Hong Kong is a city of huge contrasts – Michelin-starred restaurants rub shoulder-to-shoulder with cheap noodle houses, the slick MTR underground system and countless red taxis run alongside the historic trams that trundle the width of the island, and fashion here is no exception!
The contrast between aspirational designer gowns and bargain market stall gems; smart workwear crafted by Hong Kong’s finest tailors and slogan T-shirts with ripped jeans evoking Japanese punk; traditional Eastern values borrowing from modern Western aesthetics is apparent from the moment you hit the streets.
Office ladies tend to be immaculately dressed at all times, usually in black, often with skyscraper heels or a luxe touch of designer arm candy. It’s not unheard of for entry-level workers here to live on instant noodles for a month in order to afford a pair of Louboutins come payday – now that’s dedication to style!
Youth style tends to be playful and experimental in Hong Kong, experimenting with slogan tees, customised or engineered denim and bright, colourful accessories. The city’s many small boutiques cater to the crowd that wants to stand out in this city of 7 million!
The yummy mummy is another definite feature of the Hong Kong style landscape. Manicures, pedicures and massages are considered essential maintenance here, rather than an occasional treat and styles tend to be well-heeled and certainly well-groomed. Plenty of neutral shades and well-cut denims along with expensive, if tastefully understated accessories that work from the PTA meeting to cocktails at sunset!
It’s a cliché, yes, but style here truly embodies the ‘east meets west’ vibe that the city is so famous for. Sometimes this can result in a clash, but generally the two cultures collide harmoniously to form a style that’s totally distinct to Hong Kong.
