Words by Vandana Pawa
With the impacts of fast fashion on trend cycles, it seems like popular styles are changing even faster than usual these days. Y2K styles have a solid hold on Gen Z these days, and the term “vintage” has been deeply rooted in the 2000s recently. However, amidst all the swiftly moving microtrends, from butterfly hair clips to the return of low-rise jeans, we’ve been noticing that some TikTokers are actually going more historic than vintage in their outfit choices.
@lealealleo When I go to meeting room and I this😨#chinesestyle #chineseculture #CINA #chine #china ♬ ChineseArmor - cultureshare
A video of men in historical Chinese armor has amassed nearly 100,000 likes on the platform, and commenters have identified the costumes as hailing from the Ming Dynasty. Explorations into fashion going back hundreds of years are common on the app across multiple cultures, with another TikTok showcasing traditional clothing and costuming from Thailand across eras, starting from 13th century Thai Lan Na era and ending with the present day Thai Siwalai dress. The interest in historical fashion doesn’t stop at aesthetics though, with users like cosplayer @inkysoupy designing and creating Wonsam Hanbok (a female topcoat ceremoniously worn by royalty during the Korean Joseon dynasty) from scratch. According to a comment, it took the creator one week to finish the outfit.
@amakamo Which one is your fav.? 💋❤️ #thailand #thailand🇹🇭 ♬ Made You Look - Meghan Trainor
While this interest in fashion history isn’t new, it has definitely been more niche and far less mainstream in the past, perhaps due to the increased accessibility of historical context and the ease of online research. With the use of fashion as a visual marker of the ways societies have changed over time, even casual consumers of this content can begin to understand the political, cultural and social influences of clothing on a specific era. With Lunar New Year approaching, we’re excited to see how Asian creators across the globe celebrate the holiday with looks back into historical fashion.
Published on January 25, 2023