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Fashion central to city’s identity
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SINCE Shanghai opened as a treaty port in the 19th century, the city has always been on the leading edge of fashion in China.
At one point, a popular saying went that: “Everybody copies the Shanghai style, but hardly anyone obtains it; once you’ve mastered about 30 percent of Shanghai style, the city puts on something new.” In many ways, this aphorism from the 1920s still holds true today.
Over the years, local residents have embraced many different garments — including the qipao in the 1930s, Sun Yatsen-style uniforms in the 1940s, Lenin jackets in the 1950s, false collars in the 1960s, princess dresses in the 1970s, and jeans from the Liulin Rd Market in the 1980s — all of which were later embraced by people throughout the country.
The long list of Shanghai No.10 Department Store, Daxing Button Shop, Nanyang Stock Shop, Shanghai Knitted Hat Factory, Laojiefu Wool Fabric and Silk Shop, Hongxiang Fashion Store and Shanghai Leather Shoe Factory once satisfied the needs of Shanghai residents pursuing fashion and taste.
In earlier decades, Chinese travelers to Shanghai were invariably asked to pick up the latest garments and fashions for those back home — much like overseas Chinese tourists are often asked to pick up hot items from abroad today.
Counters for Meijiajin White-Fungus and Pearl Cream produced at light industry product fairs were crowded with young ladies dreaming of perfect skin. And Bee Flower shampoo and conditioner offered the first alternative to washing one’s hair with soap.
The Shanghai Women’s Product Store, which emerged in the 1950s, served as the leading guide for ladies’ fashion in the city until the 1990s. Though not as popular as it used to be, the store still stands on Huaihai Rd M. today.
And the giant “apple” jeans hung on the Liulin Rd market declared the start of a new era of fashion with oversea influence.
The 732-meter-long street contained more than 400 stalls and welcomed about 100,000 visitors daily. This was where many Chinese first took notice of Montagut T-shirts from France, Goldlion belts from Hong Kong, Lux Soap from the US and Leica cameras from Germany.
Inevitably, some of the goods were knock-offs or had been smuggled into the country. However, this flood of foreign goods and fashions sent ripples through Shanghai and had a major influence on consumer tastes that can still be felt today.
Chen Shuhua, a 62-year-old local retiree, still keeps an old red woolen coat with delicate feather decoration in her cupboard. She spent almost three months of salary on the coat back in 1980s.
“That was my wedding dress,” says Chen, “I still remember the envious looks and compliments from the female guests. I knew it was worth it.”
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