Original title: Why are Korean women, who are "not pretty but charming," the most suitable everyday style templates for ordinary people?

Reprinted from: Poster Fashion

The drop in temperature combined with the end of the year truly makes it the best reason to "lie down and relax".

I've been staying home most of the last few days, brewing a few cups of tea or a pot of coffee, and quietly watching Korean dramas...

👆The female lead is Park Min-young, who has starred in popular Korean dramas such as "High Kick!", "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim", and "Her Private Life".

Speaking of the recent new Korean drama "Please Marry My Husband," have you all seen it? I was initially attracted by its name—what kind of weird name is that? What story is it about?? But the more I watched, the more hooked I became.

This is a lighthearted romantic comedy adapted from a manga, featuring time travel and revenge. It's not particularly profound, but it's perfect for when you're tired at the end of the year, don't want to think too much, and just want to laugh or cry along with the characters.

After finally making true friends, the female lead in the show undergoes a major fashion makeover... Sounds cliché, right? But the reason her friend convinced her is a surprisingly honest and refreshing truth:

“Ordinary people who are not psychologically mature usually judge everything by their appearance. If they want to get something, they need to dress accordingly; it’s a stepping stone.”

Vanessa Friedman, an industry veteran, fashion director and chief critic of The New York Times, said something similar: "Your first impression of someone is often based on their appearance. It's human nature."

Especially in a high-pressure, highly competitive workplace like South Korea, people are more likely to judge others by their appearance.

Influenced by traditional culture, Koreans tend to emphasize humility and modesty in their daily lives, and they are also good at maintaining a balance in their appearance—their clothing must be appropriate for the occasion, their skin must be well-cared for, and their makeup should be elegant and sophisticated, so as to show a sense of refinement without being too ostentatious.

Therefore, although they both love to follow trends, Korean women's daily outfits are more suitable for ordinary people to learn from because they always wear fashion that most people "understand" and "do not challenge," which is also the topic we want to talk about today.

👆This sentence is a summary of South Korean artist Minjung Kim's perception of beauty, and it's absolutely brilliant!

She believes that beauty is not a concrete expression, but it can bring an indescribable, inexplicable, and captivating feeling. In more common terms, it might be called "atmosphere".

Have you noticed that most of the Korean celebrities that people prefer now have become "atmosphere beauties"?

For example, Jung Ryeo-won 👇

Jung Ryeo-won

It's not exactly beautiful, but it's so captivating that you can't help but look at it again and again.

For example, Kim Go-eun 👇👇

With her delicate eyebrows and relaxed attire, even though she's wearing all CHANEL, she doesn't give off a sense of distance; instead, she feels very comfortable.

And then there's Kim Min-hee, who loves wearing Lemaire.

With her seaweed-like curly hair, cool temperament, and relaxed outfit, she is a representative of the "Korean vibe".

Putting aside the moral aspects, the role that director Hong Sang-soo tailored for her is also the source of her captivating charm.

You don't even need to see their face; just their profile or back view is enough to evoke a strong feeling.

Ji-Young Oh👆, despite living abroad for many years, still follows the Korean style of dressing quietly, appropriately, and without going too far.

Look at her outfit for the exhibition: a low-key yet sophisticated gray suede suit, paired with muted gray socks and black suede loafers, plus a warm scarf. The overall look is predominantly gray with black and white accents, and it blends effortlessly with the hazy, dreamlike artwork in the background.

As we write this, we suddenly realize that the reason why Korean women's outfits create such a sense of atmosphere is not only because of the harmony between all their clothes, but also because they are good at integrating their outfits into their lives and environment. Before embracing trends and fashion, they first consider whether they can be "appropriate" in their surroundings.

It can be said that higher-level fashion is the result of considering and combining more factors. Therefore, if the message you want to express is too simple and direct, it is easy to make people feel that it is vulgar.

So, why are Korean women so good at creating a "atmosphere" effect?

It has a lot to do with their innate features. Koreans tend to have flatter facial features and lighter eyebrows and eyes, so overly eye-catching or exaggerated clothing and styles don't suit them.

Another point is the ubiquitous hierarchy mentioned earlier. They will try to integrate into the group in an appropriate way and try not to disturb those around them, so they are better at keeping a low profile through their appearance.

Of course, there are exceptions. Young people influenced by Western trends or K-pop aesthetics may pursue flashy and unconventional individualistic outfits.

Overall, however, mainstream aesthetics in South Korea still tend to be conservative and understated.

👆The structured Lemaire coat worn by Kim Go-eun in the Korean drama "My Little Misses" is one of her personal outfits.

This is why brands like Lemaire are so popular among women in South Korea.

Because it emphasizes an overall outline and atmosphere rather than concrete details.

You don't need to be exceptionally beautiful, but you should have a scholarly air; you don't need to be extremely thin, but you should have a well-proportioned figure overall. There's no need to make yourself so sharp and eye-catching; wrapping yourself in structured clothing to emphasize an intellectual, comfortable, and relaxed feel is also a good option.

SPRING-SUMMER 2024 – LEMAIRE

This brings us to the importance of a good silhouette. There are many factors behind a "sleeve shape," such as cut, fabric, and pattern structure. If there are high requirements for these details, then the "high-end feel" of the garment itself is very likely to be achieved, and this high-end feel will extend to the wearer.

Among the Korean brands that have quietly gained popularity in the past two years, there are quite a few that are "mini-Lemaires" that win people over with their silhouettes or sophisticated atmosphere.

For example, Amomento, a brand that started as a boutique and developed independent design due to its good taste 👇

Wow~~ Look at this amazing silhouette!

I strongly suspect that its autumn/winter collection is designed to be a copy of Lemaire's designs.

They even hired Lemaire's go-to model, Sonia Ichti, to walk the runway and appear in promotional videos. Now, who can tell who's the "real" one?

There's also the Urbanic 30, which the editor really likes; it has a kind of beauty that's both emotionally stable and very down-to-earth.

And like Lemaire, its elegant silhouette alone can create an atmosphere of "beauty" from afar.

By now, after scrolling through all these pages, you probably understand what "low-profile colors" mean, right?

The classic examples of "low-profile colors" are black, white, gray, and neutral colors, and Korean women are known for their love of wearing these colors.

There have been online discussions about topics like "#Why don't Koreans wear colorful clothes#" and "#Why do Koreans only wear black, white, and gray#" before.

The editor initially thought: Surely it doesn't have to be that bad?

After going through all the Korean celebrity and blogger accounts I follow, I found that black, white, and gray appeared with an unusually high frequency.

Like Jung Ryeo-won mentioned earlier, she went out for afternoon tea with her best friend, the 40+ treasure sister Moa Kim. One wore black and the other wore khaki gray, both colors that seemed to have little presence and could quickly blend into the background.

From top to bottom: *Dark Glory*, *Something in the Rain*, *Prosecutor's Chronicle*

Not to mention the women who actually have regular jobs!

When "Dark Glory" became a hit, Yeon-jin's outfits were the most talked-about, and my colleagues in the editorial department wrote a lot about her style. But my friend said: Yeon-jin's outfits are for "appreciation," while Dong-eun's clothes are for "wearing."

To put it another way, those glamorous, brightly colored clothes are only suitable for wealthy women like Yeonjin or celebrities, not for ordinary working people.

What do office workers wear? It's basically black, white, and gray, plus various solid colors like khaki, camel, dark brown, and off-white...

As mentioned at the beginning, these colors also conform to South Korea's conservative luxury and the rules of understated and proper dressing.

On the other hand, it's also because these colors are really suitable for "working people"!

Ordinary people don't usually have that much time and energy to think about how to match those exaggerated and eye-catching colors.

However, opening a wardrobe of black, white, gray, and brown clothes allows for easy matching between each color, making it more efficient and foolproof in the busy 9-to-5 daily routine.

Then someone might ask: Why do Korean women who only wear plain colors never seem "boring"? Because they play "Jenching".

Don't overcomplicate layering. The simplest way is to wear a black + white + black sandwich style, and you can easily grasp the essentials and wear it out.

Notice that the innermost black layer is a silk scarf with a subtle pattern, which adds a touch of detail and variation to the black + white + black sandwich style.

However, if you replace it with a black turtleneck sweater, or layer two shirts, it will also work. Similar to this effect ⬆️

In addition, regarding the clever uses of silk scarves, as mentioned when discussing Tar: the main color of the silk scarf can be matched with the coat. If it is tied inside the shirt, it gives off a scholarly and intellectual vibe; it can also be draped over the shirt, which can break the "refined" impression that silk scarves give and use silk scarves as a footnote to "unrestrained".

Scarves or shawls, essential for winter protection, don't just have to do one thing: keep warm. Layering them with coats of the same color and material creates a harmonious sense of layering. This style isn't difficult, is it?

We've written about the idea of ​​using a sweater as a shawl many times before, but it's definitely a very useful little trick to enhance the overall look.

Korean women often wear this style, which is more novel than the usual way of wearing a scarf and coat.

Left: Lemaire Fall/Winter 2023 Collection

Right: Lemaire Fall/Winter 2024 Collection

We also dug out some new ways to style sweaters from Lemaire's runway show:

The first type is more common: wearing a sweater as a scarf + sweater coat;

The second option is more interesting: wear a sweater of the same style as your inner layer as a shawl, draped over your suit (or coat).

Besides focusing on the neckline, Korean women have also come up with new ideas for layering innerwear – layering various vests between autumn/winter coats and shirts.

Besides the common knitted vests, did you ever expect to see down vests? This style of wearing is more often seen in men's outfits, but women can also try it out occasionally~ And down vests really are warm.

There's still so much to talk about regarding Korean women's fashion; we'll continue next time!

Finally, I want to tell you that focusing on the overall sense of life, rather than getting bogged down in the imperfections of details, is perhaps what these not-so-beautiful but certainly charming Korean women have taught us.

Image source: ins/Internet/Please delete if infringing.

Producer: Teresa Zhao

Edited by: Yokiko

Written by: Yui

Design: Suki