By Honorary Reporter Snigdha Verma from India

Illustrations by Snigdha Verma

As seen in the music video for the K-pop hit "Gangnam Style" to the Netflix series "Itaewon Class," Korea has a fashion sense that is young, vibrant and trendy. Fashion in Korea is not about bringing the runway to the streets but the opposite. The keen Korean  attention to appearance has helped their nation become a global fashion trendsetter.

To learn what Korean fashion trends are dominant across the globe, I conducted a survey of 56 people in India, Indonesia, Egypt, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, the Philippines, Romania, the U.K., Malaysia and Vietnam. Participants were in the age ranges of 13-17 (14.3%), 18-24 (55.4%), 25-35 (26.8%) and 35-45 (3.5%).

The following are six fashion trends either inspired or popularized by Koreans per the results of my study.

1. Bucket hats

The bucket hat got a rating of seven out of ten from 82.2% of the survey respondents. This trend seems to have been heavily popularized by K-pop, as over 66% chose this sector when asked where they saw this hat the most. Bucket hats are often associated with hip-hop, which explains its prominence on the K-pop scene.

The survey found that 66.1% of the respondents called the bucket hat trend hot, with 78.6% willing to buy it and 80.4% spending between USD 10 and USD 100. And 85.7% said it looks good on all genders.

2. Crop tops, oversized T-shirts & baggy jeans

In Korea, a crop top or oversized T-shirt or sweater is often paired with baggy jeans. The most popular type of baggy jeans in Korea is those tight fitted above the waist and flaring out at the ankle. T

Over 80% of those surveyed gave a rating of seven or higher to these fashions. Most found it on the Instagram pages of Korean celebrities (26.8%), followed by K-pop (25%) and K-dramas (21.4%). The majority (71.4%) said the trend is hot, with 78.6% willing to buy the items and 64.3% willing to spend between USD 10 and USD 100 on a complete look. And 67.9% said the items look good regardless of gender.

3. Couple set

Be it food or fashion, many Korean couples or friends like "couple sets" of matching clothing. They need not be an exact replica but sport the same colors, style, cut or patterns. Matching outfits are usually worn by couples as a display of their love, but friends have recently adopted the trend to display their closeness.

The couple set motif, however, had a lukewarm response in the survey with only 66% rating it seven or higher. The majority of survey participants (46.4%) said they first saw couple sets on a K-drama, followed by the streets of Korea (16.1%) and the Instagram pages of Korean celebrities (12.5%).

Just 55.4% gave this trend a thumbs up, with 62.5% willing to buy it and 58.9% spending between USD 10 and USD 100 on it. Couples and female friends seem to favor this trend most, as 66.1% said it looks better on couples and the rest (33.9%) saying it suits female friends more.

4. Athleisure

Athleisure is a mix of athletic and leisure clothing like yoga pants, leggings, shorts, jackets, crop tops and sneakers. In short, athleisure is fashionable sweats and gym wear that is gaining popularity.

This trend saw 78.5% of respondents rating it seven or higher. The K-pop industry (30.4%), the Instagram pages of Korean celebrities (17.9%) and the streets of Korea (16.1%) are where respondents see the trend most. More than 67% said they like athleisure, 66.1% are willing to buy it at either, and 55.4% could spend from USD 10 to USD 100 (55.4%) or ​​USD 100 to USD 1,000 (12.5%). The majority (83.9%) considered the trend gender-neutral.

5. School uniforms

Though adults don't wear their school uniforms on the street, Korean celebrities get fashion inspiration from such outfits. This includes tennis plaid skirts, shirts, ties, school sweaters, straight pants, ribbons, blazers and jumpers to add a cute, innocent and young vibe to clothing.

Most (87.5%) rated the trend seven or higher. High school is the central theme for many K-dramas, thus 76.8% saw the trend the most through series, followed by K-pop (14.3%). The trend had an approval rating of 66.1%, with 58.9% willing to buy and 62.5% willing to spend from USD 10 to USD 100 on it. As expected, school uniforms received the most votes for gender neutrality (87.5%).

6. Modern Hanbok

Modern Hanbok mixes Western and other cultural fashion influences with traditional Korean design. Such outfits offer greater comfort of movement and are preferred by youngsters who want to mix old and new in fashion. Traditional Hanbok is usually worn at festivals, weddings and other special occasions but modern Hanbok can be worn daily.

With 85.7% in the survey giving a rating of seven or higher, the trend is finding greater acceptance. K-dramas was the main driver of this trend (41%), followed by the Instagram pages of Korean celebrities (16.1%), and Korean magazines (14.3%). The approval rating was 78.6%, with 75% willing to buy it for either for USD 100 to USD 1,000 (21.4%) or USD 10 to USD 100 (64.3%). The uniqueness of Hanbok as an authentic Korean item is a big reason for this. About 75% consider the trend gender-neutral.

 
Conclusion
The highest-rated trend was school uniforms (87.5% rated it seven or higher), with crop tops, oversized T-shirts and sweaters, and baggy jeans achieving a 10 rating the most (44.6%). K-pop, K-dramas and the Instagram pages of Korean celebrities were the most cited fashion influences.

Couple sets were not popular among males, but the majority of those surveyed said they were willing to buy bucket hats, crop tops, oversized T-shirts and sweaters, and baggy jeans (78.6%).

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.