I recently got back from a trip to China and you know what I did not find despite my hopeful searching? A modern, sculptural Tang jacket. It’s funny, this new wave of eastern-influenced trends — Mandarin collars, frog clasps, Tang jackets, tassel everything — is purely a western thing. Still, I was optimistic I’d find something in Shanghai, but alas, it’s brands like Róhe, Sau Lee, Laganini Studio, and perhaps most surprisingly, Reformation leading the charge.

I initially envisioned wearing the jacket with hot pants and sheer tights for a dressy birthday dinner out, but it actually works with a lot of bottoms: capris, silk trousers, balloon pants, or slouchy jeans. I know there’s been plenty of debate on the cultural appropriation of a heritage piece being reimagined as a “throwaway trend,” but as someone who is both part Chinese and a fashion lover, it makes me excited to be able to participate in this small slice of cultural style, even if it will inevitably be replaced by the next fad in a few months’ time.