Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SoRoa2SoKo]

hey ladies! I'm leaving for Seoul in a month and am trying to figure out what to pack...my contract says "The dress code at school is smart casual; the teacher is required to dress up with a tie and a shirt for male teachers. (Casual styled clothes such as jeans, shorts, a mini skirt, a running suit, flip flops are not allowed)"...so does this mean black pants or nice business skirts each day? the reason I ask is because I don't know what is considered appropriate dress there! Thanks!

[PeterDragon]

Appropriate dress varies widely from school to school. Dress well at the outset, then keep an eye on what your co workers are wearing. If they're dressed down, you can slowly get away with that too, after the first few weeks. International schools and universities are more likely to hold you to the exact stated dress code, supposedly.

As a man, I've found that--- if anything--- women can get away with dressing slightly more casually.

And on that note, I'll leave your questions to be answered more reliably by women.

[Perceptioncheck]

Yes.

I would go with smart pants (or skirt) and a blouse/nice work shirt. It doesn't hurt to dress up, but it certainly will to dress down.

If you're working at a public school, I wouldn't fret too much about footwear as you'll have to exchange your shoes for slippers when you go inside anyway.

[hapigokelli]

I agree with the above poster.

I started out wearing your standard black/brown/navy/pinstriped pants or skirts and buttondown/sweater/nice shirt. For shoes, comfortable maryjanes or something of the like. (I don't recommend high heels because there is a ton of walking here.) Although, shoes may not matter because you might be required to wear slippers indoors.

The other teachers in my private girls highschool wear everything from shiney tracksuits to 3 peice suites to miniskirts and knee high boots.

I'm 5 months in now and I tend to wear jeans and a sweater 3 days a week and the nicer stuff the rest of the time.

[lille]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned cleavage. The average cup size in Korea is microscopic, and you'll notice that the necklines on blouses here are sky-high. You can wear a shorter skirt or shorts easily - showing miles of (stocking covered) legs is perfectly appropriate, but if you sport the least bit of cleavage, there's a good chance it'll be considered inappropriate.

I've also noticed that the bras here are quite high because of this - a lot of my shirts, though they're really not that revealing, are lower than the stupid bras I've bought here in Korea. If it's a concern, be sure to bring lots of good bras you like from home. The ones here are often big and padded. Eugh.

[Mallard]

Agree with Lille on the cleavage. Koreans feel about cleavage the way westerners feel about micro minis, in other words *beep* garb. I would say if it's lower than a boat neck, it's too low.

[GreenlightmeansGO]