Chinese street style: TikTok trend or cultural shift?

Since TikTok’s release date in September 2016, the app has become the central platform for rapidly changing trends and viral videos.

The endless scroll of short clips playing powerful dance routines, hilarious pranks and adorable baby animals all contribute to it’s addictive nature. With each clip being no more than 60 seconds, the amount of time we spend on TikTok in one sitting can easily slip by.

Within the past few months, Chinese street fashion has taken over the feeds of hundreds of thousands of users. It’s virality has become explosive to the point that the hashtag #chinesestreetfashion has over 1.1 billion views.

It’s no wonder these videos have such a high appeal; the influencers not only model striking outfits, but ooze confidence while strutting down the streets in slow motion. Whether it’s neon blue contrasted with hot pink or beige monochrome couple’s outfits, shaved buzz cuts or long jet-straight pigtails, it’s proven there are no limits to what can be worn. One of the most shocking examples is a 23-year-old man from the Jiangsu province of China named Ah Kang who rides a longboard while wearing different Chinese traditional dresses and costumes. He has proven there are no boundaries for his fashion choices by often wearing women’s Chinese Hanfu dresses, along with long wigs and traditional style makeup.

Cleverly, his outfits are purposefully airy and light to catch the wind as he longboards through the street. The graceful way his dresses and capes float behind him while he performs tricks has captured the attention of over 6.4 million fans. No matter if it’s military hats, bejewelled head pieces, mini purses or Chinese fans, each outfit is embellished with an accessory.

The traditional dresses become even more remarkable when you notice the normally dressed civilians in the background, often turning their heads to admire the models.

The Western appeal for such content becomes more understandable when you realise nothing similar has trended before. Not only is there a visual appeal to these clips, but there is also an element of cultural exchange. This fad has proven that trends from the Global East have a chance to be recognised in a western dominated market and I believe this will pave the way for more integration in the future.

Edited by Maddy Burgess