An impressive claim appeared in a fashion magazine in 1998: "If you see a Chinese woman wearing the same dress that was just released in Milan or Paris yesterday, don't make a fuss." High-class clothes in China kept trends with the world in the 1990s. "Luxury" and "expensive" were turned from criticism for the Western lifestyle to a goal in many people's lives. The pursuit of brand names became a signature of good taste.

Shoulder pads were a fashion for female suits at the beginning of the 1990s.