A new “easy-to-get-married” style of dressing – or hao jia feng in Chinese – is sweeping mainland social media.
The mode of dress embraces moderate-length dresses, knitwear, and coats in vibrant, flesh-toned colours like white and pink, often adorned with charming ruffles and bows.
The style is thought to resonate with what Chinese men consider beautiful.
It also seeks to highlight the natural body curves of women while conveying an image of conservatism, innocence, purity, and tenderness, in other words their eligibility for marriage.
A prime example of this style can be found in the character Saeko, played by Japanese actress Satomi Ishihara in the TV drama Shitsuren Chocolatier.
On the long-form video platform, Bilibili, mainland bloggers have even put together a collection of 87 outfits used by the character and labelled them the “easy-to-get-married” style.
An online celebrity who specialises in this trend has gained a following of more than 600,000 on Weibo by educating young women on how to embrace the style, offering feedback, ratings and suggestions for outfit photos submitted by her female followers.
Beyond attire itself, she also provides guidelines on how to capture appealing photos while wearing easy-to-get-married clothing and the best ways to present the images on social media to attract high-quality partners.
Enthusiastic followers attest to the practicality of this style, with advocates emphasising its potential to instill protective instincts in men, creating a perception that women dressed this way deserve to be cherished and pursued for committed relationships.
However, as gender equality awareness continues to grow on the mainland, the style has come in for some criticism.
Critics argue that it encourages conformity to societal expectations and prioritises the satisfaction of others over personal will.
One online observer said: “I reject being guided by principles of marriage and romance. I refuse to cater to male aesthetics. The ‘easy-to-get-married style’ shackles women to a pillar of shame.”
The trend has even spawned a “difficult-to-get-married style” which goes with the slogan, “Be a difficult-to-get-married girl, read, exercise, travel, love work, and love spending money.”
This counter style champions self-satisfaction and encourages women to stay true to themselves.
For example, a difficult-to-get-married girl might be a Ph.D. candidate who is highly educated, loves reading, and enjoys travelling.
She might also embrace Western makeup, dress provocatively, exude confidence, prioritise her career, not like children and reject traditional roles.
Women are also voicing their preferences regarding the attire of men during dates, sparking a trend in men’s fashion known as “Bureau Style”, or ting ju feng in Chinese.
This involves men dressing like civil servants or government officials, wearing dark jackets paired with formal trousers or simple polo shirts.
It predominantly features black, white, grey and navy colours, cultivating an image of maturity, stability and trustworthiness.
Many young women feel that men who dress in a flashy style on a date can appear excessively self-centred.
