In Hong Kong, why does everyone dress the same? You’ve lost your cool cred
- These days, everyone – from teens to the middle-aged – in Hong Kong looks fashionable, but in pretty much the same ways, and it is boring
- The last flash of individuality came in the summer of 2019 – black shirts, yellow helmets and gas masks, anyone? – but like many trends, it did not last
Perhaps it was the jet lag, but walking through IFC Mall, in Central on Hong Kong Island, on Saturday afternoon I looked around in horror – everyone looked the same.
I’m not talking zombie apocalypse clones, but as though they’d all been styled and dressed by the same hand. From the teens to the middle-aged and even the toddlers, their clothes were fashionable, well cut and conformed to the same muted palette.
After a month in Britain, where, even in the depths of winter, the high street is a catwalk for a smorgasbord of looks, returning to Hong Kong came as a shock. Where is the variety? Where is the individuality?
Hongkongers have a history of turning to our Asian neighbours for fashion trends. There’s a thirst for cool and quirky K-fashion brands and the effortlessly hip Japanese design aesthetic, but when is this city going to hit on its own look?