Korea is classy: custom made clothing!!

One of the biggest challenges of being a tall, awkward, non- Korean is finding clothes that fit. Thin is in here, and it is in! This means great things for people watching, which is by far my favorite activity in Seoul. Hands down, the people here are beautiful. Glamorous, gorgeous, just-stepped-off-the-runway-might-hop-back-on-in-a-minute fashionistas roam the streets as casually as if they had been born in form fitting pants and custom made jackets. Fashion is not reserved for females either; it is hard to say who is more beautiful, the men or the women. Men wear seemingly effortless layers, paring shades of black, brown, navy and blue with all sorts of patterns, plaids, scarves and hats. The result is impressive.

The downside to such high fashion is that the pressure is on to look good, and sometimes it seems more uniform than art.  Women march around in freezing temperatures on spindly frames sporting four inch stilettos, mini skirts and tights a look as brazen as it appears joyless. Men diet as frequently as women; slender masculinity paired with hard lines seems to be the ideal.What this means though, is that it is relatively easy to have clothing custom made.

Yesterday night the search for custom made shoes and shirts brought us to Itaewon, where we were shopping for J, a fellow teacher and friend who was getting frustrated with lack of suitable sizes. After an afternoon of wandering, we happened upon a gem. Of the scattered custom shirt makers, this one was hopping. It was a small store with a clean, elegant front and a display sporting brightly colored ties inside, drawing your eyes in. Within a few minutes we chose two striped shirt fabrics- slate and navy, one purple finelined check and one green and blue striped pattern that we loved. On the spot J’s measurements were taken, his order was written down and he was told he could come and pick them up in a week! Custom made to exact fit, collar size, cuff size, taper and pleat. The total cost was about 40$ a shirt, and if the employees are anything to go off of, they’re going to be hot! Since J is going to be out of town next weekend, I’m going to go pick them up for him, and when I go I have half a mind to ask them to make one for me!