Korean Job Discussion Forums

[peppermint]

The way I see it, fashion and style are two related but different things. Fashion is what's on the runways, and in the magazines- what designers say is the look of the moment.

Style is wearing something that you like, and that looks good on you. I don't give a toss about fashion, but I'm happy to put some work into style. I'm drawn to relatively dressy stuff, but not in the Korean style of frilly ruffly nonsense. I like things that are a little more tailored, intense colors, good fabrics.

Comfort is a lot more complex than I think you allow for. I refuse to buy things that aren't comfortable, but that to me, means they fit well more so than anything. A well-cut pair of dress pants can be far more comfortable than jeans. I do dress to accommodate the weather, which is a factor in comfort too.

I guess I dress to fit in, in that I don't wear dresses as much as I'd like. To me, dresses are the easiest thing to just pull on, but to everyone else they seem to be too fancy for everyday. oh well.

[Steelrails]

A big check to all of the reasons you listed koveras, nicely done!

I'm a suit and tie guy, even on the weekends.

1. Self-Expression- I like suits, I especially like wearing them to weird events you normally wouldn't wear a suit in. Hip to be square kinda thing.

2. Comfort- I like all the pockets- good places to put wallets without listing like a torpedoed cruiser. These days with wallets, cell phones, PDAs, smokes, etc. A suit is a good way to avoid having to lug around the Man Bag.

Decoration- Lapel Pins, Designer Pens, Vests, Ties, Handkerchiefs, Cufflinks, Ties, plenty of ways for subtle decoration.

Image- Professional. Plus as an Asian male I think suits look really nice on Asian men. The whole black hair with a black suit thing really goes well together. People in general appear far more attractive (to me) when they are wearing professional/formal attire.

Manipulation- I wore suits back in the states and my friends always wondered. Then they started to notice how I would get more attention from the waitress, get seated at better locales, and people would listen to you. More likely to get a pass from the cops as well. People are less likely to mess with you. For some reason every time I went out to a bar or club and was wearing a suit no one dared to try to start anything. I like that, A night where you end up having to fight someone for talking smack is a loss, even if you win the fight. A night where you get to enjoy everything in peace and have a blast is a win. Here in Korea I have never gotten the 'foreigner price' and I think part of it is the suit.

Fitting In- Not in the U.S., but here in Korea when all the ajosshis are sipping coffee at church I'll get called over and the 'kids' in young adults group will not. I think part of it is that I always show up dressed in a suit while they are in their capris or whatnot.

I think fitting in is number one for most people, followed closely by self-expression (ironic duality).

I would also suggest that class roles/perceptions play a part (although not always) It's weird a lot of business owners will 'dress down' while a lot of middle class people will 'dress up'.

I think it is an attempt to identify with a larger group. I think this group identity relates to 'fitting in' and 'image' but has a distinct component in that fitting in is conforming to those around you, whereas group identity can sometimes be used to separate oneself from a larger bloc. Think blue collar workers back home- Sports team logos, jeans, Carhartt, Dickies, Wrangler. Showing ones loyalty to their local groups (Unions, Sports Teams) while demonstrating that they 'work hard' for a living and held certain values. I know when I worked on site that the suit look was never pulled out (except for Poker night and church) and it was Carhartt all the time.

I have to agree with Peppermint- Dress pants are frequently more comfortable than jeans. Denim just feels bulky and 'hot'.

[Koveras]

[Fox]

[Draz]

I dress semi-formal for work. I should dress "better", but for a woman that means skirts, hose, and heels, and I won't do it. I don't feel confident or comfortable wearing that. If I were just going to sit at a desk all day it might not be so bad, but I'm teaching so I wear slacks and a collared shirt like my male coworkers. Work clothes are completely utilitarian for me. Image and fitting in, but I don't think too much about how it looks. I prefer black everything.

When I actually get to choose what I wear, I like long shirts and tight pants and boots, in neutral colors, maybe with a little bit of bright color. Not really fashionable, because I've been wearing the same thing for years whether it's in fashion at the time or not.