10 Responses for "Questions About Korean Fashion!"

1. gooodboy September 19th, 2008 at 6:13 pm 1

   1) Bored student

   2) Originality, Matching Color tones, no matter bright or dull

   3) Radical but realistic. Chic but elegant.

   4) Relatively high concentration of pretty girls and handsome boys in Korea, excellent artists who start original trend of fashion e.g. Big Bang TOP’s lab goggles, G-dragon hairstyle etc

   5) Outstanding publicity in dramas which show wide variety of goods in Seoul

2. Jeanny September 20th, 2008 at 3:48 am 2

   1) I’m a Korean-American woman, born in Korea, working in feature film visual effects. I wear black every day. It’s not my fault; it’s the dress code for Hollywood.

   2) Korean women don’t care what the rest of the world thinks; they have a strong design aesthetic and identity, and always follow their own ideas of “beauty.”

   3) Seoul seems less cohesive (think of the very delineated types of fashion in other Asian cities) and more open, free. There is less emphasis placed on brands and more emphasis placed on expressing personality, individuality.

   4) The Hallyu Wave definitely contributes to people of all different sort of nations being interested in Seoul. However, I believe that Koreans feel less pressure to conform to a strict aesthetic and it makes them more creative (might we even say weird?). Koreans are fearless! Isn’t everyone interested in the new, slightly wacky or not?

   5) Korean food is fantastic. We can all agree on that! During the 2002 World Cup, hosted by Korea and Japan, it occurred to me what a huge difference between the two peoples are. Though both countries have been around for thousands of years, Koreans are like rowdy teenagers at a rock concert, loud and boisterous. Japanese are more like refined Ivy Leaguers, not quite as uproarious. That kind of enthusiasm and raw excitement makes for a fun place to be, a fun place to eat (and drink) and shop.

3. Bekah September 20th, 2008 at 9:36 am 3

   ) Who are you? What do you do?
   I’m a canadian high school student.

   2) The originality, and all the beautiful dresses, skirts, etc…

   3) I think Seoul’s fashion is much more unique. Lots of awesome trends.

   4) They have lots of nice k-pop bands, and the shows are interesting and funny.

   5) It’s definetly food, especially things like kimchi are very healthy. and people always want to be healthy. (look better in clothes).

4. cjlatina September 20th, 2008 at 10:11 am 4

   I should say I love fashion, but I don’t know much about fashion.

   1)African American women, and Interior Design student

   2)The unique feature in Seoul’s fashion is the use of different textures, fabrics, the mitch-match appearance of their clothes that seem to go well together, and the use of colors.

   3)They seem to embrace the classical style and out of the box style very well. They are very versatile in their fashion.

   4)I would say that Japan’s and Korea’s fashion sense are really close or almost the same, but of course I think the Hallyu Wave bought Korea’s culture more into the limelight showcasing their fashion (from their traditional clothing to mainstream fashion) with global recognition.

   5)I think most of their attraction has to with their dramas and how in dramas they glamorize Korea’s culture, food, fashion, and people.

   I hope that helps.

5. 수경 September 20th, 2008 at 11:23 pm 5

   1) Student. Avid blogger

   2) An interesting mix of individuality and trend-following culture

   3) Seoul is a lively and vibrant city where people dress up for almost all occasion.

   4) Proximity and also the influence of drama

   5) Fashion and also influence of its drama serials. Also its culture is much known and accepted across other countries through its dramas, garnering more interests to its culture and fashion, previously less known

6. 수경 September 20th, 2008 at 11:24 pm 6

   oh and congrats on being featured on Japan Times ^^ hehe

7. Jasmas September 21st, 2008 at 3:43 pm 7

   1) Someone interested in Korean fashion/culture; I’m an American university student

   2) One thing that strikes me about this blog is that Korean people have an uncanny ability to integrate what was originally an design aesthetic from a completely different cultural and/or temporal context and somehow still make it fit the overall feel of what’s up and coming in Korea. Also, for some reason Korean’s don’t seem to become a charicature of one style, they seem to still be open to mixing and matching various looks. Some might find it messy, but I like the unpredictability.

   3) While I have a healthy admiration for Asian fashion in general, Korean fashion holds most of my interest because the industry feels young. Right now is a unique opportunity to watch Korea make it’s way to a wider audience; and who wouldn’t want to witness something like that? Street fashion is an amazing admittance of individuality, and for a country so long stuck in a homogeneity, it’s nice to see something sparking.

   4) Hopefully they see what I see in Korean fashion, but I’m pretty sure it’s related to how well Korea is transmitted to other places. Good advertising is good advertising.

   5) Similar to the previous question, I have to hope people are excited about the direction Korean fashion is going, but my pragmatic side says proximity, price, and time spent advertising mean a lot.

8. Chochika September 22nd, 2008 at 4:06 pm 8

   1) Taiwanese-born Canadian Arts student

   2) I think what I find most attractive about Korean fashion is how it’s able to mesh a certain cuteness and sexy-ness with toughness. Some of the girls look like they can kick @$$ in heels. Also, I think many Korean girls do a good job of incorporating Korean trends with western styles- producing a hybrid that is both unique yet familiar. You look at an outfit a girl has put together and you think to yourself “Oh! I have that at home! Why didn’t I put it together like this!” (at least, thats what i always feel after my weekly visit to feetmanseoul)

   3) Korea has become the center of a hype for many other Asian countries, just like Japan was 10 years ago. Something foreign and something new is always going to be wildly popular. However, I’d like to point out that much of the styles you will see in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing are similar. I prefer to think of Asian fashion as a free-flowing dialogue, where everyone is free to take what they like and reflect (mine you, not copy) on what they think about a trend from another part of Asia.

   4) I think Seoul is becoming popular because of the Korean cultural hype. It’s known to be uber stylish, so many ladies are wanting to shop there. My Korean friends, however, have told me time and time again that it isn’t cheap there.

   I’d also like to comment about the keen interest of the Japanese in all things Korean… Since WWII the Japanese culture and average consumer has adopted an extreme obsession with the West. This is evident in Lolita fashions, pastry shops, product “Engrish”.. etc etc. I think that at this time, in search for something new and different (as the world is becoming smaller and smaller) the Japanese are now zoning into Korea as a focal point. Consumers are always in demand of something new, and products from Korea now match these demands.

9. kat September 23rd, 2008 at 10:14 pm 9

   1. office lady

   2. Seoul’s style is unique because Seoulites are open to all sorts of fashion. They take what the hottest trends in fashion and make it their own. They don’t go overboard with the trends, at least most of the time. They know how to adapt the trends. Plus there are so many shops here that Seoulites can definitely buy whatever they want to suit their style.

   3. I think Seoul’s fashion scene is definitely very exciting. There are a lot of homegrown fashion designers who have great designs. There are a lot of fashion shows. I noticed many young women are very interested in fashion.

   4. A lot of Asian countries are really looking at Seoul as a fashion capital in Asia. It’s because of those glamorous Korean dramas and Kpop stars. Those stars are probably the best spokesmodels for Korean style in Asia. I’ve had some friends come over to Seoul just to go shopping, and to look for those “Korean-style” dresses worn by celebrities in those dramas.

   5. Seoul is really popular as a fashion destination. The prices of the clothes at least in Dongdaemun are definitely cheaper than Japan, and the quality of the clothes are fantastic for the price. You can find up-to-date designs and fashions in Dongdaemun really easily. It’s not hard to be trendy and fashionable in Seoul with all those awesome shops.

10. Shweta Kapadi September 26th, 2008 at 4:44 pm 10

    1) Who are you? What do you do?

    I am an indian student, studying to be a textile designer, from National Institute of Design, India. Am located in korea for six months for a project with GM Daewoo Design house.

    2) What do you feel is unique about Seoul’s style/ fashion?
    well i see a lot of things..!!

    coming from a country like india…
    instead of seeing i’d say i get a cultural shock sometimes!
    will just write in brief…some points tht were different to me as i come from a very different culture

    - the fact tht women wear so much of make up..i sometimes even see men wearing make up..
    - high heels everywhere…i wud die if i had to wear them and run to catch a subway! not at all feet friendly
    -very predictable style of clothing….sometimes i feel i m in a place back in time…with the laces and stockings!
    -guys specially surprise me with the kind of clothes they wear and how they carry themselves!
    - the amount of time and effort ppl put in beautifying themselves!
    -but all in all may be ppl spend a lot of time dressing up, too much in looks watever- but as an outsider i feel really good looking at ppl so good looking all the time..specially girls
    its like i m walking around in a fashion show with my jeans and lousy tees!

    3) How do you feel Seoul’s fashion scene differs from major cities in other Asian countries?

    i guess i answered tht in the previous question…
    but comparitively..india has a lot more practical approach…may be owing to the circumstances there…but we certainly dont see a lot of high fashion in everyday wear/life..its always simple…and functional.. no girl will dare wear a high heel to work for sure! except if she’s a super model going for a shoot…

    4) Why are other countries (and specifically Japan) attracted to Seoul’s fashion scene? Is it mainly because of the popularity of Korean TV shows and K-pop, or are there other reasons as well?

    i have no clues abt tht