K-Dramas are a global phenomenon for a number of reasons. Be it the handsome actors, gorgeous actresses, creative storylines, or even the breathtaking backgrounds; there are many reasons to love them. One of many K-Drama lovers' favorite pastimes is paying attention to the characters' outfits. Sometimes K-Drama viewers will even seek out the very clothing items worn by the character, eager to recreate the look. However, sometimes K-Dramas have faced backlash for lacking realistic K-Drama fashion styling.
You might find that after a K-Drama has aired, a debate sparks about whether the styling choices made for the K-Drama character are realistic or not. For example, you might see a college student with a middle-class background wearing designer luxury brand clothes throughout the drama. In most instances like this, the actors in the drama may be sponsored by these brands or the styling may have been chosen for aesthetic purposes. However, the average K-Drama viewer who can relate to the character might find their attire unrealistic.
So, this raises the question, does K-Drama fashion styling have to be realistic? Does it matter if stylists prioritize the actors' aesthetics over the realism of their characters?
We'll be exploring all of this in today's article.
Factors That Stylists Have To Keep In Mind When Styling K-Drama Characters
Stylist & Designer's Perspective When Styling K-Drama Characters
Firstly, it may be most important to consider K-Drama stylists' perspectives when they have to make fashion choices for a character.
The renowned costume designer Jo SangGyeong has designed costumes and styled characters for the K-Dramas "Alchemy of Souls", "It's Okay To Not Be Okay", "Squid Game", "My Name", and many more.
"It's Okay To Not Be Okay" is one of the most highly-acclaimed K-Dramas when it comes to fashion styling. Many fans enjoy the relatable styling choices made throughout the drama.
Seo YeaJi's character (Ko MunYeong), in particular, received a lot of praise for her phenomenal outfits and how well they suited her. The designer intended for Ko MunYeong's outfits to express her eccentric side through flashy looks. These looks are meant to be a contradiction of her vulnerability, seen in the drama.
In fact, the designer of some of the looks that Seo YeaJi wore on the show, Kim MinJu, mentioned using Ko MunYeong's job as inspiration for her fashion looks. As Ko MunYeong is a fairytale writer, the designer wanted to protect her strong beauty and wanted the clothes to act as armor. So, she put a lot of emphasis on volume and shape which is also her signature style of feminine fashion.
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Other characters like Kim SooHyun's character Moon Kang Tae and Oh JungSe's character Moon SangTae also wore clothes befitting of their characters.
Moon KangTae's outfits were styled to be bland to look at, emphasizing that he has lived a life devoted to taking care of others above himself. Jo SangGyeong designer even made the effort to stretch out some of his clothes and make them look somewhat worn out.
Whereas Moon SangTae's clothes symbolize the fact that he is on the autism spectrum. Upon thorough research, Jo SangGyeong designer discovered that those who are on the autism spectrum are sometimes inclined to repetitive patterns. Hence, a lot of his clothes had striped patterns throughout the drama.
This is all thanks to Jo SangGyeong designer aiming to make the characters' default looks convey their personalities and backgrounds, which one can argue is the most important part of K-Drama fashion styling. In an interview, she shared that she wanted viewers to be able to look at the outfits and easily guess the character's tendencies.
If you're curious about her work, read Kpopmap's exclusive interview with her about "Alchemy of Souls" in this article.
Keeping the above in mind, we can see how vital it is to dress K-Drama characters appropriately.
What Detemines Mixed Reactions to Realistic K-Drama Styling?
The Role a K-Drama Character's Income Bracket Plays
In the two example we mentioned above, Seo YeaJi's character was wealthy meaning that she automatically wore luxury or high-end clothing. However, in some cases, dramas that portray working-class characters have received backlash from netizens for 'subpar' or 'ugly' fashion styling.
In some cases, it could be a matter of the stylist simply not having put the effort in. Nevertheless, in most cases, it may be a misguided claim by netizens.
For example, in the recent K-Drama "Crash Course in Romance", Nam HaengSeon's character (played by actress Jeon DoYeon) faced backlash from netizens for wearing 'shabby' attire.
However, netizens forget that Nam HaengSeon is not originally from a well-off family. She lost a lot from a young age and had to soldier on to survive and become a caregiver to her niece and her autistic brother. That means that she didn't have the luxury of caring about fashion or even the privilege of spending money on such desires. A character who is trying their best to simply survive is not going to be dressed in luxury brands or have the trendiest hairstyle and makeup style.
Other Factors That Determine Netizen Reactions to K-Drama Styling
This brings us to the general prejudice that actress Jeon DoYeon faced while playing this character. Many K-Drama fans were not happy with the casting choice for Nam HaengSeon at all. Their reasoning was that she 'doesn't match Jung KyungHo's visuals' and other similar claims about her appearance and age.
In an interview, Jeon DoYeon even spoke about the prejudice she faced. Despite being one of the best actresses in the Korean entertainment industry, people still had a lot of negative things to say about her taking on a role that is unlike her previous ones. They made comments about her appearance and age working against the character.
"It's still a world where women are judged by their age and set standards. Romantic comedies aren't just for young people, and I think they can do it even after 10 years of age. I want to live confidently for myself. I don't choose a work, venture, or take on challenges in order to break a specific notion already established by people. I think the kind of work breaks the mold." - Jeon DoYeon
Despite taking the criticism in stride, it's clear that netizens who may have had a negative reaction to her styling in the drama may already have been biased to think negatively.
At the same time, whilst some netizens were hating on her overall look in the drama... Many of her clothing items were some of the most searched items on the Korean search engine Naver; reflecting the subjectivity of the matter as some admired her character's fashion sense.
Appearance vs. Cost: Misguided Assumptions About K-Drama Character Styling
More proof of how misguided the reactions to Nam HaengSeon's styling were, can be found in the actual cost of some of the clothing items she wore. The energy was misdirected because HaengSeon wore a range of differently priced clothing in the drama. She wore clothes as cheap as the crop top (pictured below) and clothes as expensive as CELINE sweaters, yet many don't take this into account. Some of Nam HaengSeon's styling was actually more expensive than it appeared. Even her hair scrunchies were designer and intentionally chosen.
tvN / DYSFUNCT (Design by Kpopmap)
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tvN / Barrie (Design by Kpopmap)
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tvN / Isabel Marant (Design by Kpopmap)
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tvN / Rifle Paper Co (Design by Kpopmap)
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The CELINE sweater is not currently listed on their website, hence not listed in this article but you can view more of them here.
On the contrary, Seo YeaJi also received a lot of praise for the outfits that her character wore in the K-Drama "Eve". Many marveled at how she, once again, managed to turn a K-Drama into a fashion runway with her gorgeous visuals and well-selected styling. Again, her character was a wealthy woman with a taste for the finer things in life. Her outfits throughout the drama exuded elegance, sophistication, and even sexiness.
So, this brings into question whether the character's styling is truly the problem or if the rules are different depending on the situation.
In fact, in the same way, that Jeon DoYeon's character actually wore some more expensive items that seemingly appeared otherwise... Seo YeaJi's character in "Eve" also wore her fair share of affordable clothing items and accessories that only appeared expensive due to her character's general aura.
More examples of K-Dramas That Faced Backlash For Unrealistic Fashion Styling
Another example of a K-Drama that received backlash for unrealistic fashion styling is "Itaewon Class". In the drama, Park SeoJun's character Park SaeRoi wears expensive designer clothing and accessories despite being a struggling ex-convict. This led to criticism from viewers who felt that the fashion choices were unrealistic and out of touch with the character's background and circumstances.
tvN / Montblanc (Design by Kpopmap)
Another K-Drama that received backlash for its styling choices was "Start-Up". Some viewers felt that Suzy's character (Seo DalMi) wore outfits that were too flashy for a struggling entrepreneur to be able to afford. Additionally, the drama set her character up as someone who is saving every penny because, in the first episode, she could be seen using a black marker to fill in scratches on an old pair of heels.
tvN / DIOR (Design by Kpopmap)
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There are also interesting cases where the styling matches well with the character. However, viewers still feel that the styling doesn't do the character justice. In "True Beauty", ASTRO Cha EunWoo's character Lee SuHo is known to be from a well-off family and thus owns a lot of high-end clothes. However, despite wearing a lot of luxury brands in the drama, fans felt that the stylist didn't utilize the clothes well to boost his famously handsome visuals. Many fans also had issues with the layering methods used in the styling.
tvN / SACAI (Design by Kpopmap)
It's worth noting that opinions on fashion styling in K-Dramas can vary widely among viewers, and what one person finds unrealistic or impractical, another may view as aspirational or stylish. Additionally, we shouldn't forget that actors don't have a say in the way that they are styled.
More examples of K-Dramas That Received Praise For Realistic Fashion Styling
Again, since fashion is a subjective topic, there is also a contrary side.
Most recently, the K-Drama that has been receiving praise for having beautiful and realistic styling is the "The Glory" franchise.
Song HyeKyo's character Moon DongEun is portrayed as a femme fatale in the drama and dresses accordingly. She wears a lot of long clothes and trench coats which give her an air of mystery. Of course, they have another function which is also mysterious, hiding her scars. However, they perfectly emulate how she tries not to draw attention to herself as she is the catalyst for revenge.
Netflix / MUSEE (Design by Kpopmap)
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Additionally, Lim JiYeon's character Park YeonJin, is known for her philosophy that the best in life comes with the highest price tag. Her fashion sense reflects that with no doubt. In fact, in the drama, her husband Ha DoYeong makes a comment about how they met on a blind date and how she stood out for wearing the least amount of clothes but every single item was Christian Dior. That is her character in a nutshell and reflected through her styling.
Netflix / MOJO.S.PHINE (Design by Kpopmap)
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The debate about realistic K-Drama fashion styling is fairly nuanced with a lot of dynamics that come into play. Whether K-Drama styling is realistic or not will always be a matter of perspective and opinions. However, we hope this article was food for thought.
What do you think of realistic K-Drama fashion styling? Do stylists need to keep the character's styling limitations in mind when choosing their clothing? Or doesn't it matter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
