There is no better time to rock the colour red other than Chinese New Year. Believed to bring the wearer luck and prosperity, red and its many variations also happen to be some of the hottest colours for spring. Stylish AND lucky, how great is that? This month, we show you how to incorporate red into your Chinese New Year wardrobe in ways that will earn you nods from superstitious relatives and style mavens alike.
If good old red isn’t your colour, fret not as we have a little something-something for you too. Perhaps you’ll even be inclined to include red into your style palette by the time you’ve scrolled to the end of this page!
Red Level: High
First, determine how much red you can handle in one outfit. If you have the confidence to pull off an almost top-to-toe red outfit, go for it. Single-colour outfit coordinates have been all the rage for numerous seasons and it is here to stay. If someone does call you a walking angpow, flip your hair and say that you’re at least an extremely stylish one!
Source: @facehunter on Instagram, streetfsn.com
Source: Yoyo Cao (@yoyokulala) on Instagram
Aside from being perfect for the occasion, minimalistic red pieces like these from local fashion label FEIST&HEIST can be easily incorporated into your everyday wardrobe even after the festive season. Pair these bold pieces with basics such as denim cut-offs or plain oversized t-shirts with a minimal amount of statement jewelry.
Source: feistheist.com
Red Level: Moderately-High to Moderate
If a red-heavy ensemble is a little too over the top for you (don’t worry, I doubt I can pull it off either), break the monotony of solid red by including printed pieces. Checks and gingham are major trends to look out for in 2013, mark my words.
Source: 11-land.com, thescarletroom.com
Tartan and plaid are like cheat sheets for those who would love to experiment with red but find plain red pieces a little too bold. You’re technically still wearing red, but the myriad of other colours helps to tone it down to give a great garment that looks best paired with basic wardrobe must-haves – a black biker jacket, a plain white blouse and for the guys, a good pair of denims.
Source: asos.com
Finding colours to go with red is actually a lot easier than it seems, it really depends on how bold you want your outfit to be. Just don’t pair it with dark green for obvious reasons, save that for December.
For the lads, try a dark red cardigan over a plain white t-shirt and light denim for laid-back effortless style. It’s simple, comfortable and very appropriate for house visiting as long as your sweater is lightly knitted.
Source: a-gentlemans-row.com
London-based fashion blogger Peony Lim goes classy by pairing her little red dress with a black hat and purse, complete with sultry red lips. Manhattan-based style blogger and writer Leandra Medine (a.k.a. the Man Repeller) takes the same colour palette in a different direction with statement jewelry and a biker jacket. The Man Repeller also shows us that bright red goes strangely well with pastel blue and bright yellow.
Source: peonylim.blogspot.sg, manrepeller.com
Red Level: Low
If you’re still apprehensive about taking on this bold colour, incorporate red into your festive outfit in minimal dosages through shoes and accessories!
These flat shoes not only add detail and a pop of colour to your CNY-visiting outfits, they are also much more travel-friendly compared to heels. Kicks like these will lessen your feet’s misery from all that travelling during house visiting.
Source: theeditorsmarket.com, asos.com, theeditorsmarket.com
For the guys, a good pair of high-top sneakers or boots is almost fail-proof in jazzing up an outfit. Red high-tops like these from Adidas look great paired with a plain white t-shirt, cigarette trousers and a denim jacket. Sneakers however can be pretty troublesome considering how many times you have to remove your shoes while making house visits. Why not try slipper loafers instead? They’re convenient, chic and different. Did I mention incredibly convenient?
Source: asos.com
Red Level: Very, very, very low
Well if you’re determined not to wear red during the fifteen days of Chinese New Year or ever because it’s just not your colour, let me just say that I completely understand and thank you for reading this far. In fact, I am not an ardent fan of the classic red either. Some people just don’t wear certain colours!
But ah, we always have variations of red.
Why not try this season’s burgundy and oxblood? These much deeper tones of red with a mixture of brown and/or purple have been all over the fashionspere for almost a year now and people are still falling hard for it.
Source: @streetstyled and Rumi Neely (@rumineely) on Instagram
Source: asos.com, theeditorsmarket.com
If you’d prefer staying away from anything that looks remotely red, colours like orange, yellow, pink and the new ‘it’ colour emerald green are excellent alternatives too.
Source: 11-land.com
Source: 11-land.com
Be sure to check with your elders what colours are appropriate for the hosts that you will be visiting. You don’t want your new year or that of others ruined just because you wore an inappropriate colour! Whatever colour palette you decide to go for, remember to have fun, eat great food, collect as many angpows as you possibly can and have a great time with your loved ones.
Gong xi fa cai!