What is Chinatown Pretty?

It’s about layers of hand-knit sweaters and puffy coats in the summer; as well as bold floral patterns and baseball caps – sometimes all in one outfit. It combines urban utilitarianism with unexpected sartorial selections that makes the heart go a-flutter. We’re here to celebrate the ingenuity, flair, and beauty of San Francisco Chinatown and its longtime residents. Chinatown Pretty brings us joy and we hope it will put a smile on your face too.

About the team

Chinatown Pretty was created by photographer Andria Lo and writer Valerie Luu, two friends who love dim sum and chasing after pretty poh pohs (grandmas).
 We started a blog after our personal project was featured as a story, Chinatown Sartorialist, on The Bold Italic. For the story we pitched, we shot portraits and interviewed seniors in San Francisco Chinatown whose outfits reminded us of our grandmothers. The experience brought us so much joy and inspiration that we wanted to continue capturing their unique style and stories.

Contact

We welcome questions, comments and submissions at hello [at] chinatownpretty.com.

Acknowledgements

Doh jeh (thank you) to the Chinatown Community Development Center and 41 Ross Alley for supporting our project and to our dedicated translators who help us with their Cantonese and persistence.

Colophon

Photography: Andria Lo

Interviews: Andria Lo & Valerie Luu (with tons of help from volunteer interpreters!)

Logo: Valerie Shagday