It has been obscenely hot this year—the sort of heat that makes you wonder if the weather’s fate has been left in the devil’s scorching hands. It’ll have you questioning your own body (surely this reaction isn’t normal?) and apologizing for your damp, disheveled state in every room you enter. This is why hand fans, in their stylish, functional, and portable glory, have been the season’s saving grace. Access to a properly air-conditioned space is never 100 percent guaranteed, and those in-between moments—be they on a humid subway platform or inside a packed dive bar—call for a hand fan’s merciful sweep of sweet relief.
The folding hand fan, as we know it, originated in 6th-century Japan, mainly seen as a luxury item crafted from fine materials. It has since become an essential and accessible accessory found in the hands of every sweaty girl who stays prepared. They're wedding favors, they’re playful concert merch (see: Beyoncé’s 2023 Renaissance Tour), and they’re omnipresent on the TikTok Shop, where you can’t scroll for more than two minutes without being met with an enticing deal on an electric version. Above all else, they’re a unique expression of personal style: a chic, slightly dramatic way to offset a brutal UV index.
In honor of hand fans, in all their shapes and forms, we spoke with 16 New York City women who keep one close at all times, especially during the second-hottest year on record. They all hold deep appreciation for their fans and came ready to share their takes on why this is an accessory with centuries-long staying power. And while we did meet them out in the wild (outside on an 85-degree day that forced them to put their fans to actual work), we promise no body temperatures were (significantly) stressed during the making of this story.
Annabel Meschke, 28
Occupation: Writer/comedian
Hometown: Jupiter, Florida
Social handle(s): @armsandlegs
A good hand fan needs to be: Big as hell. It will make you the hero of any summer crowd.
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Galleria (as in the Cheetah girl/cheetah sister)
Best place to be on a hot day: Titties out in front of the AC unit (preferably your own)
The most money I’m willing to spend on a hand fan is: My meager life savings
Sarah Torkornoo, 27
Occupation: Vintage dealer
Hometown: New York, New York
Social handle(s): @sarahfromnewyork
Where I acquired my hand fan: The dollar store
A good hand fan needs to be: Light, airy, and an extension of your own whimsy
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Fancesca (get it?)
Best place to be on a hot day: The beach. Or the Shake Shack on 86th St. They have the best air conditioning in the city, I kid you not.
Something I'm a big fan of: Being earnest
Rayne Fisher-Quann, 24
Occupation: Writer
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Social handle(s): @rayneincorporated
Where I acquired my hand fan: Someone gave it to me in a time of heat and told me to keep it. I wish I could remember who it was because I love my hand fan and was touched by their generosity!
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Better Than Nothing, I Guess
Worst place to be on a hot day: On your phone in an air-conditioned room...spiritually bereft
Best place to be on a hot day: Socially loaded community gathering where the heat will drive you all to speak the unspoken and act on suppressed urges.
Hillary Lui, 31
Occupation: Event producer
Hometown: Hong Kong, China
Social handle(s): @_kill_hill
Where I acquired my hand fan: Borrowed it, hehe
A good hand fan needs to be: Cute
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Windy
Best place to be on a hot day: On a boat
Something I'm a big fan of: Survivor
Antoni Bumba, 27
Occupation: Content creator
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Social handle(s): @awbumba
Where I acquired my hand fan: TikTok Shop
My fan makes me feel: Cunt, but at peace fr.
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Belinda
The most money I'm willing to spend on a hand fan is: If it’s solid gold? $2bandz.
Something I'm a big fan of: Everyone minding their business.
Jess Xu, 26
Occupation: Fashion stylist and creator
Hometown: Qingdao, China
Social handle(s): @thejessxu
Where I acquired my hand fan: A Chinese bodega
A good hand fan needs to: Match the ’fit
The most money I'm willing to spend on a hand fan is: $500
Something I’m a big fan of: My wiener dog named Glizzy
Maia Eid, 27
Occupation: VIP hospitality producer
Hometown: New York, NY
Social handle(s): @localcoolgirl
My fan makes me feel like: Madonna on the Ray of Light album cover
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Roger
Worst place to be on a hot day: Outside
Best place to be on a hot day: Outside
Something I’m a big fan of: People who go to therapy
Shanelle, 19
Occupation: Student
Hometown: Queens, NY
Social handle(s): @everlovving
Where I acquired my hand fan: For free from my wonderful job
My fan makes me feel like: A Regency debutante
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Leonard
Worst place to be on a hot day: The DMV
Something I’m a big fan of: Candles that smell like hotel lobbies
Nobue Takahashi
Occupation: Illustrator
Hometown: Gifu, Japan
Social handle(s): @ntakahashi1994
Where I acquired my hand fan: On a trip back to Japan
A good hand fan needs to be: Compact and easy to carry around
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Tombo (“Dragonfly” in Japanese!)
Best place to be on a hot day: The park under a tree
Something I’m a big fan of: Cats!
Merely Holloman, "as old as God"
Occupation: Hospitality/former dancer
Hometown: Hartford, Connecticut
A good hand fan needs to be: Used!
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Greta
Worst place to be on a hot day: Subway
Best place to be on a hot day: Any park
The most money I'm willing to spend on a hand fan is: $20
Aoife Guiteras, 27
Occupation: Vintage store owner/girlboss
Hometown: Miami, Florida (I came out of the womb with a fan in my hand)
Social handle(s): @jankyvintage
Where I acquired my hand fan: My Cuban grandmother
A good hand fan needs to be: Vintage
My fan makes me feel like: A cooled-down baddie
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Abinco (Spanish for “hand fan”)
Best place to be on a hot day: By the pool at a members’ club
Something I’m a big fan of: A good vintage find!
Taylor Coward, 26
Occupation: Style influencer
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Social handle(s): @taaaylizzle
Where I acquired my hand fan: TikTok Shop
A good hand fan needs to be: Loud
My fan makes me feel like: I’m in a Kylie Minogue music video
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Big mama
Worst place to be on a hot day: Outside
Best place to be on a hot day: Inside
Saidah Belo-Osagie, 28
Occupation: Writer/comedian
Hometown: Elmont, New York
Social handle(s): @applesaidur
Where I acquired my hand fan: Lagos, Nigeria
A good hand fan needs to be: Cute, practical, and loyal!!
My fan makes me feel like: An international woman of mystery
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Fanny…can I say that?
Something I’m a big fan of: Free speech and free food
Gabrielle Richardson, 30
Occupation: Model + Curator
Hometown: New York City
Social handle(s): @fridacashflow
Where I acquired my hand fan: Canal Street
A good hand fan needs to be: Honestly, it just needs to work. It’s too hot.
My fan makes me feel like: A lady about town
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Baby
The most money I'm willing to spend on a hand fan is: Fabric: $5, Electric: $20
Something I'm a big fan of: Peach Ice Cream
Dina Veloric, 30
Occupation: Art Director
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Social handle(s): @dvknows
A good hand fan needs to be: Small enough to fit in my Row ‘90s bag
My fan makes me feel like: A diva
If I gave my fan a nickname, it’d be: Fifi
Best place to be on a hot day: Floating in a body of water
Something I'm a big fan of: Ice cream with rainbow sprinkles
Morgan Sophia Vickery, 28
Occupation: Wellness practitioner
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Social handle(s): @morganvickery
Where I acquired my hand fan: Madrid, Spain
A good hand fan needs to be: Gurthy ;)
My fan makes me feel like: I’m time-traveling to La Belle Époque
Best place to be on a hot day: Greece. Bonus if there’s a beach and a boat
The most money I’m willing to spend on a hand fan is: I’m saving up for a Mother of Pearl fan…so who’s to say?
Something I’m a big fan of: Wearing amulets and talismans
Creative director: Samantha Adler. Visual director: Scott M. Lacey. Senior fashion editor: Jessica Neises. Senior visual editor: Emily Adar. Motion graphics designer: Ying Chen.
Annabel Iwegbue is a culture editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers pop culture, lifestyle, relationships, and digital trends. She previously wrote for Harper's Bazaar, The Knockturnal, and Black Film. She's originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Cinema Studies from New York University. You can check out some of Annabel’s work here and also find her on Instagram and Twitter.
