Have you ever bought a beautiful Hanfu, worn it a few times, and then let it gather dust in your wardrobe? You only take it out for special holidays or events, but you rarely get the chance to wear it. Full Hanfu outfits can feel too formal for daily wear, leaving you in a dilemma—wearing it feels too much, but not wearing it feels like a waste. Hanfu mix-and-match has become a popular styling trend in recent years. It allows you to combine different styles of Hanfu with everyday clothing, creating unique and creative looks. However, there’s currently no systematic guide to help us put together the best mix-and-match styles.

However, Silk Divas can share some product mix-and-match examples, breaking away from traditional styles. Together, we can explore the possibilities of mixing and matching, providing new ideas and inspiration for young or innovative audiences. This approach will help make use of the Hanfu in your wardrobe and might even spark your own creative takes on Hanfu styling.

Casual Minimalist Style

Vest + Dress + Hat

Blogger Ah Ruan believes the essence of making Hanfu more everyday-friendly is treating it as ordinary clothing. Her pink dress and vest layering creates a more casual, approachable vibe. The color combination is very soothing, with a harmonious balance between cool and warm tones, making it perfect for spring and autumn outings. As a mix-and-match reference, you can layer a Hanfu vest or small outer jacket over a dress or top to create a better overall look.

Pipa Sleeves + Pinafore Dress + Hat  

Blogger Gao Guai Cai Zi offers a fresh take by combining Pipa sleeves with a overall dress, creating a lively and everyday style. (Pipa sleeves are wide, tapered sleeves in traditional Chinese clothing, named for their resemblance to the shape of the pipa musical instrument.) Her outfit is well-coordinated with comfortable color choices, making it a great reference for women of various body types. The oversized Pipa sleeves help conceal arm fat, while the overall dress effectively hides body curves, making this look ideal for casual outings, work, or photo shoots.

Chang Gan Si (Long Coat) + Tube Top + Cargo Pants

This outfit, shared by blogger Mo Mo, is perfect for summer commutes. The cargo pants offer comfort and convenience, while the addition of a baseball cap, a sunshade mask, and a minimalistic bag creates a sleek and confident look. Her approach to mixing styles focuses on balancing lengths and coordinating colors. For a minimalist vibe, she opts for a plain Chang Gan Si without heavy embroidery.

Outerwear + Shirt + Ma Mian Skirt + Bag

Blogger Li Bai Bai shares her outfit, which combines a matching-colored bag and outerwear with a shirt and a ma mian skirt. This is one of the most commonly used and widely adopted styling options, ideal for commuting or professional settings. It is perfect for workplace, while also maintaining an elegant and fashionable look.

Bijia (Coat) + Stand-collar Shirt + Ma Mian Skirt + Wrist Guards + Belt + Bag

For those who prefer a more elaborate or intricate style, they can take inspiration from blogger Yang Yang Loves Grass’s outfit. She combines a simple, pattern-free stand-collar shirt and mamian skirt with a bijia (a traditional Chinese short coat), and enhances the look with a belt, a decorative star-pattern brooch chain, and a stylish, high-quality bag. The overall look gives off a chic and edgy vibe, making it perfect for advanced mixing-and-matching enthusiasts to learn from.

Street Style Style

Vest / Changyi + Shirt + Jeans + Bag

This look shared by blogger Qi Niang Niang, blends denim elements with a Qing dynasty vest for a striking combination. It’s an excellent choice for beginners looking to experiment with mix-and-match styles. To add a touch of personal flair, you can follow her lead by accessorizing with unique belt designs, hats, or earrings to elevate the overall look with a touch of sophistication and creativity.

This outfit is a variation of the previous look, featuring a Qing dynasty changyi (氅衣) paired with jeans. Since it’s quite similar to the vest-jeans combination, we could treat it as a slight variation or complement to the previous style.

Round-collared robe + lantern pants + tiger-head shoes / Martin boots

Blogger Di Shi Qiu combines a pink round-collared robe with blue lantern pants, creating a playful and cute look. She pairs the outfit with a crossbody bag and fuzzy tiger-head shoes, adding an embroidered sachet at her waist for extra Chinese flair. This combination is both eye-catching and comfortable, making it a creative and innovative attempt that stands out on the streets.

This outfit is a mix-and-match pairing of a round-collared robe with Martin boots, which can also serve as a variation of the round-collared robe set. While the Martin boots suit a more stylish look, the tiger-head shoes are better for a more traditional style.

Elegant Retro Style

Coat + Ma Mian Skirt + Beret

Blogger Lu Cong’s outfit combines retro pieces like a wool coat and beret, all in earthy tones that exude elegance and nostalgia. She named this ensemble “Warm Winter Chestnut Candy,” which perfectly matches the color scheme and the season. Pairing a light brown coat with a dark brown horse-face skirt and a matching beret is a clever choice, offering a fresh mix-and-match model for the autumn and winter seasons.

Square-collar jacket + Song-style two-piece skirt + Hat

The blogger Little Sun Don’t Be A Lazy Fish pairs a retro look with bold color blocking in this outfit. Aside from the orange accents on the jacket, the rest of the look features delicate, solid black pieces, from the hat to the shoes. The two-piece skirt creates the effect of a mid-length straight dress

Mix and Match Creativity

Top + Ma Mian Skirt + Bag

This outfit by the blogger Please Call Me Ah Xuan embodies a gothic style, with only black and silver as the color scheme. It offers great inspiration for those who favor dark colors, gothic, or luxurious styles. The main piece is a Ma Mian skirt, a traditional Chinese garment, but the lace and tulle at the bottom of the skirt add a Western touch. The combination of Eastern and Western elements creates a highly interesting and unique look, making it perfect for those seeking more advanced mix-and-match outfits.

This outfit by the blogger I am 411 is also a mix-and-match style of a top with a Ma Mian skirt, but it differs in style from the previous one. At its core, it still draws inspiration from the patterns and colors of the Ma Mian skirt for the outfit’s overall coordination.

The mix-and-match outfit by the blogger Wild Sell It Cute follows a similar concept, but unlike the gothic or elegant and glamorous styles, this set leans more towards a subculture-inspired mix-and-match look. It differs from the previous two outfits and can be considered as a reference for a different style.

Interesting Discoveries in Collection

Whether it’s the more widely accepted casual, street, or retro style mix-and-match ideas, or the unique and bold combinations of Hanfu, we’ve found that successful outfits are not just about pairing two seemingly unrelated pieces. It also requires a lot of effort in choosing the right colors, accessories, and understanding the compatibility of styles. Incorporating a Ma Mian skirt and outerwear into a regular top might seem like the simplest and most straightforward styling formula, but how each person approaches the outfit varies, and even with the same idea, the final look can be completely different.

Future Outlook

Can hanfu mixing become a more mainstream fashion trend? The answer is likely yes. As the fashion world becomes more accepting of diverse cultures and the younger generation shows a growing appreciation for traditional culture, hanfu mixing is set to become a mainstream fashion trend. Have you ever tried combining hanfu with modern outfits? Or perhaps you have your own unique styling ideas? We welcome you to share your fashion tips in the comments or showcase your hanfu mixing photos on social media, joining this creative and exciting trend exploration!

Q&A Section

1. Which outfit in the image is your favorite and why?
2. Can you tell me if you’ve ever tried mixing hanfu with modern fashion?
3. Did this blog post provide you with any useful insights?