After experiencing this Spring Festival, you will find that your mother can dress up better than you.
Don't be surprised, because "Chinese mom style" is becoming a global style!
Just like the heroine Xiulian played by Michelle Yeoh in the Golden Globe winning movie "Instantaneous Universe" a while ago, most Chinese mothers often spend not much time thinking about personal style and buying clothes to dress themselves because they are busy with work and taking care of their families before retirement.
But that doesn't mean moms don't want to dress up well.
In the movie, during the Chinese New Year, Xiulian wears a dress with a red color with a large flower pattern and gold buttons. The side pockets and back of the clothes are printed with the word "PUNK", how ostentatious and full of wildness.
And Shirley Kurata, the film's costume stylist, said in an interview that such a look is the memories of many Chinese interviewed by them to their mothers.
Their courage to leave home and find a home for themselves in a foreign country are mothers with extraordinary courage, the most charismatic trait that is often overlooked.
In addition to the bold colors and patterns of dressing, mothers' dressing also has a big feature - everything is put on the body.
At first glance, it looks a bit like a hodgepodge, but it is actually an outward interpretation of the traditional "frugal" quality.
There is an account on the Internet that specializes in street photography@Chinatown Pretty. Since 2014, he has been committed to documenting the style of Chinese seniors.
Looking at the details of many street photos alone, you might even think you're on the streets of British Fashion Week.
They have an eclectic blend of patterns, textures and colours, as well as classic timeless pieces we've always cherished, and heirloom accessories that can only be obtained in the Vintage store for half a day.
Listening to a lot of patterns together makes many people's brains hurt, but the 84-year-old lady obviously knows how to deal with it. She mixes a flower-patterned sports coat with a scarf, a striped turtleneck sweater and leopard print pants.
The key to dressing appropriately is to match the texture of the clothes properly. In her own flamboyant style, the grandma combines a wool coat with a printed quilted jacket and chiffon pants.
In Chinese mothers, you will find that the habit of "thrift" is integrated into their dressing philosophy.
They don't even have to buy all of their clothes. Some clothes have been worn for decades, some have been made by themselves, given by family members, and changed old clothes.
For example, vests made of heat-insulating mats.
Dorothy, a polka-dot-wearing lady whose father is a rice delivery man, took an old rice bag and turned it into a dress at the opening of the Asian American film festival CAAMFest.
Her mother worked in a sewing factory and would take her children to work at Levi's factory, so Dorothy would be sewing at age 10. This is a pair of cloth shoes with holes filled with fur balls.
83-year-old Hoa Tran Lu carefully decorated her cane with colorful knitted sleeves to make it more comfortable to hold. The different colored silk bands wrapped around the cane add some extra color to it.
Ms. Chen, 75, bought a sparkling embroidered hat while traveling in Thailand 20 years ago and has not been willing to throw it away, wearing it until now.
The old man's hat and clothes are adorned with enamel pins he left behind when he traveled the world, and he has given himself a very punk name: Angie No Good.
The 89-year-old has 12 children – 8 girls and 4 sons. Most of her clothes were gifts from children, including this pair of large glasses, which made her look very elegant in earth tones.
Ms. Li's padded velvet jacket was a gift from a friend, and she wore two decorations common in Chinatowns: a pearl necklace to hang keys and electronic locks around her neck, and a "hidden" fanny bag in her coat. The floral visor hat and pink trousers on the head were homemade, and the padded velvet jacket was a gift from a friend.
Victor Lee's look is very thoughtful. He wears a necklace of a golden sphinx and graffiti the words "space culture" on his jeans to express his love for the sky, airplanes, and UFOs.
Founders Andria Lo and Valerie Luu said that older people in Chinatown have no style and do not follow trends, and wear clothes only for their own comfort.
They never "pick people" because the years have been enough for them to understand what they need most.
And such a "thrifty" concept is also subtly affecting popular fashion culture.
For example, the plastic bag fashion that swept the streets a few years ago is the "THANK YOU" shopping bag from the Chinese community supermarket.
Because Chinese mothers always like to buy groceries and bring their own shopping bags, they will always find a place at home to store plastic bags and canvas bags.
Many bags are red because this color symbolizes luck in Chinese culture. These "thank you bags" express gratitude for the purchase and can also serve as a symbol of luck charms. They spread from supermarkets in Chinatown and also passed on the Chinese virtues of thrift and not waste.
If you think about it, the outfits of Chinese mothers are actually full of wisdom to live a good life in adversity.
The seemingly flamboyant colors and patterns are their bravery and boldness.
The style of the chowder that seems to be a big stew is that they know how to live economically and affordably.
And isn't fashion a collision of diversity?
Who can say that moms are not fashionable?
Image credits: @Chinatown Pretty , Douban Movie, ANDRIA LO, A24, Google