The Jacket You're Seeing Everywhere Is Not A Throwaway Trend

Sometimes the collective embrace of a certain style is so great that it’s impossible not to notice it. Look in any major high street store this autumn and you’ll find a version of the Tang jacket, born of traditional Chinese Qing Dynasty dress.

Usually featuring a mandarin collar and frog fastening, the look has been replicated both high end and high street, from Róhe to M&S. But the subject of cultural appropriation vs cultural appreciation is a thorny issue in fashion.

PIN IT

Pankou closure wool coat, £1, 315; pankou closure red jacket, £660, both Róhe

Designers have always looked at different global references for inspiration, the problem comes when that respective culture or heritage goes unacknowledged and uncelebrated. Fashion has, on occasions, found itself on the worn side of the fence. In 2019, Dolce & Gabbana famously faced backlash after posting videos of a Chinese model trying to eat pasta and pizza with chopsticks as part of its Shanghai campaign. Victoria’s Secret is a regular offender, having sent models out in tribal tropes, from feather headdresses and suede fringing to seed bead jewellery. Last June, Prada was criticised for introducing kolhapuri sandals on the catwalk without referencing its deep Indian heritage. “The Kolhapuri chappal isn’t just a ‘style moment’. It’s a cultural legacy,” said content creator and entrepreneur Masoom Minawala Mehta on Instagram.

It isn’t always clear-cut. Fendi recently faced controversy for not noting the cultural origins of its mirrored embroidery used to decorate a reissue of its famed Baguette bag. Detractors argue that the 400-year-old abhala bharat practice should have been mentioned in its product description. Fendi maintains that it has shared a creative partnership with Chanakya International, a Mumbai-based embroidery and textile house that created the embellishment, for 30 years. A statement from the brand said that it “remains committed to supporting and recognising India’s rich craft heritage”. The website descriptor now reads: “Made in Italy and India with Chanakya”.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by POPPY WANG (@poppywangofficial)

Clothes have always mattered beyond the superficial. They tell stories about who we are and where we come from. “The Tang jacket has become a symbol of Chinese heritage and identity, often associated with celebration and occasion,” says April Ru Wan, founder and creative director of fashion brand Ouch Studios. “But for me, it has a much more personal meaning. My Shanghainese grandpa would always put his Tang jacket on whenever the grandkids came to visit. My mum told me that when I was born, he came to the hospital wearing one to meet me for the first time. I love the thought of him getting dressed and putting on his Tang jacket because meeting his granddaughter was an occasion to him. It was his quiet way of showing love and making the people he cared about feel special. So for me, the Tang jacket will always remind me of him, and of love, family and occasion.”

The difference between appreciation and appropriation might be nuanced, but ultimately comes down to the context in which it’s communicated and presented. “If a brand with no real history of making Tang jackets, or connection to Chinese culture, suddenly comes out with one, how are they talking about it?” Asks Wan. “Are they calling it ‘oriental’ and treating it as an aesthetic trend, or are they acknowledging where the design comes from and engaging with the culture behind it? Maybe that means collaborating with a Chinese designer like Poppy Wang, who specialises in contemporary interpretations of Tang jackets and qipaos. For me, appreciation comes down to context, credit and respect.” 

If a cultural reference appears on the catwalk, is it referenced in the show notes that sit on the seats of guests? And does the person wearing the respective style understand its roots and heritage? Taking cultural symbols and reinventing them in a modern context is important because it keeps heritage alive. It becomes a celebration of the diversity that makes our world brilliant. When the significance and history is understood it creates new conversations around culture and a greater appreciation for them. Appropriating without understanding is just ripping someone off.

PIN IT

Qi jacket, £250, Samuel Gui Yang

So to the Tang jacket: a brief history lesson coming up. Despite its name, it didn’t come from the Tang dynasty, but the Qing dynasty when it was worn first as the “ma gua” riding jacket by Manchu horsemen and later as a part of court attire, turning it into a symbol of imperial dress. Traditionally, it was designed with a mandarin collar and with pankou or frog buttons, artful hand-tied knots that involve different levels of craftsmanship and symbolism, from ornate butterflies which wish the wearer love and a happy marriage, to double silver ingots designed to bring wealth. It earned its Tang name after Chinese communities, particularly Cantonese migrants, referred to themselves as ‘Tang people’. As the style was worn in their new homes outside of China, its prominence in popular culture began to rise.

Last year, Adidas launched a track top yellow version, which incorporated its pankou knots, as part of Shanghai Fashion Week. When it became available in Europe in February, the style went viral, and quickly sold out. Arriving at the same time as Chinese New Year, the style coincided with TikTok’s ‘Chinesemaxxing’, a trend in which Gen Z post their appreciation for aspects of Chinese culture, food, wellness and technology. Of course, the sportswear brand isn’t the only name to launch homages to the style. Other labels to reference the culture behind the piece include Shanghai Tang, Róhe, Samuel Guì Yang, and Poppy Wang. “I’m coming up to my ninth year living in London, and whenever I put on a Tang jacket, it feels like a quiet reminder of where I come from,” says Wan. “I think that’s what I love most about it. It’s something I can wear in my life here while still feeling connected to home.”