Chinese Fashion, May 2005, Leeza Arkhangelskaya

From MemoryArchive

Who: Leeza Arkhangelskaya
What: Chinese Fashion
When: May 2005
Where: China

This May 2005, my mother and I traveled to China, where we took note of Chinese fashion. Back in the Mao times, the Chinese were required to wear the typical Mao gray uniform. We saw some peasant tourist groups from rural areas who all still wore the gray garments. The young Chinese women were also developing a fashion sense of their own.

However, the most exciting fashion statements were made by young children. We noted a progressive trend in toddler wear – crothchless pants! These unisex chaps – like pants do not have a back or front and come in a variety of colors and fabrics. We noted that there were even home made imitations of these made from normal jeans. The purpose of these pants is obvious – easy bathroom access. However, we could not figure out where the kids would do their business, right outside on the sidewalk? My mom, especially intrigued, insisted that I take a picture of some babies modeling these fashionable ‘chaps.’ She stood by a grandmother and her granddaughter, and I pretended to take a picture of my mother, but instead focusing on the kid. See attached photo for a first hand experience!