Korean Trends- Clothing & Coffee

"Autumn couture breaks the convention of garment shape. Fall 2006 is about sex appeal without showing skin. Women are sporting menswear, military jackets, sweater dresses, skirts over tights, belts and floor-grazing coats.

Jewelry is gold, handbags are oversized and red is popping up all over runways. Even plaid, patent leather, skin-tight pants and ankle booties made the cut this year. You could say fall style is a classy take on the 80’s."

That's a quote from an article I wrote for Loox.ca this summer. I find it comical how seriously Koreans have taken the trend. Shopping in Suwon, it's practically impossible to find a style out of the 80's! The women look like they were all pressed from the same cutter.

I bought that pokadot shirt for $8USD today. I haven't done much shopping in Korea. The reason, apart from wanting to save money, is the overabundance of staff at department stores. Walk down an aisle and there's a row of them like soldiers. I couldn't even admire a garment without an employee "helping!" This store was the first that didn't breathe down my neck.

It's either pokadots, plaid or stripes in Korea. I chose pokadots.

On my way to read at Ajou University...


I discovered my first reasonably-priced coffee shop in Korea. Coffee is popular here, but a luxury. The shop is suitably called "Coffee Good," and it's popular among Ajou college students. Nearly all drinks, hot or iced, are less than 2USD. There was a steady stream of customers as I drank my creamy iced latte: