Cheongsam or hanfu? Despite the former being more universally popular, Gong Pan Pan, a Singaporean-Chinese fashion historian and designer, would opt for hanfu, as the historical traditional Chinese attire best fits her body type.“Cheongsams are very body-fitting – you can’t go to a buffet in those tight garments. And I have narrow shoulders, so I’d look like I have a huge head in a cheongsam,” she explains. “In hanfu, the sleeves extend as one piece from the shoulder downwards, adding a volume that balances proportions.”Gong, 40, is on a mission to revive hanfu with a culturally conscious yet contemporary take.On Instagram, she publishes content as Hanfugirl about her “material-led research, myth-busting and long-form storytelling” work. One of her most popular videos, which differentiates between the effects of traditional Chinese pattern-cutting and Western silhouettes, has garnered 198,000 likes and 2.9 million views.She also designs and sells hanfu-inspired modern clothing at HFG Atelier, her studio in Singapore, in a practice that began unexpectedly more than 10 years ago.A model wears a look by Gong Pan Pan. Photo: Gong Pan PanGong was born in Changsha, in China’s Hunan province, and raised in Singapore from the age of six. She first became acquainted with Chinese fashion history in late 2015, when she got married and travelled to China for a photo shoot.