Modern Chinese-style clothing incorporates Eastern elements without the difficulty of wearing or the aging effect of traditional Chinese attire. Today’s neo-Chinese designs blend trendiness with practicality, seamlessly pairing with modern jeans, white sneakers, or even snow boots without looking out of place.
So, how should one accessorize neo-Chinese outfits with jewelry? Celebrities have provided excellent examples, which can be categorized into three main types: jade, pearls, and any jewelry with Chinese elements.
Yang Mi has recently been seen in numerous neo-Chinese outfits. Her studio recently released a stunning look featuring a black neo-Chinese cotton jacket with woven flower frog buttons from Tuyue. The design is reportedly inspired by the essay “Our Madame’s Living Room.”
During the Republic of China era, artists, philosophers, poets, and musicians would gather on certain afternoons for lively discussions, likely wearing similar attire that exuded an understated elegance of intellectuals.
Yang Mi paired this outfit with gourd-shaped jade earrings. Jade and Eastern aesthetics are a perfect match, with the green jade beautifully brightening the large expanse of black, serving as the perfect accent. The gourd shape also symbolizes “fortune and prosperity,” making it ideal for the New Year.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2023, she wore a qipao with bamboo elements, again accessorizing with gourd-shaped jade jewelry, showcasing a gentle and graceful demeanor. A set of jade jewelry can be worn effortlessly from summer to winter, complementing almost all neo-Chinese styles.
Zhang Yuqi’s neo-Chinese outfit worn while touring Jiangnan gardens in October 2023 was elegant and refined. She also paired it with jade earrings, though larger and more prominent. If you have a strong presence and prefer bold styles, opt for larger jade jewelry pieces.
Tips for Buying Jade
When purchasing jade, color and texture are crucial considerations. Traditionally, green jade commands the highest prices, but there are many other beautiful colors to choose from. For instance, the editor favors purple and colorless jade, which are unique and ethereal.
Texture refers to the jade’s quality and transparency. When light is captured within the stone and evenly reflected, high-quality jade resembles a clear pool of water, incredibly captivating.
When selecting jade earrings, pay special attention to comparing the pair, as sometimes the colors may not match perfectly. If choosing a gourd-shaped design like Yang Mi’s, also consider the carving’s length proportions and the fullness of the gourd shape.
18K gold, jade, and diamonds
If unsure about which style to choose, consider cabochon jade. This classic shape in jade jewelry never goes out of style. There’s a saying, “Beautiful jade needs no carving,” and the cabochon’s semi-circular shape perfectly showcases jade’s beauty. However, cabochons demand high-quality jade, as any imperfections or cracks become obvious in this cut.
Remember Ni Ni’s pearl-obsessed summer of 2023? She elevated the popularity of pearls and perfectly embodied the neo-Chinese style. She often pairs pearls with her neo-Chinese outfits.
The blue neo-Chinese shirt with a bucket hat and white sneakers she wore for a birthday photoshoot in her hometown of Nanjing blends seamlessly in an urban setting, adding a relaxed vibe to the refined and trendy look. Many people were reportedly inspired to try neo-Chinese fashion after seeing Ni Ni’s outfit.
Pearls are the highlight of this look, with large pearls complementing the loose-fitting style beautifully. Her necklace features mixed-color pearls, showcasing excellent pearl-stringing technique and aesthetic sense.
The multi-color combination exudes sophistication. If you find single-color pearls too ordinary or aging, try mixed colors! Three-color combinations are common in the market; consider pairing Australian South Sea white pearls, Tahitian pearls, and golden South Sea pearls.
In 2023, Yang Zi not only starred in the hit TV series “Lost You Forever” but also received praise for her fashion choices, showing significant improvement from previous years. This qipao outfit demonstrates a graceful Eastern charm, perfectly complemented by pearl earrings.
Unlike diamonds, pearls have an inherent cool and gentle quality, making them ideal for pairing with neo-Chinese clothing. The long earring design adds a touch of elegance when in motion.
Tips for Buying Pearls
Pearls are classified into many types, but broadly they are divided into saltwater and freshwater pearls. Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls, Australian South Sea pearls, and South Sea pearls are all saltwater varieties.
Generally, saltwater pearls are priced much higher than freshwater pearls due to their superior luster. However, with advancements in cultivation techniques, many freshwater pearls now rival saltwater pearls in luster, offering excellent value for money.
If you prioritize pearl luster over size, consider Akoya pearls from Japanese waters, nicknamed “little light bulbs” for their exceptional brilliance. Akoya pearls grow in calm seawater with temperatures between 15°C and 25°C. In this ideal environment and with careful nurturing, Akoya pearls develop tightly arranged nacre layers, resulting in excellent luster.
18K rose gold, Japanese Akoya pearls
If you prefer larger, more luxurious pearls, consider South Sea pearls. Their diameter typically ranges from 8mm to 18mm. Compared to Akoya pearls, South Sea pearls are cultivated in larger oysters over a longer period, resulting in thicker nacre layers.
Jade and pearls naturally complement neo-Chinese styles perfectly. Beyond these materials, you can also choose jewelry with Eastern elements. Zhu Zhu’s interpretation of neo-Chinese style caught the editor’s attention!
During Paris Fashion Week 2023, which coincided with China’s Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhu Zhu shared her Chinese-style outfit on Weibo, expressing homesickness. She paired a black neo-Chinese top with jeans, creating an incredibly stylish look! With two buttons undone to reveal her neckline, she demonstrated how neo-Chinese style can be sexy and carefree.
Zhu Zhu chose diamond jewelry that was very dazzling but with a distinctly “Eastern” design, incorporating elements of Art Deco style, resulting in a harmonious and elegant overall look.
Did you watch Liu Shishi’s 2023 drama “Love Never Fails”? Fans exclaimed that period dramas are Liu Shishi’s absolute “domain” because her inherent quality embodies Eastern beauty, as pristine as moonlight. Liu Shishi’s outfit is perfect for the New Year, with a red neo-Chinese top paired with Qeelin’s Wulu series jewelry and a soft, elegant hairstyle.
Liu Shishi wears gourd-shaped jewelry made of diamonds and red agate. The earring design is incredibly clever, using a paper-cut-like openwork technique with diamond-set edges, exuding luxury.
Tips for Buying Eastern Element Jewelry
Why do we often see Art Deco style, popular in Europe around the 1920s, combined with Eastern elements? The jewelry Zhu Zhu wore is an example of this fusion. In fact, Eastern styles were also popular in Europe during that era. Familiar brands like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Boucheron created many jewelry pieces with Eastern elements against the backdrop of Art Deco.
If you’re unsure which Eastern elements to choose, the editor suggests some fail-safe options: gourds, bamboo, zodiac signs, and red cords. These elements are classics in Eastern style and never go out of fashion.
18K gold, diamonds, red agate
If you find overtly Eastern elements difficult to match, consider jewelry with a more abstract Eastern aesthetic. For example, this Yi series necklace from Yin is inspired by the game of Go, embodying Eastern wisdom through the concept of “Yi” (strategy). It’s versatile enough to wear beyond just neo-Chinese outfits.
Elevate Your Neo-Chinese Style: Jewelry Pairings That Exude Cultural Confidence
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