‘Clothes have no gender’: married man in China wears makeup and Lolita dresses to work each day, urges colleagues to do the same

A married man in China who wears a Lolita dress and makeup to work every day while spreading a philosophy of “understanding the situation of women” has captured the imagination of mainland social media.

The 36-year-old, known as D-Jiang, who previously worked as a programmer at a major internet company in China, began wearing the dresses to work more than two years ago.

Each morning, he devotes two hours to perfecting his makeup, embellishing his dress and tending to his waist-length, pink-and-white dyed hair.

“When I take the time to dress up nicely and put on a beautiful dress, I feel like I’m making the most of my time,” D-Jiang said.

As the president of his company’s anime club, he also encourages shy colleagues to do the same despite their inhibitions.

“Just wear it! Let’s come to work together in our outfits!” he said.

He started wearing Lolita dresses to anime conventions, but a series of life-changing events in 2019 prompted him to incorporate them into his daily work attire.

“In 2019, I lost several of my elderly relatives and a beloved cat that I had for more than 10 years. I felt the transience of life and needed to cherish each day,” he said.

D-Jiang’s fascination with Lolita dresses began when both he and his girlfriend would dress up, him in women’s attire and her in that of men.

However, his perspective shifted: “I thought, if I love someone, it shouldn’t be about wanting them to become what I want, but rather, I should want them to be the way they want to be.

“If I like the Lolita style, then I should wear it myself. Besides, I’ve already bought a lot of dresses in that style, so why not wear them?” he told the media outlet New People.

Today, his girlfriend has become his wife and D-Jiang has received makeup tips – and support – from her.

His wardrobe boasts more than 200 Lolita dresses, which cost a total of more than 400,000 yuan (US$55,000). He also keeps a meticulously organised spreadsheet detailing the prices, colours, names and frequency of wear for each dress.

“I believe that clothing has no gender. When I wear a dress, it does not mean that I am wearing women’s clothes. A dress is just a dress in itself.”

His predeliction has also given him a deeper understanding of the challenges that women face in life.

“When I dress like a woman in my daily life, I can feel the various inconveniences that women experience. Being a woman presents a particular set of problems and issues,” he said.

His story has captivated and inspired many people on mainland social media.

One person said: “Before pants, everyone wore dresses. The gender of clothing is a societal convention, not something innate. This can be changed.”

“Pursuing beauty should be devoid of gender restrictions,” said another.

“His wife is amazing. This is true love, respect and acceptance,” commented a third.