Last year, the hashtags “rejecting appearance anxiety” and “anti-appearance anxiety alliance” went viral on Chinese social media platform RED, with creators sharing authentic videos and unedited images, unveiling their genuine selves behind the camera. In a cultural shift mirroring the established Western sentiment, body positivity has gained traction on China’s social media platforms.
From diverse posts showcasing unedited female bodies to championing comfortable clothing over runway trends, this movement is inspiring Gen-Z social media users to embrace their unique sense of self, inside out. Among them is RED user 冻感小鹅 ‘donggan xiao-e’, a makeup KOC who over the past year has begun sharing videos dedicated to revealing her unedited and unfiltered natural features, including natural skin and acne marks. These videos are some of her most popular, with one reaching 37,000 likes.
Meanwhile in London, Helena Yi, a fashion stylist renowned for crafting wearable mythical sculptures, is more than just a creative force. Committed to empowering individuals, Helena celebrates beauty in its myriad forms through her social media. Reflecting on her journey, Helena shares, “I’m never someone who fitted into the standard of beauty growing up, especially in China where the average size is smaller.”
Sharing her styling expertise on social media, Helena received unexpected support, realising that many people shared her doubts and struggles, regardless of their ‘body size’. “Social media has evolved into two different directions,” she notes. “There’s the ‘very retouched’ content fueling beauty anxiety, and then there’s the unedited side revealing our shared humanity and imperfections.”
A number of trends have emerged from China’s new wave of body-positive content on social channels. The trending hashtag ‘#laotoufeng’ or ‘old man style’ embraces oversized men’s clothing, and resonates with Chinese women who struggle to find clothes which fit according to typically petite Asian sizing systems.
The recent “beauty duty” trend, where young women in China are shaving their hair, fraining from spending money on makeup, wearing comfortable clothing and nourishing their bodies rather than starving themselves to meet society’s ideal body type, can be interpreted as a part of China’s body positivity wave, representing a generation of women prepared to accept themselves as they are, and prioritise self-fulfilment over stringent beauty standards:
“There’s a shift from traditional values to more individualistic and self-expression-focused ideals,” says Helena. “Being unique and creative is celebrated thus leading to a more diverse concept when it comes to beauty.”
“There’s a shift from traditional values to more individualistic and self-expression-focused ideals,” says Helena. “Being unique and creative is celebrated thus leading to a more diverse concept when it comes to beauty.”
Beyond mere fashion, this trend reflects a broader social commentary, rejecting gender norms. The term ‘weipang,’ meaning ‘a little bit fat,’ is gaining prominence as a symbol of body confidence, with the hashtag ‘midsize outfit’ on RED reaching over 7.8 billion views. This demand has led to the growth of “Midsize Influencers,” characterised by bodies that don’t conform to ultra-thin standards but also don’t fit the ‘plus-size’ label, who are challenging prevailing body image norms. Helena believes this is closely connected to Gen-Z values and the increased globalisation that comes with social media:
“Gen-Z are much more welcoming to diversity in beauty and there are more elements which used to be viewed as imperfections now to be accepted as “beauty,” she explains, “social media brings exposure to diverse body images from around the world and helps connect up peers who share similar experience and point of view towards beauty. Even the platforms themselves are taking notice of this movement.”
Read more about the evolving approach to body and mind amongst young Chinese consumers in our quarterly paper here.
