Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Draz]

I'm making this thread because I have several female-specific questions and while there are tons of topics about what people think of women in Korea, there doesn't seem to be much about being a woman in Korea.

1. Clothes: What sizes do they come in, and what is the NA equivalent to whatever system they use? All the topics about attractive women going to Korea and suddenly becoming hambeasts who can't fit into any of the clothes are bothering me. When you say you are "curvy" and can't find clothing, what exactly do you mean? Curvy is an incredibly vague word. I want to see some numbers for the sizes available.

2. Shoes: Same! Tons of complaints about lack of sizes, but what sizes can you get? No one ever says.

I live in Saskatchewan and the shopping here is absolute garbage. I don't want to "stock up" on crappy, ill-fitting clothing only to find that there are much better things available once I get there.

3. Dating to Learn the Language: Korean girls date foreign men for English practice. How much luck would a foreign girl have "using" Korean guys to learn Korean?

4. Drinking With Your Boss: Many topics about this, but female posters seem absent. Are (foreign) women expected to pour massive amounts of booze down their throats at social functions, or is this a guy thing?

5. Tampons: I heard they were hard to find. Is it true? Actually second thought, I don't care. Just tell me, can you get the OB brand?

[Corky]

Draz, what city will you be living in? What size are you? Sorry to ask but the definition to "curvy" is relative.

[spliff]

Don't worry I see many Saskatchewan sized K-girls here and they all seem to be wearing something...

[Natalia]

I don't know about North American sizes, but I find I always seem to fit into the size (clothes and shoes) they have on display in Korean shops. I have borrowed clothes from Korean teachers in the past and they have been too big.

But I think I might be a bit smaller than the average Western teacher. (However, there are certainly some large wrestler-style Korean women around, so clothes have to be made for those who aren't anorexic.)
The biggest problem you will probably have is with underwear. Bras simply won't fit unless you are smaller than an A-cup.



As for the drinking. Women are treated no differently to men when it comes to drinking in Korea. I have been witness to some rather embarrassing scenes involving my very drunk director, and more than once I've seen Korean female co-workers passing out in gutters in front of their boss.
(Soju is pretty vile, but it also looks like water, so it is sometimes possible to pretend you are drinking when you aren't....)

[kat2]

[quote="Draz"]I'm making this thread because I have several female-specific questions and while there are tons of topics about what people think of women in Korea, there doesn't seem to be much about being a woman in Korea.

1. Clothes: What sizes do they come in, and what is the NA equivalent to whatever system they use? All the topics about attractive women going to Korea and suddenly becoming hambeasts who can't fit into any of the clothes are bothering me. When you say you are "curvy" and can't find clothing, what exactly do you mean? Curvy is an incredibly vague word. I want to see some numbers for the sizes available.

I'm 5'9", a size 6 US, and I have trouble finding things that fit. I can wear short sleeved shirts, skirts, and capri pants made here, but I"m at the top end of the scale. In skirts/pants I wear the biggest size that is usually availabel. In tops, I wear on below the biggest size available. One: I'm tall, so I can't buy long sleeve shirts here b/c the sleeves are too short Two: I have no ass, but I do have curvy hips, so most pants don't fit. Korean girls have NO hips. Three: of course most pants are also too short.

2. Shoes: Same! Tons of complaints about lack of sizes, but what sizes can you get? No one ever says.

American Size 8 and below is easy to find. I'm a size 9, so I can soemtiems buy sandals and tennis shoes (in the men's section), but nothing else.

I live in Saskatchewan and the shopping here is absolute garbage. I don't want to "stock up" on crappy, ill-fitting clothing only to find that there are much better things available once I get there.

3. Dating to Learn the Language: Korean girls date foreign men for English practice. How much luck would a foreign girl have "using" Korean guys to learn Korean?

No idea. I"m married.

4. Drinking With Your Boss: Many topics about this, but female posters seem absent. Are (foreign) women expected to pour massive amounts of booze down their throats at social functions, or is this a guy thing?

No, you can get out of it usually as a woman.

5. Tampons: I heard they were hard to find. Is it true? Actually second thought, I don't care. Just tell me, can you get the OB brand?

No, but you can get playtex easily in big cities.[/b]

[kat2]

And the bras and panties here are terrible. Unless you like high wasted panties and ahve really small boobs.

[iain77]

hambeasts. that is a funny word. carry on.

[Atavistic]

[jinju]

Doesnt say much about girls when girly questions are about shopping, shoes and trying to hook up.

[Atavistic]

[mountainous]

[Alyallen]

[peppermint]

underwear: if you can find anything above a B cup it will be overpadded and overpriced. Victorias secret does deliver to Korea

Shoes: about an North American 81/2 is the largest you'll find in most places. There are a couple of shops in Itaewon that carry larger sizes, and reportedly you can get good shoes made there for cheaper than you'd expect.

Even if the Korean styles fit you well, they tend to be ugly, so I wouldn't plan on doing a lot of shopping there. That said, I've got at least 3 or 4 items in my closet from Korea which I love.

Tampons- bring'em. OB won't take up much room in a suitcase, and I've heard reports that the local ones are pretty poor quality

[oneofthesarahs]

My 2 cents:

[little mixed girl]