simplified Chinese: 亚逼; pinyin: Yà bī

Yabi

Since the shamate subculture died down in China, a new one has since risen called the Yabi subculture. The term is a compound word using the word ya 亚meaning sub like subculture and a derogatory term bi逼, usually used for insults like idiot or fake or poser. This new subculture has come from the new wave of underground, urban music. Because of technological advancements the new wave quickly expanded over medias like Xiaohongshu and Douyin. Hipsters to the westerners are similar to what Yabi’s are to the Chinese people.

Some of the things you may see on a Yabi are colorful hair, tattoos, thigh high stockings, lots of accessories, ripped leggings, and much inspiration from the kogyaru schoolgirl style. With that being said, style amongst the Yabi community differs greatly. Some follow a goth aesthetic with blacked out outfits, while some follow handmade, hippie looking outfits with vintage clothing. There has even been some infusion with the neo Chinese style lately with its takeover that has been seen amongst young Chinese individuals.

While Yabi seems like a fun fashion trend to some, Yabi has grown some controversy over it’s time. The term yabi is now being used as an insult towards individuals who participate in its trend because people feel it was supposed to be an attack against mainstream and instead it got swallowed by the thoughts of mainstream media. People feel the Yabi individuals care too much about what people think and try too hard to over dress themselves.

Sources

A quick, dirty guide to China’s controversial new subculture: The yabi – radii. https://radii.co. (2022, December 31). Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://radii.co/article/chinas-controversial-latest-subculture-yabi