Clothing:

Women of most ages wear pretty flowing dresses of all colours, that normally go beyond the knee (anything shorter is probably not appropriate) sometimes with strikingly beautiful hats that would be rather suitable for a Royal Horse Race attended by the Queen. Appearance is definitely something that Chinese ladies have refined and take immense pride in. Qipau’s (‘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. Qipau ‘tops’ are more common and easily worn during a shopping day out or at night for example. However, Chinese women also wear ankle tights, which are skin-coloured and worn for comfort, although they are quite noticeable in reality and rather unattractive. 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 (they love the brand ‘Kickboxer’, the must have polo-neck for all educated gents), smart shoes and a dangle of keys showing the world that they have some sort of ‘status’. You should dress as you wish – there will be no judgment or ridicule by the locals. Combat jeans are as OK as smart Qipaus. 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. 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. Any particularly white foreigners should proudly show their arms, as this will be greatly admired by the Chinese (they regard dark skin as unattractive and white skin as the ideal). Younger generations try to dress hip with baggy jeans, slogans with incorrect English splashed across their tops (which vary in bright colours), sometimes with outrageous hairstyles. In discos and nightclubs it’s also quite common to dress conservatively but this time no offence will be taken if you dress openly. Women won’t be harassed (unlike in some Asian countries) if you choose to dress ‘openly’ – but fitting in nicely is all the better, which really means cool and casual rather than open and flirtatious.