Adidas Originals’ viral Tang Jacket, inspired by the traditional Tang suit and Qing-era ma gua riding coats, is finally launching in India after a global Gen Z-fuelled craze. Retaining the mandarin collar, frog-style knots and structured cut, it adds sporty Three Stripes and a zip front. Four muted colourways drop on adidas India’s site on September 3, 2026 at Rs 10,999.
Remember that time when we were in a very "Chinese time of our lives"? Call it mass appropriation of Chinese culture (which it technically was), call it China increasing it's soft power, but adidas played a big role in the trend with it's Chinese New Year drop earlier this year: the viral Tang jacket. Now, the hugely viral jacket is officially available for sale in India.
Somewhere between its announcement and a thousand TikTok unboxings, the demand for the adidas Originals Tang Jacket shot up so much people imported before they could officially buy it. It went from an in China, for China release to an unofficial Gen Z uniform, moving through a handful of other Asian markets till landed in Europe earlier this year. That seemed to be it for the jacket's journey, till adidas India took to instagram today to tease it's release in India.
The jacket borrows its silhouette from the Tang suit: a garment whose lineage runs to the Qing dynasty and the ma gua, a riding jacket worn since the mid seventeenth century. adidas Originals kept the mandarin collar and structured cut of the original, then added a full-zip closure and the Three Stripes long along the sleeves. Traditional Pankou, or frog-style, knots are added in place of buttons in a jacket that's otherwise very streetwear oriented.
It's wearability is probably central to the jacket's appeal. The Tang Jacket does not need a Lunar New Year dinner or a fashion-week street-style photographer to make sense. Pair it with track pants for a weekend shopping, throw it over a plain T-shirt with jeans, or use its structured collar to break up tailoring. Its proportions allow it to move between those settings without requiring the rest of the outfit to participate in the theme.
In a way, the jacket is a clever design idea; a way to portray Chinese fashion beyond the stereotypical dragons and motifs you usually see when brands release Chinese New Year drops. It's Tiktok virality, however, converted the genius of the design to something else.
For its India debut, the jacket comes in four colourways: Focus Olive, Oat, Ash Grey and Grey Six, all muted, toned down colours that can easily fit into any wardrobe. The piece goes live on adidas India's official website on September 3, 2026, retailing at Rs. 10,999 apiece.