Did you look in the mirror?

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So you want to know what kind of dress code they have here? Where do I begin? People do not wear suits, I have seen maybe a handful of Chinese this entire time in suits. Some of it may have to do with the fact that it is too hot to dress in a suit, maybe in the winter they are more common. I had actually emailed my supervisor before coming to China to see what the dress code for the office was and she replied back talking about the job and not even mentioning what I should wear. That should have been my first clue that if there is such a thing as a dress code, it is very loosely defined. Although for the most part girls wear skirts and dresses, because they are cooler, they are more like outfits you would wear to go out on the weekends. Their clothing varies in colors, usually more bright than dark, and rarely matches. Overall their styles are very different from American styles, with lots of frills, bows, and flower prints. On one hand it is nice not to have to worry about whether your shoes match your clothes or whether this shirt goes with this skirt, but I sometimes wonder if they know that they bring attention to themselves because they are wearing a striped red top that says "Playboy" and hot-pink floral print pants. This brings up another point, do they actually KNOW what their shirt says?? I do not think so, given the people I see wearing these rather odd sayings.

But I guess I cannot really talk, I mean I am no queen of fashion. Plus Diana tells me that when she comes to the United States, looking at the way Americans dress is a form of entertainment!

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Comments

[Lisa D]

Fashion
Thanks Tekla. Since reading your blogs, I've learnt more about China than when I was at school or elsewhere. Am thinking that maybe I should move to China as I hate worrying about whether my clothes match etc.

[jessica]

fitting in
I think I could live in a place where your clothes don't have to match! I have been enjoying your blog so much, maybe you should write a novel. You don't have to worry about having new adventures to share, all of life is an adventure. Hope you enjoy your tour of China. Will you be able to keep up the blog on the road?