Chinatown Pretty: Fashion and Wisdom from Chinatown's Most Stylish Seniors

by Valerie Luu, Andria Lo

Overview

Chinatown Pretty features beautiful portraits and heartwarming stories of trend-setting seniors across six Chinatowns.

Andria Lo and Valerie Luu have been interviewing and photographing Chinatown's most fashionable elders on their blog and Instagram, Chinatown Pretty, since 2014.

Chinatown Pretty is a signature style worn by pòh pohs (grandmas) and gùng gungs (grandpas) everywhere—but it's also a life philosophy, mixing resourcefulness, creativity, and a knack for finding joy even in difficult circumstances.

• Photos span Chinatowns in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and Vancouver.
• The style is a mix of modern and vintage, high and low, handmade and store bought clothing.
• This is a celebration of Chinese American culture, active old-age, and creative style.

Chinatown Pretty shares nuggets of philosophical wisdom and personal stories about immigration and Chinese-American culture.

This book is great for anyone looking for advice on how to live to a ripe old age with grace and good humor—and, of course, on how to stay stylish.

• This book will resonate with photography buffs, fashionistas, and Asian Americans of all ages.
• Chinatown Pretty has been featured by Vogue.com, San Francisco Chronicle, Design Sponge, Rookie, Refinery29, and others.
• With a textured cover and glossy bellyband, this beautiful volume makes a deluxe gift.
• Add it to the shelf with books like Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton, Advanced Style by Ari Seth Cohen, and Fruits by Shoichi Aoki.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452175805
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	09/22/2020
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	672,052
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Andria Lo is a freelance photographer whose work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times, and Wired. She lives in Berkeley.

Valerie Luu is a writer and one-half of the Vietnamese pop-up restaurant Rice Paper Scissors. She lives in San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

06/22/2020

In this charming compilation, photographer Lo teams up with writer Luu to showcase dozens of examples of “Chinatown Pretty,” or what they refer to as “a delightful mix of modern and vintage, high and low, bold patterns and colors, and contemporary streetwear” worn by senior citizens in Chinatowns across North America. Each chapter focuses on a specific Chinatown, introducing a brief history of the neighborhood before presenting the photographs. The portraits capture the òh pohs’ (grandmas’) and gùng gungs’ (grandpas’) eclectic ensembles, such as San Franciscans Betty Yee donning yellow Crocs and an ocean print dress over a striped shirt and James Yang sporting a monochrome beige outfit topped with a red knit hat. Some divulge how they came across their more unique pieces (“Ms. Dang worked as a seamstress for fifty years. She made her yellow zip-up and red-piped velvet pants with leftover fabric from sewing jobs”), while others share autobiographical tidbits (“I’ve been swimming for thirty years,” says centenarian Show Chun Chang in Manhattan, in her “fun plaid pants with a pop of pink Mary Janes”), and a few dispense sage advice (“You can choose happiness or not,” says Vancouver’s Suzhu Liang, wearing a maroon bowler hat). This is a fun and flashy look at a colorful facet of modern Chinatowns. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

“If you’ve ever strolled through a Chinatown coveting a 90-year-old woman’s dazzlingly creative outfit, you’re not alone. The new photography collection Chinatown Pretty features glam portraits of--and stirring stories of resilience from--trend-setting seniors in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and Vancouver. These stylish poh pohs (grandmas) and gung gungs (grandpas) will teach you how to stay strong during tough times--and pair leopard print with gingham.” --O, the Oprah Magazine

“These photos of Chinatown fashion prove age has nothing to do with style.” --Buzzfeed

“This book is an utter delight. Bay Area locals Valerie and Andria photographed extremely stylish seniors across six different Chinatowns. The stories and outfits are lovely and inspiring.” --The Glitter Guide

From the Publisher