Fashionista NOW: Fashion Inspiration For Chinese New Year 2012

The auspicious Chinese New Year’s around the corner and you’re wondering what to wear this year.

Let’s get right into it with some fashion ideas so you’ll look your best as you step into the dawn of a new beginning, waving goodbye to the old.

This year, the Chinese New Year falls on the 23rd of January and the main color theme that is associated with the celebration, year after year, without any exception, is red. Why red, you may wonder.

According to Chinese legends, the color red symbolizes fire, which is a powerful color to drive away bad luck. And being that it is a highly-observed tradition among the Chinese, one should at least be in red clothing during the festivities, and avoid wearing all dark or all white clothing as these two colors symbolize mourning.

Chinese ladies usually wear cheongsam(s) or qipao(s) which is a straight, close-fitting silk dress with a high neck, short sleeves, and a slit skirt. I personally love the cut of the cheongsam as it gently hugs the figure, giving the wearer a look of subtle elegance.

I’m also a fan of the intricate embroidery that lends the dresses and blouses a very tailored look. The embroidery designs seen on Chinese traditional clothing are usually of mythological scenes and are good luck signs.

If you’re aiming for a less formal look to celebrate the Chinese New Year with your family and friends, you can always wear a cheongsam blouse with pants.

Below, the young model is wearing a cheongsam blouse with her favorite jeans.

And if you must wear a cheongsam dress, there is a really stunning hand-embroidered qipao dress in red (below) that is just pure elegance that you ought to check out.

And here’s another more modern qipao-inspired dress (below) which I believe is classy and minimalistic. It is available for purchase , where you’ll find the most demure intermingling of the Chinese fashion’s traditional elements with contemporary touches.

And besides the all-too-popular traditional dresses, you can definitely wear anything that’s modern making sure that the color of your outfit in in red or in shades of red.

The modern asymmetrical off-shoulder dress worn by Kryz Uy (below) is one of the many choices of dresses that you can wear. She coordinates the red dress with gold pumps, a glittery purse and gold/beige accessories.

If you are not interested in getting all glammed and glittered up, go casual chic like Mayo Wo with her stripy burgundy and white top, bright red skirt, a burgundy purse and a pair of polka dot wedges.

I hope these fashion photos help you in drawing a picture in your mind of the perfect outfit you’ll be wearing this Chinese New Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai