And we’re not talking Mao suits… From Yahoo!/Reuters

Pyjama-wearing a scourge of Shanghai life

Wednesday September 20, 07:33 AM

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – People wearing pyjamas in public,
still a common sight in Shanghai, is one of the most irritating
aspects of life in China’s biggest city, according to an
opinion poll of residents.

The survey found that pyjama-wearing on the streets and in
public places such as shops, banks and parks is among the most
uncivilised things in the city, along with aggressive pets,
unhelpful neighbours and disregard for the natural environment,

Over 16 percent of respondents said they or family members
often donned pyjamas in public, and 25 percent reported they
sometimes did, Yang Xiong, a professor who helped conduct the
poll, said on Wednesday.

The survey was sponsored by the Shanghai Academy of Social
Sciences and the Shanghai Women’s Federation.

Theories differ over why the practice of wearing pyjamas –
baggy cotton outfits which are often printed with flowers or
small animals — is so widespread in China’s richest and most
cosmopolitan city.

Some believe residents are showing off their social status
by underlining how close to the city centre they live, while
others say it is a holdover from life many decades ago in
small, self-contained communities.

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