going too loud.
But that said, NEVER style your red bag with the all-white or all-black look.
These two hues are associated with mourning in Chinese society.
5. Wear gold for the Chinese New Year party
If you have a gold sequin dress, perfect as gold is another signature hue for a Chinese New Year Party!
Actually, some people love mixing gold and gold together for a high saturation look – that just energizes your skin and overall look to another level.
If you are a frequent Amazon shopper, you’ll know the quality of GRACE KARIN’s dresses is beyond expectation.
Grab this stunning party dress now.
Why this dress?
Forgiving V-neck and A-line. Concealed zipper in the back is another big plus! Check them out HERE on Amazon♡♡♡
6. SPLASH OUT IN PINK AT SPRING FESTIVAL PARTY
For the teenage girls out there, if you think red and gold are too sophisticated, perhaps it’s time to consider a pink floral dress!
In Lunar New Year, pink symbolizes the luck of finding the right partner.
I ain’t kidding but if you are single, wearing pink is never a bad idea!
This dress is gorgeously lightweight and soft. If you love the billowy silhouette, this piece is the one.
As Chinese New Year can be chilly in February, I’ll always team it with a cropped cardigan – fits like a dream.
Check this darling HERE on Amazon♡♡♡
I seldom recommend a pricy dress but this one is worth every penny. Especially if you are tall girls!
Just hop on to the Amazon review HERE and you will know why!
7. Chinese new year dress code: NO distressed jeans
In Chinese culture, the new year starts with wearing brand-new clothes.
It’s still a thing people will wear new red underwear that day for luck in the coming year.
While we all know distressed jeans are the design, they just look like you are wearing torn clothes and that symbolizes bad luck.
8. Spring festival dress code: No black, white, grey & blue
I know I’ve already said it, but ladies, don’t wear too much black and white if you want to mix with the crowd.
New Year’s Day is the time to put on some bright tones and jump in the hype. Anything too dark and boring is a bummer.
( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ MY APRIL PICKS !! ʕ•̬͡•ʔ
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9. New Hair cut as Chinese New year Activity
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
Alright, so you want to bring a gift to the Chinese New Year party.
You can choose everything but for heaven’s sake please don’t give shoes and clocks to others, this is a huge disrespect.
The word ‘shoe’ sounds so similar to ‘sinful’ in Mandarin.
As for the “clock”, it symbolizes death and attending a funeral. So that’s a Big no.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
So ladies, there you go the 18 outfit ideas if you wonder what to wear to the Chinese new year party.
What do you think about these thoughts? I hope that gets you inspired!
If you are fond of Chinese culture, there’s no better way than to attend a CNY party, the experience is unbeatable.
By the way, if you are planning to try Cheongsam dresses this Chinese New Year, make sure you’ve read this helpful article below!
See you there gorgeous!
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