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

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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.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 2020

48 people are currently reading
1370 people want to read

About the author

Andria Lo

3 books1 follower

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
Profile Image for Cindy Pham.
Author 2 books131k followers
November 9, 2021
This was such a lovely book that picked up my mood whenever I read it. I loved reading the stories of the seniors in Chinatown and analyzing their fashion, from their vibrant patterns and mixtures of hand-me-downs. It’s interesting to see their habits reflected in their clothing choices too: many wear multiple layers to keep warm and claim to just throw on whatever, inadvertently creating a clash of fun patterns and colors that would easily be in a street fashion lookbook if it were worn by a younger person. Many also stitch together the clothes themselves and re-use old scraps, which speaks to the handiwork and innovation typical of Asian elders. The book made me think more deeply about the Chinatowns I’ve ventured in and the seniors I get to see.

What would have made me love this book more is if we got more in-depth interviews with the seniors; if not their life stories, then at least more explanations for where they got their materials from, why they put certain outfits together, etc. The stories in the book are pretty short, usually only describing how the authors met the seniors with a quick description of what the senior is wearing. It was probably difficult for them to get enough content, but there’s SO many stories and lives to learn about within this book that I want to know more!
Profile Image for CYIReadBooks (Claire).
848 reviews121 followers
May 8, 2020
Stunning photography paired with poignant stories of the Chinese seniors that live, shop, and play in the Chinatown districts here in the U.S.

The photos capture the essence and spirit of the grandmas and grandpas dressed in the signature style associated with Chinatown residents; and oooh, the stories of their hardships and immigration will touch your heart.

An excellent book that is sure to grace your coffee table or library shelf. Five stars.

Thank you Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Steve.
98 reviews5 followers
October 2, 2020
Need a mood boost? Check out this gorgeous collection of photos of seniors from the major North American Chinatowns. I love the concept of street fashion, and this is a beautiful example.

The celebration of color, style and attitude here is an inspiration. These grannies, grandpas and a few ageless punks are defiantly flamboyant and joyful. I’m so impressed by the accomplishment (especially when I learned in an authors’ note that 90% of the subjects the team approached declined to participate). The portraits are accompanied by informative captions steeped in an appreciation for local Chinatown history.

All the Chinatown fashionistas here are impressive, but I confess I was especially moved by the people photographed in Chicago (especially the several portraits taken outside the Chicago Public Library Chinatown branch). Bravo to the authors and photographers!

(Some of my favorites: cover girl Jade Shoes, Angie No Good, Polka Dot, Estelle Kelley, Charlie, Angry Birds, Space Culture and Dora the Explorer.)
Profile Image for Radwa.
Author 1 book2,309 followers
June 4, 2020
In the same vain of "Humans of New York" and the surge of similar books and Facebook and online communities that followed its success, this book focuses on elderly and senior Asians (mainly Chinese) living in the neighborhoods called Chinatowns across USA and in Canada as well. Focusing on their eccentric fashions, and a word or two of wisdom or a heartbreaking background story from their lives.

The book is split into sections, introducing each Chinatwon and dedicating a page or two to each stand-out citizen with small (and sometimes very properly large) bios with a picture or two, and sometimes more if they happened to meet them more than once.

I love these type of books, and having lived in South Korea for some time, I can definitely see a lot of resemblance to the fashion style of the Korean Ahjummas as well. I loved their sense of youth and the feeling that their lives are just beginning at ages 70 or 90!

I thank Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the digital ARC.
Profile Image for Blythe Beecroft.
156 reviews19 followers
January 25, 2024
This book is delightful! Basically a celebration of street style and Chinatown history. Representation matters and it was very endearing to get glimpses into the life stories of the pòh pohs & gùng gungs.
Profile Image for Kamila Kunda.
432 reviews360 followers
April 10, 2021
Looking at a handful of fashion accounts I follow on Instagram I see a certain patterns: a Nigerian quaintrelle, Japanese dandies, Indian dazzlers, a Korean minimalist, Taiwanese thrifters, and yes, North American Chinatowns’ pòh pohs and gùng gungs. In other words, trendsetters on their own terms, even if only for their communities.

Andria Lo and Valerie Luu, Americans of Asian origin, have for a long time been fascinated by the style they call Chinatown Pretty - combinations of dressing style and clothes worn by elderly residents of Chinatowns in the US and Canada. Their fashion book “Chinatown Pretty. Fashion and Wisdom from Chinatown’s Most Stylish Seniors” documents the most interesting and eye-catching outfits and personalities they have observed; many can be seen at their Instagram account @chinatownpretty.

What’s the secret of those grandmas’ and grandpas’ style? Most say that there is none. They often wear clothes they bought or had made decades ago or clothes which have been gifted to them. They don’t pay much attention to whether individual items match and that reminds me of Japanese plates - they must match individual dishes, not other plates on the table. In that way these Chinatown’s seniors wear clothes they like, which show their personality and not match other pieces. They wear clothes which are warm, which serve some purpose. Through chats about clothes we also learn a bit about some of these Chinatowns’ residents’ past and introductions to each Chinatown tell a brief history of the area. In the era of prevalence of hate crimes towards Asians in the US, it is interesting and heart-breaking to realise that this hatred and discrimination has always existed in the US and by various legal acts has been legitimised for decades. US prosperity was created partly due to the legal and widely accepted exploitation of Chinese immigrants. And yet human spirit is resilient and can find beauty and joy even in the grimmest circumstances. Kudos to Andria Lo and Valerie Luu for this tender and uplifting tribute to Chinatowns’ seniors.
Profile Image for Caecilia Saori.
67 reviews31 followers
May 12, 2020
Bright-green jade shoes, power gloves in a striking red tone, multi-coloured silk ties and and the courage to wear the uttermost unique fashion combinations I have ever seen. I was browsing through this collection of photographs and reading the shared personal stories on Chinese-American culture with great interest. Six Chinatowns are portrayed in this book & they provide proof that we should never be afraid to wear strong colours and to create our own fashion style. The vibrant pictures and many smiling faces captured here proudly show that happiness is a lot about: living with joy. A mindset.
Profile Image for Jason.
33 reviews
April 27, 2024
David and I often talk about how much drip old people have and this is a whole book dedicated to that. Some of the fits were really nice, but a lot of them just looked like regular old Chinese people's clothes so maybe Chinese elders are just like that?? The best part for me was reading people's stories! Wish they included more of that
Profile Image for Cypher.
40 reviews
January 6, 2025
Chinatown Pretty is the most joyous book I have ever had the privilege of reading. These elderly people possess so much eclecticism & are each filled with such rich histories that brought them to where they were. The authors, Andria Lo & Valerie Luu are so careful & concise in their curation of these stories, it is more than clear that they care so much about sharing these people’s stories & outfits in a way that does them justice.

There is so much to be inspired by here.

Thank you to my brother, Cashis, & their partner Keeley, who got me this last Christmas, it took me forever to read because I didn’t want it to end.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
550 reviews26 followers
December 5, 2023
So happy to finally be able to read it

Love this look into elder fashion in different Chinatown’s around America.

The different styles and story’s are so wonderful.

I liked the brief history of the different Chinatowns in America
Profile Image for Ashley T.
544 reviews3 followers
December 27, 2022
A lovely hug of a book! I’ve always loved my Opa and his friends’ fashion choices; the wonderful blend of practicality and a lifetime of style. This was a great blend of the appreciation of elders’ styles and histories.
Profile Image for Shaun Trinh.
121 reviews2 followers
January 29, 2022
Chinatown Pretty is an amazingly culturally, in-touch look to the foundation of Chinatowns across the west. It's easy to tell that Valerie Luu and Andria Lo took great care to appreciate and learn the stories behind what makes Chinatown and it's citizens who they are. In a very straight foward and digestable way, readers get to see the community and history behind city staples of the asian community.

Something I loved reading about (besides the seniors adorably cute and cool fashion), is how so many of them are still active in supporting and protecting their community. Readers learn that many of these seniors are lobbyist and are a part of non-profit organizations to maintain the essence of Chinatown and afforadble-housing for low-income families/seniors. Many of them are also very enviormentally sensitive and will go out of their way to wonder the streets to collect recylable items from the ground and garbage, as well as using reusable bags to carry any belongings or groceriers that they purchase.

While being asian myself I'm not in touch that much with my asian heritage, and this was a great book to help me feel closer to my culture and roots then I did before.

Some (but not all) of my favorite photographs/stories are:

"The One": Page 32-33
"Old and Care Free": Pages 54-55
"Angie No Good": Pages 58-59
"Polka Dot": Pages 66-71
"Cool Cat": Pages 96-97
"Estelle Kelley" Pages: 98-101
"Angry Birds": Pages 140-141"
"Space Culture" Pages 162-163
"Helen": Pages 188-189
"Dora The Explorer": Pages 194-195
"Fateful Encounter" Pages 206-207
Profile Image for Laura.
3,250 reviews103 followers
July 3, 2020
If "Humans of New York" had gone to Chinatown is about the best way to describe this book, lovelky put together by Andrea Lo and Valerie Luu over many years of wandering the streets of the San Francisco Chinatown, and then Chicago, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Manhattan.

The outfits are so bright, so colorful, and put together with such great purpose that it got the authors talking to the seniors and learning about their lives and hopes and fears, and all the things you learn about when you actually have a good conversation.

And these are people they see several time, and hear about, and show great love and respect to. Such as when the sought out You Tian Wu, known as "The One" who said it all "When you're young, you dont' have to care about fashion. But when you're old, you have to."

Wonderful book. Makes you wonder how they are doing these days, and what they are up to, now.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Profile Image for Karen.
446 reviews10 followers
March 1, 2025
This book brought me so much joy; it also changed my view on things! It has turned out to be a perfect souvenir of my trip to San Francisco.

I love San Francisco Chinatown because it is still a residential neighbourhood with lots of elderly, long-term residents and a strong sense of community - the Chinatown in my hometown, while famous in its own way, is largely just an Asian-oriented entertainment district. This book celebrates the stories of some of SF Chinatown's senior residents, as well as those of residents in other major Chinatowns across North America (LA, New York, Chicago, Vancouver), in a Humans of New York style photoessay collection.

The authors' response to these Seniors' dress sense really changed my mind! I grew up thinking that old Chinese people are terrible dressers - most of them prioritised price, comfort and practicality over aesthetics. Clashing colours and patterns, and age-inappropriate choices (think cheap knockoff Pokemon t-shirt worn with suit trousers) abound. However the authors have opened my eyes to multi-layering bright colours and pattern-on-pattern; and while reading this book, I tried to follow the authors' perspective and learn to appreciate those elements too.

An interesting detail about this book is that most of these Seniors have a slightly vintage aesthetic because many of them wore clothes that are decades-old - bought when they were still in Hong Kong or China, before migrating.

This book also delved into the Seniors' life stories and celebrated their resilience, thriftiness and can-do attitude. It is a fun and precious example of local, oral history.
Profile Image for Angeline Lee.
70 reviews42 followers
July 11, 2024
Wow! I’m so glad these authors took the time to create this beautiful book. This book moved me so much with its beauty, authenticity, and creativity—from the stories, the photos, the fashion, to the interspersed history throughout. Everything was thoughtfully assembled and I could feel the heart beating on every page.

From the surface, Chinatown Pretty can seem like a book simply about fashion. But it’s so much deeper than just nice outfits. Most of the clothes from the seniors in these pages are from decades ago, or are hand-me-downs from someone else—sometimes their grandchildren. Through their clothes, we’re given a glimpse of their lives and their history. I was moved by the numerous seniors who were active in their communities, sometimes doing volunteer work because they didn’t want to “freeload” by getting social security. They wanted to give back. How incredible, this un-entitled mindset.

I appreciated the history given about the various Chinatowns and their differences. This history, paired with the stories of the seniors, occasionally brought me to tears. Maybe it’s because I read this while in Europe for the summer after spending a year in Asia, where I felt so comfortable in my skin. It made me think of the difficulty of being in a country where you have to prove yourself and rebuild, be resourceful in order to survive. Sometimes, fashion is more than just clothes. It’s how we are able to choose how we present ourselves to the world, to the people around us. For seniors, especially minority seniors, who are often considered the invisible citizens of society, I am sure that choosing what to wear can play a part in how to become uninvisible in a way that gives agency back to the person. I understand this.

I see you, Chinatown seniors. Thank you for sharing your stories with us.
Profile Image for Carolyn Whitzman.
Author 7 books25 followers
August 6, 2023
Coco Chanel famously said you should always take remove one accessory before leaving the house. This is a book about Chinese seniors who put on six layers more before they leave the house, and they are correct. Like Humans of New York, the ‘book’ consists of gorgeous photos combined with words from the subjects, originally produced for social media. Despite its slightness, there are some profound lessons about old age here (and what a great companion piece to Denison Avenue this is). Always keep busy. Public space is your backyard. Don’t stress about what you can’t control. Many of these people (mostly women) are in their nineties and I’ll have what they’re having.
Profile Image for Lilly.
255 reviews13 followers
January 1, 2022
The ebook experience was quite poor - understandably so, with all the photography and intricate layouts that didn't translate well to digital format, and furthermore the writing alone wasn't worth getting the book.

But then I saw a physical copy and it was absolutely beautiful. At certain points I was quite moved by the photo of ordinary elders who reminded me of my own grandparents. I would treat this book like an art/photography collection rather than a non-fiction reading experience.
Profile Image for Hanna.
22 reviews1 follower
December 27, 2020
Chinatown Pretty was a decadent treat from beginning to end. Inspiration radiates out of this book! From the cover - flashy with pops of pink and warm smiling face - and the subsequent stories throughout. I couldn’t have anticipated a better book to round out 2020. After completion of this book I immediately began to scour eBay to find my Chinatown Pretty outfit 💁🏻‍♀️
Profile Image for Vonia.
613 reviews102 followers
October 11, 2020
Writing very much would be a disservice.
The epitome "a picture is worth a thousand words".
Say what?
Word, dawg.
Profile Image for Eric  Peterson .
54 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2022
A really lovely and heartwarming jaunt through various Chinatowns in the US. Inspiring fashion (serious inspiration, for real), stories and a through-line of resilience and optimism that really stuck with me. A bright book for dark times, a reminder for how special humans are, especially the wise elders who continue on well into their 90s!!
Profile Image for Miga.
68 reviews
September 3, 2022
Makes me feel warm and fuzzy and hopeful. Here's to the future and finding prettiness winding through dim sum shops and games of park mahjong. Get this for instant seratonin!!!
Profile Image for WiktorCzytacz5372.
105 reviews
March 28, 2023
Lovely book, gave me lots and lots of physical reacions (mostly of adorableness, sometimes of sorrow)
It's a very nice, educational read, maybe not the most life-changing, but maybe I'm just not able to quite connect with the subject matter.
Profile Image for Kayla Zabcia.
1,196 reviews7 followers
June 14, 2024
85%

if anyone ever asks who or what my fashion inspiration is I'll have to say old Asian ladies, because their outfits rock
Profile Image for Jenin.
42 reviews
April 30, 2021
This is the sweetest book ever. Humans of New York meets fashion meets Chinese culture.
Profile Image for Kelly.
44 reviews1 follower
July 27, 2021
Completely fabulous in every way. It was so fun to "meet" everyone featured in this book.
149 reviews1 follower
February 5, 2022
this was such a cute read (and concept!) also they really do rock those 'fits
i aspire to dress like seniors
Profile Image for Maria Blackman.
17 reviews
December 27, 2025
What a beautiful (or should I say 'pretty'?) collection of photos and life stories from Chinatown elders. Reminds me of my aunties and uncles
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews

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