Every Chinese New Year, I try to venture out of my comfort zone by digging out some pieces I rarely wear (especially since I’ve been living in neutrals and sweats since the pandemic). Reds are an obvious choice, and I love that the weather was warm enough this year to break out my Tang cardigan!

Most people don’t realise that the Tang suits have nothing to do with the Tang dynasty. Rather, ‘Tang’ denotes the garment’s Chinese roots, similar to how we refer to Chinatown as ‘唐人街’. The short tunic evolved from the Mandarin jacket that became widespread with the Han Chinese during the Qing Dynasty and is defined by several features:

• Mandarin collar that stands and opens down the front

• Sleeves cut from the same cloth as the body with no seams

• Front placket that either goes down the centre or is slanted at the collarbone

• Frog buttons (pankou 盤扣) that lie perpendicular to the placket

The Tang suit was traditionally worn by noblemen and aristocrats in ancient Chinese courts and is still often seen as a national costume for men. Nowadays, though, it’s most commonly made in red brocade for traditional Chinese ceremonies at weddings and even emblazoned with auspicious Chinese characters for prosperity and luck.

In contemporary fashion, the Tang jacket is typically adapted for a more relaxed, boxy silhouette with long, broad sleeves and patch pockets in the front. For women, it looks excellent thrown open over co-ord sets or slim-fit bottoms.

In case you haven’t noticed, neither traditional garments nor red are commonplace outfits in Hong Kong. With the cardigan being a statement piece on its own, I kept the rest of the outfit light but still monochrome. For a casual fit, I buttoned up my cardigan, tucked it into my favourite straight-leg jeans, and layered a white tee underneath.

If you rather wear it open, I found that a coloured fit also looks great on top of a white dress shirt, with the collar and cuffs peeking out from underneath.

Prepared to splurge on a new jacket? I’ve rounded up some options at different price points:

• Shanghai Tang: decadent jackets in silk and cashmere with contrast chinoiserie lining

• Qipology: modern fits with cropped silhouettes in tweed and denim

• Taobao: perfect entry-level pieces in a variety of colours and styles

Let me know if you find more chic ways to dress down your traditional pieces!

Outfit 1:

Tang Jacket | Taobao Naguagu (M)

Jeans | Everlane – ‘90s Cheeky Jeans in vintage sunbleached blue (25, size down)

Flats | Cole Haan – Neara Skimmer (7.5, TTS)

Bag | CELINE – Medium Classic Bag in red box calfskin

Outfit 2:

Shirt | Brooks Brothers (0)

Jeans | Topshop – Leigh jeans in mid-blue (25, TTS)

Sneakers | Fila – Disruptor II Premium Sneakers (8, runs small)

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