Clothing
Chinese people tend to dress casually in most aspects. Even at a wedding, you'll find family, extended family members and good friends, dressed relatively casually. Women of most ages wear pretty flowing dresses of all colours that normally go beyond the knee sometimes with strikingly beautiful hats mainly used as sunhats.
Appearance is definitely something that Chinese ladies have refined and take immense pride in and this is usually seen at night in bars. A Qipau (‘chipau’) –the traditional long, tight, silk dresses that are so sought after by Western fashionistas - are worn but usually only for an elegant meal out or night at the theatre. It's quite normal to see pretty girls taking selfies in downtown streets and outside beautified coffee shops, wearing short skirts and low-cut tops. In the last 20 years or so, fashion has really taken a hold with young people. You'll also see some young Japanese 'anime' style haircuts. Bright pink, blue, pigtails and cosplay type garments are a trademark of a whole youth sub-culture (often seen in explosion at anime conventions which each city has several a year of).
Men of most ages fall into a strange trap of wearing a distinct set of garments, which include black trousers, red polo neck t-shirts (the brand ‘Kickboxer’ is popular, smart shoes and a dangle of keys showing the world that they have some sort of ‘status’. Generally, men dress fairly respectably in China.
You should dress as you wish – there will be no judgment or ridicule by the locals, within reason. Combat jeans are as OK as a smart Qipau. As you’re a foreigner the Chinese usually allow for ‘differences’. Be yourself most definitely ….but beware that you don’t show too much flesh as this is still uncommon at least in the daytime. Ladies wearing tops showing shoulders and arms will be fine but do avoid low cut tops. In summer, umbrellas are brought out to limit the sun’s tanning power. You may also need good sunglasses too.
Any particularly white foreigners should proudly show their arms, as this will be greatly admired by the Chinese (they regard white skin as beautiful). Younger generations try to dress hip with baggy jeans, slogans with incorrect English splashed across their tops (which vary in bright colours) and sometimes with outrageous hairstyles.
In China, Women won’t be harassed -unlike in some Asian countries, if reports are to be believed- if you choose to dress ‘openly’ – but fitting in nicely is all the better, which really means cool and casual rather than open and provocative.
