It's called fashion

Fashion is one of my biggest motivations; I may have mentioned that a few times in my blogs.  China’s population is roughly 1.4 billion and you can see that people are eager to stand out and the fashion is truly ever changing and unpredictable.  I think that fashion is important as it allows people to express themselves and show their creativity, while being sociable and living their life. China has allowed me to develop my creative side through calligraphy, Chinese traditional painting and even things as simple as everyday fashion. One of the many things I noticed about China when I was here in the summer of 2016 was that I loved the general fashion sense that most of my generation modelled. Even though it can sometimes be questionable, I envy the confidence that the young people of China seem to radiate. Along with furry shoes, bright colours and eccentric patterns, the use of random English words is definitely one of the more “out there” trends. For example, you think you’ve found a simple black jacket and then you look at the back and there you find the words “live your dreams”, “believe in oneself” printed down the sleeve or a pair of denim jeans with a hamburger stuck to the butt.  I say, “Bring back minimalism!” 

The temperature has really dropped and it’s around -2 to -8 degrees in Tianjin right now and a lot colder at -30 degrees in places like Harbin so it’s obviously important to keep yourself warm. Luckily it is very easy to get your hands on one of the not so flattering, calf length, black jackets that every second person in China wears. However, from someone who is constantly cold, whilst it is a fashion disaster, it does keep you very warm.

There is an App in China called ‘Taobao’ where you can get literally anything, from clothes to fairy lights to wine and nuts, Taoboa has it all and is also very cheap for clothes. I haven’t used it but I know that some of the other scholars have and may have developed a slight obsession. The minute the temperature dropped, they all got their winter jackets for the equivalent to £6.

Personally I think that Chinese traditional dress is truly magnificent, with the intense detail that goes into every stitch, the colours and the patterns are beautiful. Sadly, you don’t see many people wearing traditional clothes on an everyday basis, or maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places.  Overall, people in China have a really cool fashion sense and I’m so glad I’m able to experience this and take tips for myself.