From paper and straw to fur coats...this is what ancient Chinese wore to keep themselves warm in winter
Chinese military coats, a staple style in the 1980s and ’90s, have made an unexpected comeback in fashion among young people this winter. A short video featuring several college students in Shenyang, Liaoning province, wearing thick army coats, went viral on the social media platform Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) this November, accumulating over 2 million views. With their never-changing plain design and dark green color, the coats have surprisingly threatened the popularity of modern (and much more expensive) down jackets that have dominated the Chinese winter wear market for years.
Tan Yunfei is the editorial director of The World of Chinese. She reports on Chinese language, food, traditions, and society. Having grown up in a rural community and mainly lived in the cities since college, she tries to explore and better understand China's evolving rural and urban life with all readers.
