Chinese Clothes?

Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming • 18 posts • Newest

• • JJ and Janice
    March 20, 2010
    253 posts
  • Why do so many Chinese wear black clothing??

    Cheers - - JJ

• • onomatopoeiaaah
    March 20, 2010
    51 posts
  • Why do so many people ask dull questions??

    Cheers - - FO

• • JJ and Janice
    March 20, 2010
    253 posts
  • I guess questions are dull only to dull people.

    To a marketing person - - if a population predominantly uses one item - - the marketing person would like to know why - - so as to capitalize on that/those reasons.

    As to wearing black - - is it cultural - - is it a holdover from Mao's days of drab unisex outfits - - is there a cost involved.

    I'm still interested if anyone has any legitimate answers/opinions.

    Cheers - - JJ

• • louie
    March 20, 2010
    5 posts
  • For me, black could make me looks a little thiner.
    also, i think black is one of those colors which are never out of fashion . and you are right, it's a little bit dark so the style is very important for black clothes

• • Tonyaod
    March 21, 2010
    181 posts
  • Here is an honest reply and not being smart alecky or anything. I don't get the impression that a lot of people are wearing black, at least not in my part of the 'hood (wen hua xiang)

    By many, do you mean a large percentage. If that's the case then I can't say I've observed the same phenomenon. If by many you mean actual numbers, then I would say given the population of China, you'd encounter many people wearing black, as well as red or yellow or green, you get the idea.

    Culturally I don't believe there is a significance associated with black. White is for mourning, Red is auspicious, and Yellow is associated with royalty.

    Maybe you can go into a little bit more detailed demographics for the sake of the discussion. Are the people you observed wearing black young, old, middle aged. What style is the attire? Where and when are you observing them?

• • John Xie
    March 21, 2010
    72 posts
  • I think this is a very good question worthwhile to discuss, It get us to learn more about Chinese contemporary culture and psychologies.

    I think both JJ's and Tonyaod's arguments are quite reasonable. In bigger city' like KM there's really not a lot people wearing black or the drab blue or any similar dull clothes as what observed by Tonyaod. But while you go to the township counties or rural areas or even in the vegetable markets in KM, you will find a dominant dull color, and it's a popular cloth color of migrant peasant workers. I think JJ's view is right, it's a holdover from at least 2 decades ago. At that time, women even hide their body shape under unisex outfit, but today, they become more open to express themselves as in dressings.

    Funny enough I'm wearing a black T-shirt while reply this thread. here's an interesting word "dull" in Yunnan dialect, the same pronunciation and similar meaning. "Not smart or stupid". I' don't know it's a coincidence or a word borrowed from English.

• • onomatopoeiaaah
    March 21, 2010
    51 posts
  • Well, i'll happily accept that i am 'dull', whatever that actually means. But that's still a dull question, even for a dullard like me.

    Also, i think you'd be hard pressed to find many other people who've noticed an unusually high percentage of black clothing wearing Chinese people as opposed to any other color.

    Maybe you've just been wearing really strong lensed shades and it's quite literally clouded your judgment. Or maybe you are actually blindfolded. Maybe you forgot to take off your eye mask when you woke up this morning and so everything is black. That would explain why you're asking such inane questions - because you're dazed and confused after repeatedly walking into walls and other inanimate objects, 'man, it's so god dam dark in here'... Just take the mask off man! Take it off!

    Also what's with the overuse of the dash? I mean, it's a pretty cool punctuation mark, and i'm as fond of it as the next man, but come on now, there's just no need. You're even double dashing. I was worried for a minute you might even go for the - - - triple dash. Wild. I guess it's tough to remember how many times you've hit the dash key though what with the ultra strong shades and all.

    Finally, i know it's dull, but when you ask a question, you really ought to follow it with a question mark. Like this see? Try to resist the temptation to start doubling up on them though.

    JJ, please don't take me seriously. It's just that i'm so dull i have nothing better to do. This is about as good as it gets for me. Friends???

• • JJ and Janice
    March 21, 2010
    253 posts
  • For Tony and Jon: Thanks for insightful thoughts. From your comments and many others, I have come to a few preliminary marketing thoughts. The original question to me came from a student in the U.S. who had done their "research" only by photos - - and came to the conclusion that black was a predominant color for clothes. I am trying to send them some useful info.
    + Demographics, of course, have a lot to do with style. Seems as if adults - - especially middle age and up - - tend to wear more conservative clothes - - so lots of blacks and dark blues. I did a count from our balcony this morning of the clothes worn in the park below. 90% of the men had on black (dark) suits or black(dark) trousers.
    + Women tended to wear more colorful outfits - - but most had on black leotards/stockings. Visiting with some college students, they indicated they paid lots of attention to fashion magazines - - and, of course, what their peers are wearing.
    + A walk-thru survey of the fashion stores in the Fortune Center showed that the prominent color on display was black. Ensuing discussions with sales clerks bore out the truism that "basic black" goes with everything. So that goes with cost item as have to but less outfits.
    + The younger set was dressed primarily in jeans (discounting school uniforms). Can we count that as black or dark?
    + Previous trips/studies indicate folks in the country-side do tend to rather drab dark-colored clothes. Therefore, I will tend to look at urban society.
    Side Note:National Geographic, Dec 1971 issue, had a good spread about China. Other than young students in flowery colorful outfits (reminded me of shirts Mom used to make out of flour sacks) - - the rest of the population was in the dull drab outfits.

    Finally - - for "onomatopoeiaaah" - - following comments.
    + Humor is always good - - even feeble attempts. Oh well, let each reader judge for themselves.
    + As to the dash. It is, of course, used for emphasis. And my prediction is that the dash will replace many standard punctuation marks in thje next 50 years - - and there will be no capitalization (as on the Internet now).
    + As to question marks, if your meaning is to refer to an indirect question and not ask an "actual" question - - the period can be used.
    + And, at the end, what is the meaning of "onomatopoeiaaah" ? - - and that is a question.
    I'll offer to buy you a cup of coffee and you can enlighten me on my other foibles.

    Cheers - - JJ

• • laotou
    March 21, 2010
    620 posts
  • JJ - I'm always up for free coffee (offset by the taxi though). As for BLACK...depends on the socio-economic class. At the lower end of the salary scale - I thought people prefer black (Chinese being a rather pragmatic race) because it hides most stains incurred from blue collar work quite well. And one can cheaply restain clothes (if necessary). Also - black hides holes quite well (except my socks - but then who's looking). Similar to your book - white-ish toes make holes in black socks look like searchlights - (dash) but I digress. On the upper end - black tends to be trendy - it can accent paler skin, jewelry, etc. I tend to wear darker colors so I can blend - into the shadows (ninja wannabe) but they also impart formality for biz mts...while hiding any moth holes my suits may have acquired from last season's storage.

    Now - if the question was about BLACK CARS - that's a whole new topic...

• • JJ and Janice
    March 21, 2010
    253 posts
  • For "onomatopoeiaaah" - - your name probably means:

    I took my old Sky King Decoder Ring from 1950 - -
    Oh

    No,
    Ma
    Took
    Pa

    Out
    Each

    Inning
    And
    Avenged
    Andy's
    Hemorrhoids

• • JJ and Janice
    March 22, 2010
    253 posts
  • For "onomatopoeiaaah"

    After viewing your past comments in archives - - I'm guessing from your comments/sensitivities that you are female. Is that correct??

    Cheers - - JJ

• • onomatopoeiaaah
    March 22, 2010
    51 posts
  • How did you come to that conclusion?

    I see you doubled up on the question marks! I had a feeling you might. Nice effort in your previous post too. Here's mine:

    Onomatopoeiaaah
    Notes

    On
    Mindlessness
    And
    Tedium
    Of

    Punctuation
    Overuse
    Ending
    Inane
    And
    Anal

    Arguments
    Herein

    This is fun!

• • JJ and Janice
    March 22, 2010
    253 posts
  • Dear "onomatopoeiaaah"

    There are many indicators that you are probably a female - - and you just added another by refusing to answer the question directly!!!

    Cheers - - JJ

• • mike4g_air
    March 22, 2010
    171 posts
  • Maybe because it makes their skin look white...whiter?

• • JJ and Janice
    March 22, 2010
    253 posts
  • Mike - - that's an added thought I had not considered. Others opinions on this?

    Cheers - - JJ

• • onomatopoeiaaah
    March 22, 2010
    51 posts
  • I'm intrigued. What indicators suggest i'm female? And what's this about women and refusing to answer direct questions? Why are you so concerned about it anyway?

• • JJ and Janice
    March 22, 2010
    253 posts
  • onomatopoeiaaah

    Have you ever considered when you answer a serious question with such as:
    "Maybe you've just been wearing really strong lensed shades and it's quite literally clouded your judgment. Or maybe you are actually blindfolded. Maybe you forgot to take off your eye mask when you woke up this morning and so everything is black. That would explain why you're asking such inane questions - because you're dazed and confused after repeatedly walking into walls and other inanimate objects, 'man, it's so god dam dark in here'... Just take the mask off man! Take it off!

    Perhaps you deserve to be "in the barrel!"

• • JJ and Janice
    March 23, 2010
    253 posts
  • I'm signing off on this thread as I think I have some basic info.

    I want to thank those who gave insightful replies - - and even thank "onomatopoeiaaah" for his/her attempts at humor.

    Cheers - - JJ

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