Lunar New Year is that time of the year where every corner of the city is painted red. After all, it is the celebratory colour of the season and it symbolises a lot of good things in Chinese culture, so the overdose of red is expected. However, when everyone and everything around you is decked in red, the idea of wearing the colour on yourself may become a little off-putting. Cheesy and clichéd, even.

But the thing is, red during the festive season doesn’t have to be all those things. You can wear it and still look chic without the whole “walking red packet” situation. The trick is picking the right shades of red, clean lines and unexpected pairings.

Take the crepe and ruffled blouse from Exhibit that I have on above. It is a vibrant shade of red, but it is not too bright that it blinds. My team and I intentionally made it just a hint darker than the usual red so that it is more romantic (just in time for Valentine’s Day, FYI). To balance out such a statement blouse, I paired it with my trusty Vetements deconstructed jeans and worn-to-death Gucci slipper loafers. It is easy, minimal and comfortable, and it fits right in with the season. If you don’t like wearing black during the first few days of the Lunar New Year, swap it around with some faded vintage blue denims.

As for the accessories, I stuck to minimal rings and a vintage Chanel mini cross-body bag that I turned into a belt bag.  That way, the bag becomes part of the outfit. Very handy for all those red packets too, yeah? (These belt bags here and here are quite cute.)

(To those who insist on not wearing red: the blouse also comes in white. I wore it with a red suit not too long ago and I’m only just realising how appropriate it is for Lunar New Year.)