Shanghai, 1911. In this metropolitan up-and-comer, The China Press burst onto the scene—an English-language broadsheet born from a partnership between Chinese and American visionaries–with a flair for the fabulous.
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Shanghai, the Roaring Twenties. This pulsing city is the place to be—the world’s playground, teeming with traders, bankers and adventurers from every corner of the globe. On March 1, 1925, it’s here that a columnist for The China Press, who simply goes by the name “Jeanette,” digs into the daily lives of these eclectic settlers, spotlighting how foreigners splash their cash in this cosmopolitan wonderland.
This isn’t just about sales; it’s about the social weave of a place that’s both playground and powerbroker. The article throws light on the economic pulse and cultural currents flowing through the expat scene. This was Shanghai in its early 20th-century heyday, as seen through the lens of a newspaper that itself became part of the city’s multicultural mosaic.
So without further ado, let’s hear it for Jeanette!
Shop ’til you drop. Columnist extraordinaire Jeanette takes her readers on a retail escapade, uncovering the best deals, the quirkiest finds, and the must-visit spots only a local connoisseur could know.
Picture this: Shanghai in the 1920s, a fusion of East and West, a playground for the glamorous and worldly. This city, bustling with energy and oozing style, drew in a mix of adventurers from Europe, America, and other parts of Asia. Here, they didn’t just blend in; they set the trends, turning Shanghai into the fashion capital of Asia.
Expats in this era had a knack for mixing it up—sartorially speaking. They decked themselves out in the finest Western wear, snagged from Europe and America or stitched right in the heart of Shanghai’s teeming fabric markets and bespoke tailoring shops. Think sharply cut suits, flowing evening gowns, and luxe silk ensembles that mirrored their high-flying status.
Whether it’s splurging on European luxuries, stocking up on homely essentials, or acquiring those uniquely Chinese treasures that scream “Shanghai,” these spending habits tell a story of cultural mesh and market savvy.
But the wardrobe whimsy didn’t stop at Western wear. The expat set also fell hard for traditional Chinese attire.
Qipaos (旗袍| qípáo in Chinese) and silk robes, tailored to perfection and going heavy on the embroidery, became all the rage among Western women, who were enchanted by their exotic appeal and elegance.
For good measure: In Mandarin, the modern term qipao (also referred to as the cheongsam) usually refers to the one-piece female long(er) dress many will know from Wong Kar-wai’s 2001 melancholic masterpiece In the Mood for Love. The movie saw the fashion crowd salivating at the sight of protagonist Maggie Cheung’s “traditional Chinese” dresses—aka qipao.
So where did these stylish expats shop ’til they’d drop?
Iconic department stores like Sincere and Wing On were their haunts. These weren’t just places to buy clothes; they were the social hearts of the expat community, where you could rub elbows with fellow globetrotters, swap stories, and soak in the eclectic cultural vibe of the city.
In this whirl of luxury, cross-cultural exchange and fashion-forward thinking, the expatriates of 1920s Shanghai were not merely residents; they were trendsetters, defining an era of opulent cosmopolitanism in a city that stood proudly at the crossroads of history.
Fast forward 100 years, and Shanghai’s shopping scene is as eclectic as the city’s skyline. Online shopping is the first port of call—major Chinese virtual bazaars like Taobao, Tmall, and JD.com offer everything from the haute couture flares to grounded, accessible apparel.
Venture beyond the digital domain, and you hit the cobblestones of the French Concession, where local markets and boutique shops dish out fashion with a side of personality. These are the places where you find that one-of-a-kind piece that has “you” written all over it—a narrative in fabric form, waiting to be worn on the streets of this pulsating metropolis.
And then there’s the move towards the sustainable and the secondhand that speaks to a growing consciousness among the city’s younger generations. Quaint boutiques specializing in vintage and recycled threads are becoming the new hotspots, offering fashion that tells a story with less of an environmental price tag.
Of course, this type of trendy thinking and its accompanying retail landscape are not limited to Shanghai.
From Beijing to Xiamen City in southeast China’s Fujian Province, home to many a fashion designer studio, …
Whether it’s a grandmother seeking Crepe de Chine comfort or a grouch griping over contemporary styles, today’s China Fashion scene has a thread for every fabric of society.
FEATURED IMAGE: COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR’S FORAY INTO AI–USING CHATGPT4 TO ILLUSTRATE THE TEXT. AND ABOUT THOSE “CHINESE CHARACTERS” YOU MIGHT SPY WITH YOUR LITTLE EYE: THEY’RE WHAT ONE WOULD CALL 鬼画符 (GUǏHUÀFÚ OR “GHOST DRAWINGS”) IN CHINESE, MEANING “THEY DON’T MAKE SENSE.” BUT WE STILL THINK THEY UNLEASH SOME POWER AND POISE. #INSERTWINK
THE CHINA PRESS IMAGES: VIA ONE TUBE DAILY, A NEWS CHANNEL ON WECHAT, A UBIQUITOUS CHINESE SUPER APP, MAINLY CATERING TO EXPATS LIVING IN CHINA
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Perpetually in pursuit of the greater good that is “China Fashion”, van Paridon set up The China Temper to help promote the dynamite dynamic fashion scene sprouting within Beijing, Shanghai, and China overall. Catering to anybody and everybody who reads English and/or Chinese, Temper covers all the basics and bases. From China's street style scenery to its budding photographers, internationally renowned designers, and underground quirks plus phenomena: We present one hot-hip-happening current collective weaving The New "Made in China" tag.
The term “Made in China” is undergoing the ultimate 21st Century makeover. Escorted by the increasingly strong influence of a new thinking among China’s younger generations, regarding individuality and the expression thereof, the fashion scene in the Middle Kingdom is exploding. And stretches far beyond what meets the eye. It’s appliqué, one might say.
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