NY Times report calls new communist Chinese fashion style ‘cool’, touts Xi Jinping as ‘fashion influencer’

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In a Wednesday article, New York Times Hong Kong reporter Joy Dong wrote that the new communist regime-inspired fashion in China is "cool" and claimed that the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, has become a "fashion influencer."

The piece described how young people in the massive country have started to embrace the clothing styles of government workers, to include donning "communist pins," and dubbed this new genre of fashion the "Communist Party version of the preppy look."

Dong also claimed that this communist-influenced phenomenon "reflects China’s conservative political turn."

The reporter opened her deep dive into communist-influenced fashion by describing the general look. "A dull blue jacket, oversize trousers, a Communist Party member pin adding a splash of red on the chest, a small briefcase in hand. It’s the typical dress of the typical Chinese official, and has long been the very opposite of the look that many young Chinese strive for," she wrote.

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A New York Times report called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "fashion influencer" for inspiring Chinese youth to adopt a "communist"-influenced fashion sense.  (Ju Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

"But now the cadre look is cool," Dong declared.

She then explained how this style took root, claiming, "On Chinese social media platforms where trendsetters trade fashion tips, young people — mostly men — have been sharing pictures of themselves dressed like their strait-laced, middle-aged dads working in Communist Party offices."

"They call the trend ‘ting ju feng,’ or ‘office and bureau style’ — meaning the working wear of a typical mid-rank bureaucrat," Dong added, before mentioning how the China’s top leader now doubles as one of the country’s top "fashion influencers."

"The paragon of this determinedly dull look is China’s top leader, Xi Jinping," Dong wrote, noting that "countless" of his staff "now sport the dark blue wind jacket favored by Mr. Xi."

"Despite his immense power, Mr. Xi has not been seen as a fashion influencer — until now," Dong wrote. 

The report further described how some people think this new style is "tongue in cheek," and "poking fun at China’s era of conformity," though "Others say that they are in earnest and that for many young Chinese, the look suggests a stable career path and a respectable lifestyle."

Dong characterized it as "a Communist Party version of the preppy look."

The report continued to describe how support for this communist style grew in the country. "On Xiaohongshu," Dong wrote, naming a Chinese social media and e-commerce site, "hashtags for the trend have amassed more than five million views. Young government employees have posted their daily looks, and students have also posted selfies in the cadre-wear."

New York Times reporter Joy Dong wrote about the "cool" new fashion styles in China influenced by how communist bureaucrats dress. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool)

"Some young women also show off the styles of their civil servant boyfriends. Canny garment sellers have even started including the ‘office bureau style’ label in their online ads for clothes usually bought by middle-aged men," the piece continued, mentioning that "the unabashedly conventional look reflects China’s conservative political turn."

Revealing some finer points to this style, Dong stated that Xi’s "signature blue jacket has echoes of the Mao suit, which was worn by many Chinese people, especially officials, before commercial fashion and Western-style suits took off in China in the 1980s."

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The Times piece also provided advice from Chinese fashion bloggers, like Hu Zhen, who claimed in a recent social media video that "‘office bureau style’ is sending out an unspoken message of being reliable, stable and rid of intensive competition.’"

For those looking to utilize the style for getting ahead professionally, "Mr. Hu recommended a short-sleeved white shirt with a chest pocket big enough to hold a small notebook, a handy tool for field visits by public servants," Dong wrote. 

The report also noted, "So far no state outlets have openly encouraged the trend among young people, but if they did, it would not be surprising. The government strictly monitors every aspect of youth culture online, blurring images of tattoos and revising lyrics with negative connotations."

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The New York Times report noted that origins of this new communist fashion style can be found in former Chinese communist dictator Mao ZeDong's wardrobe. (AP)