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The Secret to Hong Kong Street Style

Hong Kong street style isn’t about a single aesthetic. It’s about being confident in a city full of fashion icons.

Illustration by Mel Chinnock

I recently came back from a trip to Hong Kong, and when I say everyone on the street was a fashion icon, I mean everyone. It was like Hong Kongers rolled out of their beds in layers of clean-cut button-ups, tennis skirts, and flared pants every morning. Hong Kong is basically if a Pinterest board was a city – but why? What makes Hong Kong’s street style so iconic?  

Hong Kong as a Fashion Hub

Before anything else, you gotta understand Hong Kong as a fashion hotspot. According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the city has hosted over 50 annual fashion weeks on top of other fashion shows. Most recently, Hong Kong held its first Fashion Fest last December, wherein Hong Kongers could interact with rising designers through a series of workshops and exhibitions. Forbes even published an article on the fest, claiming it helped solidify Hong Kong’s fashion credentials

It’s safe to say Hong Kong is a pretty big deal in the world of haute couture, but what about in everyday fashion? For a city to be a real fashion hotspot, its best dressers can’t just be the people who wear luxury brands – your typical, everyday civilian has to be pretty fashionable, too. So, what exactly do “regular” Hong Kongers wear?

What Even is Hong Kong Street Style? 

In an interview with @streetwear.hongkong, an Instagram fashion community, they said Hong Kong street style is as multicultural and diverse as the city itself. 

Hong Kongers are exposed to fashion trends from all over the world. Whether it’s Japanese and Korean streetwear or Western design aesthetics, these influences are incorporated into local outfits, resulting in a unique mix-and-match style. Despite global fashion influences, Hong Kong street style places a strong emphasis on individuality.

Hong Kong fashion influencer Ivy (@ivyyy.ng) said in her interview that because of Hong Kong’s varying influences, its fashion is not necessarily unique. However, the flurry of influences has allowed her and other fashionistas to dress in varying moods without committing to one aesthetic or trend. For Ivy, she may favor American and Japanese Y2K trends, but she isn’t scared to give other genres a try (check her profile out, and you’ll see what I mean!).

With how diverse the city’s fashion scene is, what defines street style isn’t a specific fashion trend, but how people manage to be fashionable every single day. No matter the aesthetic, I’ve realized that almost every Hong Konger I’ve seen on the street used the same elements to build the perfect outfit. So what exactly do these people do to look that good? 

The Key to Hong Kong Street Style

According to @streetwear.hongkong, Hong Kong street style prioritizes two things: function and personal style. Hong Kong is a capitalistic, global hotspot. People need to be able to work comfortably in their outfits. Yet, at the same time, people feel the need to stand out in a diverse city. To solve both problems, you need two solutions: a statement piece and functional layers. 

Fashion influencer Ariel (@stopariel) puts the importance of both into perspective. She describes her style as a struggle between maximalism and minimalism, all wrapped in an array of colors. That sounds a bit complicated, but, really, her deciding factor is the weather. The weather determines the centerpiece for the day and how many layers she’ll need to stand out and still be comfortable.

For instance, during the winter, Ariel feels the need to layer up to exaggerate her silhouette while still keeping herself warm, showing her maximalist side. This usually comes in the form of vests over shirts or skirts over pants. She does all this around a colorful pair of socks – the centerpiece of her outfit. This way, she feels comfortable against the harbor winds and in her skin.

She can’t do the same in the summer (obviously). Layering might actually kill her. Instead, she chooses a more extravagant centerpiece — like a ruffled, polka dot dress – and layers up in smaller hair accessories and a birkinfied silver bag instead. 

Basically, cold weather means more layers, while hot, active days mean a lot less of that. In other words, think about how practical your fit is. Then, the more functional layers you have, the smaller the focal point. The fewer layers you have, the more you’re gonna need your own version of a ruffled polka-dot dress for people to know exactly who you are.

Hong Kong Street Style on Actual Streets

But being an influencer is different from being a casual passerby. Regular people usually don’t dress like models in real life — unless you’re in Hong Kong. I was walking around Hong Kong’s M+, a contemporary art museum, when I found this stylish photographer. They centered their entire outfit around the eye-catching, ribbed graphic jacket, making it seem more complicated than it actually is.

All they did was layer the jacket over a simple, grey quarter zip and a washed-out pair of jeans to keep them warm in the cooler weather. Coincidence, maybe not, but these layers add just the right amount of dimension, too!

Hong Kong museum goer dressed in layered sweaters, jeans, and red accents. (Photo: Nika Llamanzares)

They also paired the outfit with red accents, like a red leather camera bag and red walking shoes barely peeking out from their jeans. Small bursts of color like this are an easy way to add more interest while still being functional.

This outfit was perfect for the museum. It was easy to move around in while taking photos, and it still stood out from a sea of art lovers. It wasn’t that hard to achieve either. All it was was a statement piece and a bunch of layers to accomplish two things: function and style. It’s as simple as that.

Doesn’t matter the mood or the aesthetic, Hong Kongers will always use their plans to determine the right statement piece and layers needed to survive the day. If someone thinks about their style as much as their schedules, being fashionable becomes second nature. 

Dressing Like a Hong Konger

Seeing icons all around me, I was challenged to step up my own outfit game. For context, my day consisted of a fancy dinner and a walk through the night market. I was going to need something equally fancy, warm, yet easy to move and shop in for the whole night.

I ended up centering everything around this blazer, with embossed floral prints and a dramatic heart-shaped lapel — I would say that was pretty fancy. The blazer was warm and detailed but not necessarily eye-catching in the dark. I wanted to stand out in the night market, so I layered a dress (that looked like a collared shirt and a separate skirt) over a pair of jeans to add more dimension and color. The jeans were also flared to add more structure to my silhouette. 

This outfit showed my love for preppy styles and unique cuts, so I’d say I did a pretty good job balancing function and fashion in Hong Kong. 

Hong Kong’s Message to Fashionistas

None of these fashion techniques or aesthetics are revolutionary, but I think that’s what makes Hong Kong street style so iconic. Hong Kongers aren’t afraid to dress like an amalgamation of everything that’s been done in the past. People shouldn’t be afraid to repeat ideas when they act as a great starting point for those new to fashion. 

Individuality comes from how you remix all those layers and statement pieces to support yourself. As long as you can walk around confident and comfortable, you tick all the marks of a good outfit in the most fashionable places on earth.

Nika is currently a communications student at the University of Southern California. She has a mild obsession with cat shark stuffed toys and teddy bears but that's normal.

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