Huat Or Not: What Local Stars Wore For Chinese New Year

Earlier this week, you saw the gorgeous cheongsams celebs wore for Chinese New Year, now get a peek at the huat-worthy (or not) outfits they donned during the festive season. Some of our favourites include Rebecca Lim and Hong Hui Fang’s swoon-worthy, bold frocks, Xu Bin's little munchkin Ethan's stylish denim threads, and, of course, Hong Ling and You Yi's qipaos 'cos there's no such thing as too many cheongsams. Read on for more!

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Hong Ling

Wearing a white dress for CNY visiting will undoubtedly invite gossip among the conservative relatives but we like how modern Hong Ling’s qipao looks. We just wish it came without those two black fringe ornaments; they look extra and very out of place.
Huat or not?: Huat, but let’s use scissors to snip those extra ornaments.
Photo: Hong Ling
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Chua En Lai

We love stars who pay attention to their outfits’ details. En Lai’s CNY getup (or in his own words, “Bali tour guide look") consisted of a batik top, jogger pants and golden ingot lookalike kicks.
Huat or not?: Very huat! Those gold sneakers look extra festive.
Photo: Instagram/@chuaenlai
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Carrie Wong

Carrie’s ultra feminine floral dress may be a great choice for CNY and the sweltering weather, however it is too young for the actress.
Huat or not?: Huat, but only on teenage girls.
Photo: Instagram/@carriewst
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Xu Bin and Ethan

Xu Bin's all-white outfit is a total snoozefest but we’re digging his son Ethan's stylish denim threads. Couple that with his doll-like features, we’re pretty sure he’ll grow up to be as charming as his parents.
Huat or not?: Huat for Ethan, not so much for Xu Bin.
Photo: Instagram/@xubin_
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Germaine Tan

Yeah yeah, we know the 987 DJ looks like she's more appropriately dressed for clubbing than CNY visiting (those gladiator heels are a nightmare to take off!), but if you zoom in, you will see dragon designs on her brocade bustier dress.
Huat or not?: Huat and hot!
Photo: Instagram/@germaineleonora
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Hong Hui Fang

As we scrolled through our Instagram feeds, Hui Fang jie’s bold pink dress caught our eyes immediately. Its bright hue and frilly detail made the look trendy and feminine — proof that women can look fabulous at any age.
Huat or not?: Huat!
Photo: Instagram/@the_celebrityagency
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You Yi

We love everything about You Yi’s cheongsam, from the eye-popping dots and colours, to the ruffle hemline.
Huat or not?: Huat and chio!
Photo: Instagram/@you_yi
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Joel Choo

We’re guessing Joel takes his Chinese New Year gambling sessions very seriously. He picked a God of Gamblers T-shirt to wear for the celebrations, making it a good excuse not to wear red for CNY.
Huat or not? Huat ah!
Photo: Instagram/@joelchoozw
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Apple Hong

Did Apple randomly throw on whatever she could find before running to catch her flight to Fukuoka? The separates on her are absolutely mismatched and they didn’t look good together. We’re beginning to have a headache just by looking at this OOTD.
Huat or not?: Nope. It’s time to consider hiring a stylist, sweetie.
Photo: Instagram/@applehong
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Cheryl Wee

Awww... Cheryl and little Marc prove that twinning is winning in outfits from local label Our Second Nature. Love it!
Huat or not?: Double the huat for this mother-and-son duo!
Photo: Instagram/@weecheryl
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Bonnie Loo

A for effort, but we're not fans of the cheongsam's algae hue and design that aged Bonnie tremendously. And don't even get us started on the moss-like bag.
Huat or not?: Not. We think the qipao would have worked well for a mother-in-law.
Photo: Instagram/@bonnieloo94
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Jean Danker

Because of the lack in any red accents, there’s no way of telling Jean’s wearing a CNY outfit. Nonetheless, it's a cute look and we love the big belt here which she could easily loosen after downing a few CNY goodies.
Huat or not?: Huat because wearing a super tight outfit while we binge on CNY goodies is basically torture!
Photo: Instagram/@jeandanker
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Jade Seah

Jade and her hubby Terence welcomed the new lunar year wearing a pink tiered frock and huat-worthy red summer shirt respectively. Their sneakers gave their outfits a more laidback feel which we love too.
Huat or not?: Huat
Photo: Instagram/@jadeseah
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Ya Hui

Though not exactly Singapore weather friendly, the red leather number worn by Ya Hui here makes a strong, confident look.
Huat or not?: Huat. But make sure you stay indoors to avoid sweating buckets.
Photo: Instagram/@yahuiyh
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Tay Kewei, Alfred Sim and Shen Momo

The Sim family stole our hearts with their megawatt smiles and cheery outfits. Preggers mama Kewei looked resplendent in her bright yellow dress while her boys are adorbs twinning in cherry print shirts.
Huat or not?: Huat, times three!
Photo: Instagram/@keweitay
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Julie Tan

Thanks to the sheer material and floral embellishments, Julie’s scarlet qipao is a scene stealer at CNY gatherings. Couple that with those black shades, and we’re pretty sure everybody will be asking, “Who’s that girl?”
Huat or not?: Sizzling huat!
Photo: Instagram/@julietan_cxq
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Shane Pow

Fancy shoes aside, we aren’t big fans of Shane’s wide leg jeans. Did he wear girlfriend Kimberly Wang’s jeans by mistake? Are girlfriend jeans a thing now for the guys?
Huat or not?: Not. Just stick to slim cut pants, Shane.
Photo: Instagram/@shanepowxp
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Tosh Zhang

Another actor who "borrowed" from the ladies is Tosh in these awkward ankle-skimming palazzo pants. Why?!
Huat or not?: Not. Refer to previous pic.
Photo: Instagram/@toshrock
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Sheila Sim and Deon Woo

Sheila and her hubby Deon looked adorable in their couple outfits. Their matching dress and top seemed like they were cut from the same cloth, featuring an auspicious crane print that symbolises eternal happiness.
Huat or not?: Huat and super cute!
Photo: Instagram/@sheila_sim
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Lim Pei Fen

We like how Pei Fen played with colour blocking here by pairing her red dress with a pair of yellow slip-ons. Our advice: Swap the black crossbody with a hot pink one for a more striking look. Also worth a mention is her son Luke's cheesily cute shirt which features rat chefs a la Ratatouille. Love!
Huat or not?: Squeaking huat!
Photo: Instagram/@limpeifen
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Ian Fang

For CNY day one, Ian decided to keep his outfit cool and comfy, sticking to just red and black tones. What irks us most is how he wore socks with sandals - a trend we’d prefer never existed.
Huat or not?: Nope. Ditch those socks, period.
Photo: Instagram/@ian_ianization
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Ian Fang

Thankfully, Ian's day two outfit looked much better. The combed-back hair, mandarin collar top and Nike trainers made him look a whole lot more pulled together. Kudos!
Huat or not?: Huat!
Photo: Instagram/@ian_ianization
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Joanna Dong

Through their expressions, we know better than to mess with Joanna and her cousin. Both their outfits were inspired by the ’80s triad movies and they totally looked the part. We'd be afraid to ask the singer for ang pow.
Huat or not?: Not… even the deco behind them looked more huat lor.
Photo: Instagram/@j_o_a_n_n_a_d_o_n_g
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Oon Shu An

By keeping the rest of her outfit pared down, Shu An wanted everyone’s attention to be on her Hello Kitty bag. We can hear all the little girls and alike squealing excitedly.
Huat or not?: Of course — who can resist the kawaiiness?
Photo: Instagram/@oonshuan
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Priscelia Chan

Priscelia looked more boardroom than bak kwa ready for CNY. Don’t get us wrong; it’s a lovely safari themed frock but perhaps Priscelia could have worn it with a bold red lippy to appear more festive?
Huat or not?: Not so huat.
Photo: Instagram/@prisceliachan
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Tong Bing Yu

There’s something about qipaos that makes women look ultra-feminine. The same can be said for Bing Yu’s modern cheongsam here; the mix of floral prints and sheer lace fabrics make the dress look delicate and sexy.
Huat or not?: Huat!
Photo: Instagram/@tongbingyu
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Chew Chor Meng

Chor Meng’s choice of floral short sleeve shirt is a good alternative to the festive red tops. It looks fresh, colourful and eye-catching yet not OTT; Chor Meng also pared it down by opting for white trousers.
Huat or not?: Huat!
Photo: Instagram/@chewchormeng
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Rebecca Lim

Rebecca looked red carpet ready in this sleeveless frilly frock from Max Mara. We love how she kept it simple with minimal accessories, letting the outfit shine on its own.
Huat or not?: Maximum huat ah!
Photo: Instagram/@limrebecca
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Jernelle Oh

Safe for the huat bag, the Star Search 2019 finalist’s white and dusty gold outfit looks very washed out. We’d suggest changing into a red pleated skirt for a livelier and fresher look.
Huat or not?: Huat for the bag, zzz for the rest.
Photo: Instagram/@ohyushi
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Chase Tan

Chase went for a mandarin collar shirt and wore it with casual pants and sneakers. We love this traditional meets modern look!
Huat or not?: The gold shirt looks set to bring Chase lots of huat-ness!
Photo: Chase Tan
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Seraph Sun

Seraph’s girl-next-door look here is fresh and youthful. Plus, it looks ultra-breathable so you can wear it again under a blazer for work after your CNY break.
Huat or not?: Huat
Photo: Instagram/@seraph_sun
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Kelly Poon

Kelly’s orange romper, paired with those bright red kicks, made her look ready for CNY visiting. But we say it’s time for the belt bag trend to retire once and for all.
Huat or not?: Huat, just leave the belt bag at home.
Photo: Instagram/@kellypanjiali
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Terence Cao

We love how vibrant Terence’s summer shirt looks here. We’re pretty sure the stylish men will have no qualms packing this for their beach vacays. But those tinted sunglasses and sash (did he kope that from the lion dance troupe?) are just too much.
Huat or not?: Not. Please drop the coloured sunglasses and sash!
Photo: Instagram/@terencecao_guohui
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Huang Biren

For a fail-safe outfit, turn to Biren jie’s CNY getup here. The red top features a classic cut that is also office-appropriate, meaning you’ll get to wear it even after the festivities are over.
Huat or not?: Huat, because this isn’t your regular one-time outfit.
Photo: Instagram/@huangbiren