Looking for Lunar New Year outfits to give you some inspiration on what to wear this year?
My family isn’t super traditional, so we’ve never really done much for Lunar New Year.
For my family, Lunar New Year has always just been about spending time with family and eating lots of food.
We did sort of follow some superstitions growing up, like wearing brand new outfits for the new year and not cleaning on actual new year.
You might commonly hear LNY referred to as “Chinese New Year”, but the more appropriate term when referring to the celebration as a whole is Lunar New Year, because a number of different Asian cultures celebrate the occasion!
Without further ado, here are some Lunar New Year outfit ideas to wear to celebrate the 2024 year of the dragon!
If you’re looking for what to eat this Lunar New Year, check out these Lunar New Year dinners in Toronto!
Be sure to also follow me on Instagram and TikTok – I share a lot more content on those platforms that don’t make it to the blog!
More winter fashion
- Shopping for winter wear? Check out the best Canadian outerwear brands or winter boot brands.
- Putting together your capsule wardrobe? Here’s the perfect winter capsule wardrobe.
Lunar New Year outfits
Red sweater + black skirt
You can’t go wrong with a good sweater + skirt combo, and it’s a super easy outfit to throw on for Lunar New Year.
Red is a lucky colour in Chinese culture, which is why you’ll see so many Lunar New Year decorations in red (and gold!)
Black is typically a no-no for Lunar New Year as it’s seen as a colour for funerals, but my family has never followed that superstition.
We did follow the superstition of not wearing white, because it’s the colour of death in Chinese culture.
If you’re looking to make the outfit more conservative, wear a pair of sheer or opaque tights!
I adore these Sheertex tights, which are nearly impossible to break, AKA you can wear them many times instead of just once.
Black top + red skirt
Instead of a red top and black skirt, a black top with a red skirt works as well.
I absolutely adore this vintage red leather skirt, and I made it the star of the show by pairing it with a simple black turtleneck and black Chelsea booties.
Black top + gold midi skirt
Red and gold is the ultimate Lunar New Year combo if you’re looking to go all out, but if you’re not looking to be super bold, just gold will be enough.
You can’t go wrong with black and gold together, and it makes the gold stand out even more!
I’m wearing a wrap top with a gold midi skirt and some knee-high boots.
Black dress + red boots
If you’re going out for any Lunar New Year celebrations, you can just wear red shoes as part of your festive look.
I love sweater dresses with knee-high boots, and these red Hunter boots are some of my fave boots ever!
My turtleneck sweater dress is an old one from Aritzia.
Red blouse + black denim
If you’ve got any pretty red blouses lying around in your closet, dress it down with a pair of black denim.
I’m wearing a red blouse I thrifted on Poshmark and some black skinny jeans from Levi’s.
Skinny jeans are functional to wear with boots, okay gen Z?!
Black top + red pants
If you’ve got a pair of red pants, you can wear ’em with a simple black top to let the red pants shine.
I’m wearing a cropped black turtleneck, red corduroy pants, and black Old Skool Vans sneakers.
Red turtleneck + trousers
I literally live in turtlenecks all fall and winter season, and I love how chic and elevated they make any outfit.
Wear a nice pair of trousers with a red turtleneck for an office-friendly look!
Red turtleneck + leather trousers
A chic pair of leather trousers like the Aritzia Melina pants would also be super cute with a red turtleneck.
It’s a super easy outfit to take from the office to your Lunar New Year dinner celebrations!
Red sweater + leggings
Having a more low-key Lunar New Year celebration that involves eating lots of food?
In that case, you’ll want to throw on a stretchy pair of leggings for your food baby.
Of course, you’ve gotta wear a red sweater to keep it festive!
I’m wearing a cozy oversized turtleneck I got awhile ago from Aritzia and a pair of leather leggings also from Aritzia.
Red tank top + black outfit
If you’re someone who prefers a simple pop of colour with a more basic outfit, you can easily just wear a red tank or tee underneath an all-black outfit.
A leather jacket instantly makes any outfit look more chic!
Red bomber jacket + black outfit
If you’re feeling a bit more bold, you can wear a red jacket over an all-black outfit instead.
I adore this Alpha Industries MA-1 bomber jacket – it’s actually reversible, so it can be worn as red or orange!
Turtleneck + jeans + red booties
If you’ve got a pair of bold red booties or shoes, you can easily throw them on over any casual outfit like a turtleneck with blue jeans.
Just be sure not to wear white, which is the colour of death in Chinese!
Red beanie + turtleneck dress
If you don’t really have any red pieces of clothing, you can throw on a red hat or beanie.
I’m wearing a simple grey turtleneck dress with a leather jacket and black booties – one of my go-to fall/winter outfits!
My beanie is from American Apparel, and I think they make probably the best-fitting and looking beanies out there.
Lunar New Year outfits to wear:
- Red sweater + black skirt
- Black top + red skirt
- Red turtleneck + gold midi skirt
- Black dress + red boots
- Red blouse + black denim
- Black top + red pants
- Turtleneck + trousers
- Turtleneck + leather trousers
- Sweater + leggings
- Red tank top + black outfit
- Red bomber jacket + black outfit
- Turtleneck + jeans + red booties
- Red beanie + turtleneck dress
These were some Lunar New Year outfits to give you some inspiration on what to wear to celebrate the year of the dragon!
Of course, you’ll also want to throw on some gold jewelry for extra good luck for the new year.
You can wear a cheongsam (traditional Chinese dress) if you want, but I think people usually wear a red one for their wedding day.
A cheongsam is usually in a similar print to my outfit above!
I got the outfit a bajillion years ago from an online shop called O-Mighty, and I honestly never wore it anywhere ’cause it ain’t family-appropriate or even appropriate to wear outside (maybe at a music festival?)
Anyway, hopefully this post gave you some inspo on your outfits for Lunar New Year this year!
Will you be celebrating Lunar New Year this year? What will you be wearing for LNY? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
More winter fashion
- Shopping for winter wear? Check out the best Canadian outerwear brands or winter boot brands.
- Putting together your capsule wardrobe? Here’s the perfect winter capsule wardrobe.
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