Rebelling in "Ragged" Style to the Office

The toxic work atmosphere makes China's young generation rebel through fashion.

AP PHOTO/TATAN SYUFLANA

Illustration: Visitors sit in front of a clothing shop in Nanluoguxiang, a popular tourist spot in Beijing, China, April 17, 2024.

Imagine showing up at work wearing this kind of style: different colored socks on the right and left, rubber flip-flops usually for going to the bathroom, baggy shorts, a busy patterned pajama top that is already wrinkled, and a plastic bag instead of a bag. . This is not a funky, unique and trendy fashion expression.

This is deliberately done by young people China to dress in clashing colors, clashing textures, clashing motifs, and clashing here and there. The reason is, they want to rebel against the work system and social system that does not value them, but demands so much.

The origin of the trend of dressing as poorly as possible to work started with a post on the Douyin social media platform in September 2023. The account owner named Sister Zhu shared her experience working in a restaurant. The early autumn air was already cold, but her boss was too stingy to turn on the room heater.

Not wanting to catch a cold, Sister Zhu wore thick sweatpants and a large, padded jacket to the restaurant. He was also scolded by his boss because he was considered to have a lewd appearance. The next day, she rebelled and came to work wearing skin-colored leggings so it looked as if she was wearing nothing.

"Being stingy yourself, but wanting to control others," said Sister Zhu, quoted by China News Service (CNS) on February 25, 2024.

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The post by Sister Zhu sparked reactions from Chinese netizens and went viral. They also expressed grievances about their workplace, including not getting jobs in accordance with their educational backgrounds in universities. The scarcity of white-collar jobs forces these graduates to do work that is not only beyond their capabilities but also below their competence.

Illustration: A woman wearing furs returns from a trip to the beach in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, April 22, 2024.

As an illustration, according to the Chinese Government's data in December 2023, the unemployment rate for the 16-24 age group is 14.9 percent. Previously, as of June 2023, the figure reached 21.3 percent. Chinese President Xi Jinping often states in his speeches that young people are the hope of the nation. They must work hard and be willing to endure the bitterness of life.

This bitterness is evident in the available career choices for young people. Low salaries, uncomfortable working environments, and bosses who demand overtime and often yell create a toxic work atmosphere. Instead of fighting back verbally or physically, these young workers choose to rebel through their appearance.

It's already a stingy workplace, a boss who is rude, co-workers are annoying, overtime isn't paid, it's nice that they tell me to look beautiful.

As reported by CNN on April 21, 2024, the hashtag #grossoutfitforwork or terrible work attire has been shared 140 million times. There were also 1.4 million social media posts on Douyin showing each individual's messy appearance.

Clothes are worn out and ragged due to their age and being worn by many people. One woman uploaded a photo of herself wearing different kinds of footwear. She wore flat black leather shoes on her left foot while wearing large, soft bedroom slippers shaped like a dog on her right foot. Her face was not made up beautifully, but rather covered by a pinkish-red balaklava.

Also read: China's “Struggle” to Restore the Virility of Its Young Generation

AP PHOTO/NG HAN GUAN

A woman is scrolling through her phone while waiting for a vehicle to board on a section of road in Beijing, China, on April 16, 2024.

Some are even taking extreme measures, such as not showering and brushing their teeth. They go straight to work after waking up. Their clothes are not changed, only added with a worn jacket and foam sandals. However, their workplace requires employees to have a neat and tidy appearance.

"The boss offered me 50 yuan (Rp. 111,000) to take a shower and wash clothes," said a netizen on Douyin.

"Already working in a stingy workplace, a mean boss, annoying colleagues, not being paid overtime, and yet they still expect me to look pretty," tweeted another netizen.

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“My salary and job don't deserve the beautiful me,” read another post.

Criticism of them was harsh on social media. There are those who accuse these young people of being excessive, lazy, quick to complain, and unlikely to be successful if they look like that. Chinese government-affiliated national media such as the Global Times, China Daily, and People's Daily choose not to judge the appearance of young workers. They write this phenomenon as a form of sense of humor that is capable of mocking oneself. They also argue that this phenomenon will not last long.

More in depth

However, some local media are more critical in viewing this phenomenon. According to them, this is not about the trend of young people's behavior, but rather a deeper issue that needs to be addressed within the Chinese society's structure. Looking at data from China's National Bureau of Statistics, the average worker works 49 hours per week. Generally, it takes at least 47 minutes to commute to work. Even newly graduated scholars can take even longer travel time.

“My friends and I don't have time to dress up because we have to go to work early in the morning. "Breakfast is also eaten while walking," said Hu Wei, an office worker in Shanghai to Shangguan News.

AP PHOTO/MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

A recruiter talks with applicants at a job fair in Beijing, June 9, 2023.

Arriving home late and tired, they didn't have time to think about their outfits for tomorrow. On social media, there is a viral motto among young workers, which is "Survive first, the rest can follow."

Lin Zieyu, a sociological researcher at Shanghai University, observes this phenomenon as a shift in values in the workplace. He questions whether the requirement for formal appearances in all fields of work is still relevant to the changing types of jobs and how they are done.

Also read: Hard to find work, young people in China choose to be "full-time children"

In an interview with The Paper publication, Lin explained that the younger generation wants to convey that appearance has no connection with job quality and performance. This also shows the frustration of young people regarding their workplace, which may indeed need to be improved.

Qui Bohan, Director of the Boh Project, a fashion and image consulting agency based in China and South Korea, said, rebellion through clothing is a reflection of the absence of hope. “In the past, young people saw that working was a means of pursuing their dreams. Now, they realize the work they do does not guarantee the future. "This fatigue is expressed in rebellion through clothing that reflects the absence of hope," Qiu told CNN.