Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hunnie705]

What is the sizing range for women's clothing? For example, do they have sizes 0-16 like American sizes or do they size differently? Do they size women's clothing Small - XLarge? I wondering what clothing will be available to me and if I will be able to find it in Gangnam?

[simpleminds]

If you're anything but small, small boned with no curves, expect things not to fit you properly. Skinny westerners with breasts or broad shoulders have to get larger sizes. Dunno about sizes in Gangnam, but that place is overpriced, you might find better deals in itaewon, dongdaemun or namdaemun. Korean extra large is often western medium, generally speaking.

I'm short, skinny and small boned, ( US size 2- 4) but i have curves, so i buy men's singlets, large sized underwear, and never buy any blouses or fitted tops here. You might find loose fitting tops, though. Slacks fit me OK, but keep in mind they are designed for women with no hips, so most don't fit properly.

Get your clothes and underwear before you come to korea. Lots of women's fashion also tend to be prissy and preppy with stupid frills and bows.

[Faunaki]

The average size is 55-66 (size 6-. To find clothes bigger than that you have to shop in special areas or order larger sizes. Most stores will not have 77 or 88 (10-12) but will allow you to special order and deliver it to your home for a small fee. By the way, pants never fit properly here, so get them tailored - 4,ooo for pants, 8,000 for jeans.

[nicam]

I'm a 2 back home (sometimes a 0 and sometimes a 4) and I fit into a small here. I am 5' 8'' though, and a lot of the sleeves and legs are too short. Also, I can't fit into ANY shoes here.

Not all Koreans are stick skinny, so there are larger sizes here.

[oldtactics]

The chart on this page is faaaiiirly accurate:
http://www.korea4expats.com/article-womens-clothing-size-conversion-chart.html

My problem with the clothes (no matter what my dress size) is that they're built for A-cups, so even if the shirt fits around my waist, it won't button/looks ridiculous across my chest. Wah wah.

[Mrs.Lee]

I think it goes 44, 55, and 66. 44 is small, 55 is med, and 66 is large. Anything past that is plus-size.

Clothes are cut for smaller busts, flatter butts, smaller hips, bigger waists, shorter height. SO it's just not weight u have to worry about.

I am 5'9 and weigh 124 and I wear a 55.

Skirts and dresses are always short on me. Not only because of my height but because my butt is not flat. Most korean girls have flatter bottoms, even if they are overweight.

The cut of the waist is always big and the hips are small. I think most korean women have waists and hips that are closer in width. Most white women have much smaller waists as compared to their hips.

I am only a b cup and I manage to wear the tops but even those tops are snug aroun the best sometimes. In korea, B cup isnt even considered small. I think more endowed women could have trouble.

Of course there are always variances within groups... but this gives u a general idea. Hope it helps!

[nomad-ish]

i used to have problems finding clothes with the proper length (i'm about 5'10") in the pants and sleeves, but then i discovered forever 21 in myeong-dong!
i'm really thankful for that store; it's primarily geared towards foreign women, but i don't know the top size there. it's obviously more pricy than going to korean places, but i think it's worth it to have clothes that i'll actually wear back home and not just use here to get through the year

[Jessie]

Where is Forever 21 in Myeongdong???

[kimuchiii]

Love Forever21! I think you can order online in the Korean store now too....?
www.forever21.com (click the country flag at the bottom)

[nomad-ish]

[ciccone_youth]

It's definitely smaller than back home but I never had any problems fitting into anything- I mostly shop at Uniqlo, Zara, and Mango, so it's the same as back home.

Korean clothes fit a bit differently, so you just have to try, try, try.

[SAN]

Its all different! Whether your a westener or even an Asian! I am an Asian and I am finding it difficult to fit into anything! And everytime I raise my hopes and try on some dress, my hope just tumbles down triple the time watever it was!
The best part is when shopping for brassieres! Its all an awkward fit that I find! And If B is the 'Big' size here, its too bad, coz I am hunting for D!
I hav not shopped much here!

[ciccone_youth]

i'd never buy underwear here! the styles are tacky, frilly, and just awful.