Demand for outdoor clothing, combining fashion and functionality, is growing among urban enthusiasts, Xu Lin reports.

A fisherman's hat, waterproof jacket, sports bag, a pair of cargo trousers and hiking boots are all popular outfits for trekking in China today. The style of clothing, combining functionality with fashion, originated in Japan as yama (meaning "mountain" in Japanese).

Many Chinese wear such clothes for sports and daily purposes now, and share their fashion tips online. They prefer colors such as shades of green, khaki and gray, and try to match tone-on-tone clothing.

The COVID-19 impact has led many people toward nature and outdoor activities such as playing Frisbee, camping, skateboarding and paddleboarding, and they've gradually taken to related outfits.

Chinese social media Xiaohongshu released a report on the country's top 10 lifestyle trends that showed last year young people from big cities preferred to join outdoor activities and wear outdoor outfits.

According to online marketplace Tmall, when the Singles Day shopping spree started at 8 pm on Oct 31, the sales of camping and climbing equipment during the first hour jumped by 115 percent and 81.2 percent, respectively, compared with the same period in 2021.

Bai Yifan, an influencer in the field of snowboarding, carefully chooses his skiing outfit and snowboard each time he sets off to a ski field, and shares images with his online followers. He says "mountain-style" outfits have become popular among ski fans.

"Designs for camping and mountaineering clothes are increasingly used for ski suits. A regular ski suit is simple but now some have decorative designs," Bai says, adding that he has been on some 200 ski slopes in more than 20 countries and regions, and has attracted about 671,000 followers on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform.

He says the multi-pocket vest, a popular outdoor outfit, has also become a favorite of ski fans, who are drawn to its stylish elements.

"Chinese ski fans focus more on their ski outfits now. Skiing areas are also a place for young people to showcase themselves, and they don't want to wear similar attire when they go skiing during vacations," he says.

Chinese ski fans are more likely to follow the trend, such as buying ski suits following current fashion in popular outdoor brands, compared with their overseas counterparts, he says. The style of clothing should be closely related to nature and have maximum functionality, making them different from common clothes. He suggests that ski fans find their own outfit styles and don't mismatch too many articles of clothing.

With the development of China's skiing industry, domestic ski slopes have diversified their business forms to enhance consumer experience, for example, opening a popular coffeehouse chain. It meets the demand for Chinese outdoor activities — drinking freshly brewed coffee is part of "mountain-style "life, and some make their own brew while camping.

Domestic and overseas outdoor brands are designing products to cater to the increasing demand of "mountain-style" outfits in the country.

Jiang Shuai, manager of the e-commerce department of Toread, an outdoor clothing brand headquartered in Beijing, says in recent years, the brand has focused on functionality and practicality in its outdoor product designs, and taken fashion into consideration.

"'Mountain-style' outfits cater to the trend that consumers want to get close to nature, reflecting their pursuit of simplicity, practicality and the natural world. The popularity has led consumers to pay more attention to the natural environment and attach greater importance to healthy living," he says.

Outdoor clothing and equipment have become more lightweight, comfortable and fashionable while maintaining durability and water, wind and moisture resistance. Their designs are also more ergonomic.

He says the commonality of domestic and foreign consumers is they prefer outdoor products with good quality and high-cost performance. While domestic consumers prioritize practicality and safety of such clothing, foreign consumers pay more attention to innovation and environmental friendliness.

When selecting camping equipment, domestic consumers prioritize practicality for the family. Among products ensuring quality and functionality, consumers are more likely to be drawn to those with convenient designs such as light weight and easy disassembly.

Jiang Wei, a Beijing-based fashion columnist, attributes the craze for "mountain-style" outfits in China to the influence of the Japanese outdoor trend and the popularity of Arc'teryx, a Canadian outdoor clothing and equipment company, among the middle class in China. He adds that Japanese outdoor brands have good quality and are well-designed, followed by a large group of outdoor activity enthusiasts.

In 2019, a consortium led by China's Anta Sports Products Ltd, one of the country's largest sportswear companies, bought Finnish firm Amer Sports, which owns sports brands, including Arc'teryx.

He says with Anta's promotion strategy and campaigns, Arc'teryx, which used to be popular among avid outdoor fans, has become a trendy brand. It's a topic of discussion on Chinese social media, where trendsetters share various outfits of the brand.

Many fashion brands have released urban outdoor apparel of different prices, and some global luxury brands have their own outdoor installations, for example, the launch of Prada Outdoor in 2021. Fashion magazines in China have published chic photos in "mountain-style" outfits, and some celebrities have posted their camping photos on social media.

"The popularity of this style of outfits reflects a shift of aesthetics among young people. It's true that people are more interested in outdoor activities now. But before making a purchase, you should ponder over whether you're just following the trend blindly," he says.