Young Chinese women are abandoning traditional beauty standards and ‘copying’ Western habits, such as wearing yoga pants and eating ‘white people’s food’

The phrase “white woman aesthetics” has recently emerged as a buzzword on Xiaohongshu social media platforms, and the slogan “Question white women, understand white women, be white women” has been trending online. It is spreading.

It is characterized by lifestyle switches such as Lululemon’s yoga pants, Stanley’s thermos, and “white people’s foods” that are considered healthy.

Women are gravitating toward a variety of products, from tank tops and yoga pants to backpacks and thermoses, indicating a shift toward a more relaxed and comfortable lifestyle.

The centerpiece of the trending food element is the yogurt bowl.

This involves filtering Greek yogurt overnight to create dry, thick yogurt cubes, then combining it with nuts, cereals, and low-carb fruits like blueberries to create a dish rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and fats. make.

The “white woman aesthetic” first gained popularity on social media in the West.

American influencers frequently share their daily lives on TikTok, showcasing their organized and bright homes. There, she drinks water from Stanley thermoses, wears clothes from popular influencer brands, makes lattes on expensive kitchen countertops, and often prepares bowls of yogurt and oatmeal.

Fitness blogger Da Mengli was one of the first influencers in China to popularize yogurt bowls on Douyin, inspiring others like Juanzi to follow suit.

While Da Mengli often wears tank tops to show off her muscles in her home, which has underfloor heating, Fanzi’s similarly styled tops feature loose shoulders and a cold, unheated home in southern China. exposing your home.

In Da Mengli’s video, she can be seen standing and eating in her Western-style marble kitchen, while Juangi can be seen doing the same thing while wearing plastic slippers. .

However, one online observer pointed out that there are some problems with this new aesthetic.

“In a shared apartment, it is impossible to recreate the atmosphere of a suburban villa. Workers on a monthly salary of 8,000 yuan (approximately 1,120 USD) cannot wake up at 6 a.m. for skin care or exercise.

“This is especially true if you need to catch an early subway ride. Also, eating an oatmeal yogurt bowl with every meal will upset a Chinese stomach.”

A third said: “So many people don’t know the lifestyle they really enjoy and just blindly follow trends.”