Converses – international symbol of free-thinking and youth – have always been best when red, at least in Beijing. I have read articles that praise a range of rockstars being the first to don the red Converses. This summer there were even more. It must have been the patriotic fervor surrounding the Olympics. Skinny jeans also became black, and girls studying finance adopted the Brit-rocker style of many of the young blokes, complete with the narrow, red, white and blue braces.
This type of braces have been around for a while, but I have been noticing this red, white, and blue stripe theme showing up everywhere. It is a signature detail for Thom Browne’s suits and coats, as in the following:
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Pretty neat. Thom Browne’s quirky designs reference American classics and sports popular in Fairfield County. This leads one to believe that this highlight on the coat is not-quite-concealed patriotism. Still, the order of the colors is the same as the tricolour, of France. Chinese youngsters are most partial to referencing England, its rock and punk culture and its flag, in their attire. Let us try hard to interpret of these colors together as a sign of support for all three Western members of the security council. It is no surprise that US, France, and England have a strong grip on young people’s worldview.
