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Want to put together a hanfu-inspired outfit, but still waiting on your hanfu to arrive? Here's how to do it! In my last article, I introduced ways to wear hanfu in your daily outfits, featuring various ways to mix and match hanfu pieces and hanyuansu with everyday clothing. But there are so many of us out there without the means to buy an actual set of hanfu, or have to wait a month or two to get them. In the meantime, why not try out the aesthetic by using these essential pieces of clothing in your outfits? BOTTOMS 1. PLEATED TENNIS SKIRT Especially great for the summer, pleated skirts, especially tennis skirts, have been very trendy lately and do a great job of mimicking the baizhe qun, or hundred-fold skirt, in a lot of usual hanfu outfits, just at a shorter length that’s easier to walk around in. Some pleated skirts have shorts underneath, which can help if you need to move around a lot, and others even have pockets and belt loops, which you can hang a waist ornament or pouch from as decoration. Layer skin-colored tights underneath in the fall or winter for a fun, youthful look. 2.…

Hanfu models are arguably the luckiest of all, as they are always the first to try on the latest hanfu and take beautiful photos. But becoming a good hanfu model also takes a lot of hard work. Modern Hanfu found four hanfu models and let's hear their stories.   No.1 A Shang (阿尚) I am a college student studying drama performance, and I chose to join the hanfu modeling industry in my freshman year because I wanted to gain more shooting experience to better train myself and to reduce some economic pressure for my family, and I had participated in some aspects of modeling work. When I first joined the hanfu modeling industry, I thought hanfu modeling was the same as print modeling, but then I realized that I had to have my own "Yun Wei (韵味, charm)" to make it work. And the outside world's opinion about hanfu is really too single, each hanfu model as a "show" on stage for a minute or even a dozen seconds, may have to do a full month or two months of preparation off stage. From the understanding of the costume, to the selection of the overall style, to the design of…

Now that we've talked about gender neutrality and men's hanfu, let's explore some unisex hanfu that are traditionally enjoyed by everyone! In my last two articles, I talked about men’s hanfu and also my personal experience with hanfu as a gender-fluid person, meaning that my gender can change over time. But much of hanfu doesn’t distinguish between female and male, and the gender norms of ancient China differ between the dynasties and can contrast sharply with the definitions of feminine and masculine today. Let’s explore some of the most popular gender-neutral hanfu! Waist-High Ruqun / Yichang ( / ) Noto only is the waist-high ruqun one of the most popular styles of women’s hanfu, it’s also probably the most popular style of all hanfu, whether men’s, women’s, or something in between. For good reason, too—the silhouette of the ruqun is beautiful, allowing the high waist to be cinched in for a more feminine silhouette and accentuating the shoulders of a masculine silhouette, with long pleated skirts making the bodyline look longer. Men’s ruqun can sometimes be called yichang, but it’s essentially the same kind of clothing: a ru or yi as the top, usually cross-collared and long sleeves, and a…