Chi Yunuo’s white silk robe embroidered with an owl and flora pattern puffed through the air as she flitted around the boutique to help customers trying on pieces.

She paused in the corner to style a woman’s hair into two elaborate chignons, finishing the look with a red ribbon.

Stepping inside Beijing shop Dreamy Garments is an exercise in time travel – the store caters to a growing clientele of “hanfu” devotees, dedicated to wearing ancient attire believed to be worn by China’s Han ethnic majority before centuries of foreign domination brought Western fashion into vogue.

Some of the most committed, like Ms Chi, 31, don daily these intricate outfits, ignoring the stares.

They are proud to slip into robes they say reflect a return to a collective Chinese identity and traditional values.