From the Chicago Tribune: Mao suits no longer tailored for China’s taste
2 decades ago, many wore the revolutionary outfit that has all but disappeared from the nation’s marketplace
A lot has changed in fashion in 56 years. A bit less has changed at Red Capital Clothiers, which uses the slogan, “1949–The choice of the victor.”
The victory referred to is the Communist Revolution, and Red Capital is, still and proudly, China’s largest and most exclusive purveyor of the Mao suit.
Once this meant something grand, and more significantly, something ubiquitous. Two decades ago, most men wore the four-pocketed, short-collared Mao coat and pants. It was the informal uniform of the man in the street and it was the fashion: Regular Mao coat and slacks for work, fancier version, made from better material, for special occasions.
