Last Updated on 01.05.2023 by Iliyan

A Different Side of the South Korea Fashion

I will begin my story about South Korea a bit untraditionally. I will not write about the cultural-historic heritage of the country or about the natural landmarks in this piece, but I will write about the event that I witnessed in the first hours after my arrival in Seoul. Unfathomable ways led me to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), while Fashion week was happening.

Seoul Fashion Week

South Korea is a unique country with a specific fashion, like no other type of fashion around the world. It is very similar to the Japanese one but it has its own specific characteristics. Here it is the birthplace of the famous K-pop music, which is characterized by the large variety of audio-visual elements. Thanks to the music and the Korean dramas, new tendencies have been introduced into the fashion industry. K-pop is famous for its strange and modern outfits. It can be said that the street clothing style amongst the youngsters has been inspired by the famous Korean music and cinema stars. The main style is a mixture of various colors and mismatching clothes which do not necessarily correspond with one another. The styles are free but always neat and clean.

For both genders, hair color is something normal and you can meet men with colorful hairs in different nuances. The outfits can be bold and eccentric.

Traditionally, one of the main principles for women is not to wear bare shoulders, as it is considered provocative. It is exactly because of this, that you will see many of them carrying a cardigan or a sweater, combined with short skirts, dresses and shorts. Heels are an indispensable part and a fashion necessity. Another unwritten law is applying makeup. It is considered to be inelegant if the woman does not apply makeup.

Men, on their part, have to be shaved because in the opposite case, they would leave a bad impression. It is unacceptable for them to shave their head or to carry very short hairstyles. Boldness is also not a good sign and this is why in Korea, hair grafting is a regularly used procedure.

Generally, the Korean fashion culture is developing extremely fast and many of the Koreans are trying to express their individuality through the clothes. This is how, for example, we can summarize that after K-pop the attention was directed at the K-fashion.

And here, you can learn a bit more about the Korean cosmetics boom – click.