Locals, expatriates, workers, tourists – spend two weeks walking as many streets as possible in Hong Kong, and a certain kind of rhythm starts to reveal itself.
It’s the beat of different groups of people moving among each other at different speeds across its mainland and island neighborhoods.
Times Square, a mall on Hong Kong Island in the Causeway Bay area, was basically a runway for some of the city’s most fashionable. Young people in hipster attire and women in colourful patterned dresses were common sights in the Sham Shui Po district on the mainland.
Locals and tourists alike said that few people really dressed well in Hong Kong. That sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth.
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Areas like Sheung Wan and Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island offer appealing backdrops for tourists taking selfies in luxury shoes and handbags.
As does the M+ museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District on the mainland, outside of which is a promenade with a panoramic view.
A street corner in Kennedy Town, a coastal island neighborhood, was also packed with tourists dressed their best. Many were waiting in a line to take photos at a picturesque spot in front of the ocean.
In a way, it felt like being an eager tourist, rushing around trying to photograph all of them. – ©2025 The New York Times Company
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Hong Kong's street fashion
Channeling casual elegance in a sweater, skirt and platform sneakers. Photo: The New York Times
Tattoos, a graphic T-shirt, and the view of Hong Kong Island’s skyline outside the M museum. Photo: The New York Times
A shirt and skirt trimmed in ruffles and fringe. Photo: The New York Times
Neon lights near the Central-Mid-Levels escalators illuminate attire in shades of yellow, orange and green. Photo: The New York Times
Stacks of bangles accessorised an outfit seen in the Jordan neighbourhood. Photo: The New York Times
Prints can be worn in different ways. Photo: The New York Times
Outfits that mixed soft fabrics with soft drapes. Photo: The New York Times
Their different outfits looked in unison. Photo: The New York Times
Menswear that stands out for its atypical camouflage. Photo: The New York Times
The palette of a leopard print blouse complements the brownish-blond hair of a pedestrian in the Sham Shui Po neighborhood. Photo: The New York Times
Pale lines connect a headscarf and a shirt. Photo: The New York Times
Faces in Causeway Bay that are framed by a wide brim and blunt bangs. Photo: The New York Times
