Mao suits

[jehk2]

Hello. I'm interested inthe Chinese suit called the "mao suit". From what I read, it's no longer popular in the PRC. Is that true? Does anyone still wear it?

Also, I would like to know how to buy one. If it's out of fashion, then it seems like it should be easy to find old ones to buy. Any idea where I can find one? I'm in the USA. Sorry if this question is not so on-topic for this forum, but I'm' not sure who else to ask. :

[Xiao Kui]

Some old men (and the occasional woman) in the countryside still wear them. My Chinese friend had one that she had to wear for some activity in college (in the late 90s) Around the army bases in China there are tons of army surplus stores - I wonder if you can get them there. If not, I'm sure the pattern is still available - I'm sure you could get one tailor-made in China quite cheaply.

Once at the school I worked in we had a Halloween party, and my Chinese friend lent me her Mao suit and I wore a black wig with braids and red ribbons. Got a lot of mixed reactions. From bewilderment (why would a foreigner want to wear one of those ugly suits) and slightly negative reactions from middle aged Chinese who want to forget the old China, but the 60 something, usually serious Chinese principal of the school thought it was hilarious - she was cracking up, so the whole thing was worthwhile after all, and evidently not a total cultural faux pas.

[Meng Lelan]

They sell lots of Mao related stuff around Mao's mausoleum in Beijing, I don't know if you can find one there or not? I know an American professor of the Chinese language here and he bought a Mao suit in China something like 20, 25 years ago and he wears it at the school's annual Chinese New Year performance. Yeah, still fits him, hat suit and all.

[liuzhou]

My wife's grandfather turned up at the Mid Autumn Festival dinner earlier this evening wearing what looked like a new one. (He often wears them.) So, they are still available. He was also wearing a paper Coca Cola eye shade promotional freebie and his old battered straw hat. He's a local style guru.

But I'm betting the shopping malls don't have them or if they do they will post modernist and ironic (or "fake" as we used to call it.)

[jehk2]

Neat! Now all I have to do is figure out how to get one while still being in the USA...I probably wouldn't be able to go to China for at least a couple of years.

Xiao: sounds like a great costume -- maybe I should try something like that!

He was also wearing a paper Coca Cola eye shade promotional freebie and his old battered straw hat. He's a local style guru.

Awesome. :mrgreen:

[The Elf Piper]

This place has them:

http://www.chinesekungfuhustle.com/

[jehk2]

Whoa, I searched Google pretty thoroughly last year and didn't find any sites that had them (at least in the English language). Thanks for the link! Really appreciate it. I also looked at a few general importers of Chinese goods, but I doubt Mao suits are much demanded in the USA, so I wasn't too surprised when I didn't find any.

[Outofin]

What? Mao suits = Zhongshan Zhuang?

Then they must be available. Some lecturer on TV and Jet Li in Fists of Legend wear it. Looks pretty neat.

[heifeng]

Jet li is just wearing a suit with a mandarin collar. the mao suit has the lil' pointy lapels!

[Outofin]

Oh I see. mandarin collar. I had always thought that was zhongshan suits. We only know 中山装. I guess "mao suits" is a English invention.

[DrWatson]

FYI:

That picture of Jet Li is not a "Mao suit". That is the typical clothing of male students in Japan, especially in the early half of the 20th century. In fact, most public schools in Japan still use that style uniform, though jacket and tie is becoming more popular. It was modeled after the Prussian army uniforms, by the way.