Employees in China have jumped onto the “get ready with me” bandwagon, albeit for a completely different reason than usual. Instead of their best attire, creators are flaunting outrageously “gross” work outfits to register their protest against workplace norms.
The Chinese youth are showing off their pyjama suits, slippers, and mismatched layers of clothing as they head to the office. They aim to poke fun at everything -- from challenging bosses and subpar work conditions to meagre pay and endless shift hours.
And they are not shying from sharing their creations online.
The trend came to light in late February when a post by a Douyin user went viral. She claimed she received criticism from her boss for her “gross” work attire, which she wore to combat the cold weather. In a follow-up video, which now has over 752,000 likes and more than 1.4 million reposts, the user proudly flaunted one of her infamous outfits.
She styled layer upon layer of mismatched clothing, including a fluffy white hat, a grey balaclava, red gloves, a puffer coat, a pink quilted jacket, a fleece sweater dress, plaid pyjama bottoms, fur-lined slippers, and knee-high socks.
Now, Chinese creators are inviting others to join the fun, making it a trend about who can put together the most outrageous outfit, under hashtags like #grossoutfitforwork and #uglyclothesshouldbeforwork.
The hashtag #grossoutfitforwork has gotten over 140 million views on Chinese social media platforms Weibo and Douyin.
