Fashion and Politics in China’s Cultural Revolution

Illustrates the intense politicization of daily life during one of the most turbulent periods of recent Chinese history, and exposes the variables that governed choices of what to wear.

Fashion and Politics in China's Cultural Revolution introduces English-speaking readers to Peidong Sun’s pioneering research on clothing choices during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and the forces that shaped them. Based on fieldwork conducted in Guangdong in the early twenty-first century, the book offers a rare perspective on the interplay of fashion, politics, and global influences during one of the most turbulent periods in modern Chinese history. First published in Chinese in 2013, this English-language edition has been abridged and revised for a new readership.

Breaking with long-held stereotypes of Maoist China as a nation of “blue ants,” all dressed alike, this groundbreaking study reveals a diversified sartorial landscape. It identifies three major factors shaping dress over time: political status, creative adaptation in the face of material scarcity and political constraints, and the influence of the outside world through Guangdong’s proximity to Hong Kong and Macao. Cross-border movements of people—including foreigners attending the Canton Fair and relatives visiting family members in Guangdong—facilitated the circulation of styles, ideas, and consumer aspirations.

Crucially, the book also makes a significant intervention in fashion theory. Western fashion theory by and large overlooks the role of the state. Sun brings the state back in. Individual agency, gender identity, and class differentiation were all factors in clothing choices during the Cultural Revolution, but the state was foremost among fashion agents. This book shows its pervasive presence in everyday life, extending to the realm of dress.