Men’s Style in China - Tips for Spring 2016

Men’s Style in China - Tips for Spring 2016
Mar 15, 2016 By Daniel Thomas , eChinacities.com

Just because you look cool back home doesn’t mean you look cool here.

Here’s some advice for about what to wear and what not to wear in China this spring. If you’re hopeless when it comes to picking out clothes, or if you just feel like you might be wearing the wrong thing in China, then pay attention.

1) Don’t be a Sloppy Hipster

While hipster and indie culture in the west have made it acceptable, cool even, to go for a grungier, lived-in look, rocking that style in China is just going to make you look careless about your appearance. This applies to everything, from your shoes, your jeans, your bag to your hairstyle.

In China, it’s basketball culture and pop music that have always dominated the mainstream, and it’s evident in the style. While you don’t have to switch up your style completely, as a rule of thumb, you should try to lean slightly more ‘urban’, so to speak.

2) Shoes

Take a break from your Chucks, Toms or old Vans that are so comfortably worn-in, and instead try a pair of these:

New Balance 574 Classics -574 RMB

Adidas Stan Smiths -900 RMB. (White ones if you can find them)

Nike Flyknit Racer -1,199 RMB

The Nike Flyknit Racers are indeed running shoes. While you may have been laughed at back in high school for wearing running shoes outside of gym class, they’ve lately crept back into casual wear, especially in Asia. They go best with sweats and a pilot jacket (see below).

3) Pants

Chinos

While jeans aren’t necessarily out in 2016, a pair of chinos with the perfect fold at the bottom are a classier, cleaner option. For any kind of pants, jeans or chinos, go with a slim fit if you can.

H&M Chinos- 249 RMB.

Sweatpants

Depending on your personality, you also might be able to pull off the latest trend, sweatpants. Again, back home you probably wouldn’t wear sweats out on the street, but lately, it’s totally cool. Be careful though. Wear the wrong kind and you risk entering sloppy territory.

H&M Sweatpants - 349 RMB.

Shorts

Lastly, be careful with shorts. You don’t want to be the one guy who looks like he can’t take the local weather. Unless you purposefully want to be spotted as a foreigner from a hundred yards away, stay away from shorts, at least until summer hits.

4) Tops

T-Shirts

When it comes to t-shirts, if you have a rounder face, go with v-neck, and if you have a narrower face, go with crew-neck. For more of a bold, urban style, go for a longer over-sized tee (to wear with those sweats and runners).

Uniqlo basic tees - 39 RMB.

Sweaters

For sweaters, it’s time to retire the classic American Apparel zip-ups with the white strings if you haven’t already. They’re played out. Instead try some regular crew-neck sweatshirts or cardigans. Light grey is your best bet.

Uniqlo Crewneck sweatshirt - 199 RMB.

Jackets

For jackets this year, nothing beats a baseball jacket or pilot jacket.

H&M Pilot Jacket - 399 RMB

5) Hair

Undercut

There are dozens of hairstyles that work for different face types, but in general this year, you’ll want to go with some variation of the undercut. This means short sides and long in the front, which can either be slicked back, made messy (permed if you really want), or side-swept, Bieber-style. Unlike the undercut in the west, most cool Chinese guys leave the back long as well. Get your hair cut frequently, especially the sides.

Buzz cut is another solid option if you’ve got the head for it. Just make sure it’s extra short.

Wash your hair

Wash your hair every day. In the west, sometimes hair professionals advise against this as the natural oils of hair allow your layers to more seamlessly blend together, but with an undercut, you don’t necessarily need the layers to blend. Any shine in your hair should be from the product you’re using.

Product

Use a lot of it. A common problem for guys that try the slicked back look is that they don’t commit. As for how to know which product to use, when you get your hair cut, typically your barber will use the product he or she thinks works best to sell you on the final look. So, if you like how your hair looks, simply buy the product the barber used or something similar.

6) Additional thoughts:

Get a watch. If not a watch, then an exercise monitor. Just keep something on your wrist, as long as it’s not a hemp braid.

H&M is your best friend. Most stores will have the men’s section split into two parts. One is more casual. One is more urban with long tees, sweats, etc. Choose whatever you think matches your personality and lifestyle. If you’re the kind of guy who needs an article like this, you’re probably the kind of guy who’d just prefer to shop at the least number of stores as possible. So, I say H&M. Uniqlo is another safe bet.

Warning:The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Men's style in China Men's Fashion 2016

10 Comments

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate.

Guest2089234

I'll stick with my skinny jeans. ;)

Jan 12, 2017 23:20 Report Abuse

Guest743842

How much did H&M pay to slip this ad in disguised as an article?

Mar 19, 2016 16:00 Report Abuse

bill8899

This article is perfectly horrific in so many ways. "Product. Use a lot of it." 哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈 I hate to be that guy, but this seems like the guide to dressing like a local homo.

Mar 15, 2016 22:52 Report Abuse

Mateusz

Is this a troll article? Are they pranking people to see if they'll really dress up like a typical Chinese? Do you have a beer belly? Flaunt it! Roll your shirt up for all to behold. Don't forget to hold your hands behind your back, to give your gut extra volume Wear something with a Nike or Adidas logo on it (bonus points if it references basketball). Popular sportswear can be worn in place of actually having any physical ability or skill. You might be flabby, overweight, and unable to walk up stairs without being winded, but if you have "Basketball never stops" (which is true technically, since for you, it never starts), then people will assume you are athletic. Also, personal grooming and hygiene standards are for losers.

Mar 15, 2016 18:02 Report Abuse

JohnathonSteel

Article should have been called "How to dress like a nong fucktard"

Mar 15, 2016 15:10 Report Abuse

silverbutton1

*rimshot* haha. your one liner just made my day! cheers.

Mar 16, 2016 09:37 Report Abuse

nzteacher80

Wear capris with gay looking shoes and no socks. Never be seen without a handbag - red vinyl is in at the moment so go for that. It's never to early or late in the day to wear pajamas. If you are wearing a label make sure it's huge and bleedingly obvious that you paid a lot of money for whatever item of clothing that you are wearing. If you can't afford labelled clothing then go for something with some English writing on it. The English writing should be some sort of bizarre imperative and should at least make no sense whatsoever. If you can't manage at least a few English words then go go for a jumble of random letters. Never wash your hair.

Mar 15, 2016 11:24 Report Abuse

JohnathonSteel

There are happy Chinese men because mommy and daddy bought them a girlfriend.

Mar 15, 2016 15:11 Report Abuse

silverbutton1

well said nz80.

Mar 16, 2016 09:32 Report Abuse

silverbutton1

This website is for expats living in China. Obviously your article is about what Chinese men should wear, not expats. I wouldnt be caught dead wearing chinos pants. Since your article states that you like to give advise, let my give my some advise of my own. Delete this stupid article that is obviously targeted for Chinese males.

Mar 15, 2016 07:06 Report Abuse