The “Improved Version” of Hanfu Becomes a New Favorite

Wearing a long skirt with wide sleeves to check in at popular attractions, shopping, work, and school are no problem… The ancient Hanfu has become the new favorite of Chinese people in recent years.

Traditional costumes embody the public’s recognition of Chinese traditional culture and aesthetics. The scenes where Chinese people wear Hanfu have gradually changed from traditional travel photos and specific dates to daily shopping and commuting.

The popularity of Hanfu continues to rise, and industry standards are gradually taking shape

In recent years, with the increasing influence of traditional Chinese culture and the increasing popularity of cultural festivals and cultural tourism activities such as Chinese Clothing Day, the popularity of Hanfu has continued to rise. In particular, the outbreak of an incident in which an international brand was suspected of plagiarizing the horse-faced skirt has further promoted the popularization and recognition of Hanfu culture. The “2024 Hanfu Trend White Paper” released by JD Fashion shows that the Hanfu market size will reach 13.7 billion yuan in 2023 and is expected to grow to 33.4 billion yuan by 2028. The current consumer market size of the Hanfu industry is rapidly increasing, and the supply of brands and products is rapidly replenished and enriched. Among them, the Ming Dynasty Hanfu horse-faced skirt is the most popular.

It is worth noting that with the participation of leading brands and technological innovation, the industry standards of Hanfu have gradually taken shape, bringing new opportunities for Hanfu. Some brands have promoted the breakthrough of Hanfu through cross-border joint ventures and the application of modern technology. Taking the brand Weaving Division as an example, the brand has achieved more than 95% restoration of traditional craftsmanship while reducing clothing costs by integrating intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship with modern textile technology. In addition, the brand has carried out cross-border cooperation with Kaifeng Museum, NetEase Onmyoji, etc., so that more modern Hanfu can be integrated into consumers’ daily lives.

“Hanfu fever” spreads to a wider audience, with three major “factions” each having their own preferences

The people who wear Hanfu are no longer limited to a specific group. The diversified development of gender, age and city level has enabled Hanfu culture to spread to a wider range of people. From first-tier cities to cultural and tourism cities, the main battlefield of Hanfu consumption is expanding to multiple cities.

According to statistics, the main consumer group of Hanfu circle is young female users; from the perspective of regional characteristics, first-tier cities and cultural tourism cities are the main consumption bases of Hanfu and the growth rate is relatively high. It is worth mentioning that the Hanfu styles preferred by users are highly consistent with the cultural background of cultural tourism cities. For example, users in Xi’an prefer Tang Hanfu; users in Nanjing and Beijing prefer Song Hanfu and Ming Hanfu.

From the perspective of the preferences of Hanfu enthusiasts, they can be divided into three groups: the beauty group, the immersion group, and the professional group. Entry-level Hanfu users who love beauty, travel, and try new things form the “beauty group”, whose core pursuit is “beauty is justice”; the “immersion group” focuses on the whole set of matching such as makeup, and has certain requirements for the shape; the “professional group” has high requirements for shape, appearance, and quality, and they are mainly young students with high purchasing power.

The “improved” Hanfu has diversified its wearing scenarios and turned to daily commuting

The wearing scenes of Hanfu are gradually changing from traditional travel photos and specific dates to daily shopping and commuting.

Hanfu has become a link between tradition and modernity in festivals, celebrations, cultural events and other special occasions. From traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival to Hanfu-themed events, wearing Hanfu not only adds to the festive atmosphere, but also promotes cultural inheritance and exchange.

Back to daily wear, the improved Hanfu has made diversified attempts in fabrics, such as cotton, linen, chiffon, etc., which improves the comfort and breathability of wearing, and also adapts to the wearing needs of different seasons. In terms of color, the improved Hanfu tends to be low-saturation colors, and the pattern design is more simple and fresh, which is easy to match with modern clothing and meets the aesthetic needs of daily wear.

Data shows that the proportion of Hanfu worn in shopping and commuting scenes has increased significantly. Modern Hanfu designs combine traditional aesthetics with modern tailoring, which not only meet the aesthetic needs of young consumers, but also adapt to the convenience of daily activities.

The horse-faced skirt is the most popular? There are four major trends in the direction of improvement

The horse-faced skirt, which is more in line with modern dressing habits and aesthetics, is the first Hanfu for most people. Data shows that the horse-faced skirt has become the sub-category with the highest year-on-year growth in browsing volume among Hanfu, and the transaction volume has increased by more than 8 times year-on-year.

In terms of product details, the appearance of the horse-faced skirt is the first concern of consumers, followed by comfort, breathability, and style. In addition, as the wearing scene of the horse-faced skirt becomes more daily, people are paying more and more attention to practical needs such as waist adjustment methods, anti-exposure design, and length.

In line with people’s core dressing demands, the horse-faced skirt has evolved into four emerging trends and styles: “skirt length segmentation”, “modernization of patterns”, “diversification of fabrics” and “practical wearing”.

Data shows that the horse-faced skirt with improved skirt length currently accounts for 80%, and the transaction volume has increased by more than 12 times year-on-year; in terms of fabric selection, the material of the horse-faced skirt has gradually turned to soft and skin-friendly fabrics such as cotton, linen, and chiffon, further improving the comfort and fit. From the perspective of the appearance and style of the horse-faced skirt, the color and pattern of the improved horse-faced skirt are low-key and simple, making it easier to match modern clothing; the trend of adding zipper design at the waist can also further improve the practicality of wearing.