In 2019, Taobao released its annual China Fashion Trend Report, predicting that
#10年后女比男man# ("Chinese women more masculine than men in 10 years"). Today, over a year after the report, this prediction is progressing toward becoming a reality. Street fashion, Korean/Japanese influences, and 汉服 (hanfu, traditional Chinese clothing), are the most popular fashion influences in Chinese culture. Gender-bending clothing, the main trend in 2020 Chinese street fashion, reflects a younger generation that is pushing away traditional gender conventions.
Here are 4 Chinese street fashion trends and essentials that I've been implementing, and some history lessons on how they came to be:
1. Androgynous Clothing
Chinese street fashion has come a long way since its nascence in the late 2000s, but it is still driven largely by the middle class. According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, the annual per capita disposable income of people living in cities rose by 7.2% from 改革开放 (Reform and Opening) in 1978 to 2007.
By 2008, there were over 220 million young people between the ages of 15-24 that had more money than their parents' generation to spend on fashion. The increase in purchasing power gave rise to "fast fashion" in China, and opened China as a potential market for international brands.
In the early days of street fashion, many still adhered to traditional notions of men dressing to look "bold" or "masculine," and women dressing as "dainty" or "passive." However, the growing popularity of androgynous (gender non-specific) clothing demonstrates a new era of fashion that rejects these stereotypes.
(By the way it was 87 degrees when I took these photos, and this outfit is definitely not meant to be worn in summer in SoCal.)'
2. Straight-Cut Jeans
Keeping with the #10年后女比男man# theme, straight-fit, aka boyfriend, jeans saw an 830% increase in sales in early 2019.
Boyfriend jeans are part of a larger pattern of women moving toward more comfortable clothing, with “Loose hoodies” and “Loose pants” ranking among the top 10 most-searched items by females.
By contrast, males are focusing more on trendiness over comfort, with “trendy male sweatshirts," “trendy male coats,” and “partner look” among the top 10 searches.
3. Blazers/Suits
According to the 2019 Taobao report, the search frequency for "大哥廓西" ("big-brother oversized blazer") in the first quarter "soared by 317% compared to the same period of last year, and its sales rose 139% on Taobao."
The site revealed that "the number of women buying suits on Taobao surpassed the number of male buyers," and predicted that "Chinese women would own one suit on average in 10 years, much more than men."
According to a survey, Taobao users accredit the actress 姚晨 (Yao Chen) for popularizing the trend by wearing suits in the popular Chinese drama All is Well. Actresses 倪妮 (Ni Ni) and 唐嫣 (Tang Yan) came second and third in the survey.
Meanwhile, searches for “Mens’ Lace” increased 119%, “Mens’ see-through clothing” 107%, “Men’s earring” 69%, and “Mens’ floral shirts” 49%.
These trends contribute to a new culture of breaking stereotypes and encouraging people of all genders to wear what makes them feel empowered.
4. Juxtaposing Styles
According to this article, young people of the Chinese street fashion movement "are looking for unique and original pieces, while remaining of very good quality. These pieces must have an emotional value more than monetary... customers are generally very loyal to a brand if these products are of good quality and convey an image that they appreciate."
This goes to show that the younger generation is looking to stand out, and are open to trying new styles and experimenting with their looks.
This trend might be one of my favorites because of the message behind it: nonconformity. You can wear casual+formal, simple+fancy, cute+mature... There are no rules to this way of dressing, besides breaking cultural norms.
I believe that these bold clothing choices reflect the beginning of a shift in the Chinese culture. Although historically repressed in opportunity and rights, the Chinese people are finding a new way of expressing themselves: fashion.
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