Shanghai especially has been an epicenter of pajama couture. In 2009, local authorities tried to ban the practice ahead of the World Expo in 2010. Signs reading “pajamas don’t go out of the door; be a civilized resident for the Expo” were posted around the city while “pajama policemen” were sent around to patrol neighborhoods.

Still, the pajamas-in-public tradition persisted.

Hung Huang, a Beijing-based writer and proud pajama-wearing fashion blogger, said the government had no business interfering in the fashion choices of the Chinese public.

“In China, when these things happen, it is when very high technology gets into the hands of very low-level bureaucrats, and by low level I mean low level of intelligence,” said Ms. Hung.

“The decision was probably made by somebody who has no understanding of international fashion and of how to use technology to benefit the people rather than to just control them,” she added. “This should be an alarm for all Chinese tech developers and Chinese government policymakers.”

The Suzhou ban on pajamas in public is not the first time China has sought to crack down on what they deem uncivilized behavior. Chinese authorities have imposed fines for public spitting and, more recently, gone after the “Beijing bikini” — or the practice of men rolling up their shirts and baring their bellies in the summer.

Public shaming is a common tactic. In theaters, laser pointers are used to shame audience members who play on their phones during shows. And in Shanghai, facial recognition systems have been installed at some crosswalks to single out jaywalkers.

Following the online uproar on Monday, urban management officials in Suzhou quickly took down the original post and issued an apology. According to the Global Times newspaper, a tabloid controlled by the Communist Party, the city had been competing for the title of “National Civilized City,” a designation granted by the government, which is why it had banned residents from wearing pajamas in public.

“We sincerely apologize,” said the Suzhou department in a statement posted on its official WeChat. “The way we released the information and the content of the article were not handled properly.”

Zoe Mou contributed research.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/business/china-pajamas-facial-recognition.html?emc=rss&partner=rss