When a Chinese coworker first tipped me off to this trend, my curiosity was piqued. Socks that promise to make your legs thinner?! What’s more, people are buying into this crap?

Traditionally, compression socks – which is more or less what these Asian skinny socks (静脉曲张袜) are – function as medical therapeutic legwear, stimulating blood circulation and providing extra support for the feet. But in China, women have taken to wearing them for the purposes of slimming down their legs.

For most of us, shopping on Taobao.com can be a headache. Even with our English guide (courtesy of the Beijinger's May 2010 issue), it's often impossible to pull up favorable search results.

But as of last week, China’s largest online shopping platform has (sort of) come up with a solution: Imagine, an image search engine. Can’t write Chinese? No problem. Simply upload a photo or enter its URL, specify a product category (so far it only supports clothes, shoes and women’s handbags) and wait for your list of matches.

Sounds neat, right? Well, let's put it to the test and see just how well it works.

All over the world, the public awaited with great anticipation for the unveiling of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress. And the overwhelming response is that we weren’t disappointed – the satin and lace Alexander McQueen gown was heaped with praise by fashion media and common people alike.

So it seems only natural that, “mere hours after Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was first revealed, tailoring stores on Taobao.com … were already offering replicas of the dress” (WantChinaTimes.com).

Ladies had their turn yesterday. Now for those of you fellas scratching your heads wondering what beachwear is like for you, read on. We want you to be looking your best at the Beijinger’s Ninth Annual Bar & Club Awards, and as ready for an afternoon of drinking in the sun as you’ll ever be.

Another year, another Bar & Club Awards. But this time around, we’ve got a theme: beachwear. Think sun-kissed skin, polka dot bikinis and straw trilby hats. Who cares if we’re thousands of miles away from the nearest beach? Use your imagination. With temperatures expected to reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit (or over 30 degrees Celsius) on Saturday, we're there weather-wise at least. For further inspiration, check out the outfit we’ve put together below.