Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Universalis]

I can't believe people here are mocking others for wearing suits and giving special attention to their appearance.

I moved on to suits last year and it was a great change. I look better, feel better, and carry myself with more confidence and savvy. Chicks dig guys in suits, especially my girlfriend, and the response from just about everyone around me (friends, co-workers, etc.) has been universally positive.

A man in a suit is sending a message of maturity, responsibility, style, and class to those around him. You just can't go wrong in a suit.

And as another poster mentioned, wearing a suit in Korea will take you very, very far in terms of how others react to you.

To answer the OP's original question, I visit www.askmen.com a lot for fashion tips.

PM me for the name ond location of a quality tailor in Itaewon.

Brian

[Corporal]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Daechidong Waygookin]

[Cacique]

[Universalis]

I know the question wasn't direct to me, but I'll let you know what I pay.

I pay 35,000W for custom shirts, and just last week I ordered a custom suit for about 315,000W. The suits can go up and down in price, however, as my tailor knows different factories with different quality labor. I bought another suit a few months ago and paid only 280,000 for it.

Hope this helps.

Brian

[the_beaver]

[Cacique]

Thanks for the info, Brian. Those prices are not bad at all. I could easily spend that much on 'off-the-rack' shirts and suits.

Is that a wool suit, and a cotton shirt? How's the quality? Does the cut and fit of a custom-suit really feel superior to a regular suit? I'm assuming it must, but just want to hear from someone who has done it.

Thanks.

[Universalis]

Well, I don't have a lot of experience wearing suits, so I'm no expert. But I did buy a $100 suit in Thailand a few years ago and my new Itaewon suit feels a whole lot nicer on me. The jacket fits me like a glove, making it barely noticeable at times.

My father, a lifelong business men, swears by my tailor's work and every year or so will order some stuff from there and have it shipped over.

The suit I ordered is not wool, but other than that I don't know the exact fabric used. Regarding shirts, he has a huge variety of fabric available, including 100% cotton, which is my favorite.

I've been going to this same tailor for 7 years now. I've introduced a lot of people to his shop and every one of them has been satisfied with this work. He's great!

Brian

[Universalis]

And one more thing... getting a nice suit is one step, but don't stop there. A friend of mine had a suit made there but refuses to buy a new shirt to go with it. Instead, he'll be wearing his sloppy, off-the-rack "dress shirts" with it. Considering the price of a new suit, a nice custom-made shirt to go with it isn't much of investment.

And wear a good tie. I used to wear the 3,000W cheapos from Itaewon, but the poor quality can be seen from a mile away. Hyundai and Lotte Department stores usually have a table or two of on sale ties for 30,000W. Or, if you live near Seoul, visit the outlet stores near Karibong, where you can find the same ties for 10-15,000W.

And shoes... rock some good shoes.

Brian

[fastfreddie]

Yu Bum Suk wrote


An English teacher in a suit is sending a message of deficiency and insecurity to most westerners I know. But if Korean parents and bosses, and women with reciprocal inadequacies, fall for it, then by all means milk it for what it's worth if you can be arsed to dress up.

Written with all the self-importance of a high school grad. "Message of deficiency and insecurity ?" Your post epitomizes it, chump.

Pink

[kangnamdragon]

I agree with Universalis. If you want to look good in Korea, dress up. When in Rome....

Sneakers and sweat shirt outside? never unless you are playing basketball

You guys need Queer Eye to come to Korea....

even in the North America one looks sloppy in sneakers and sweats...
If you are out of college, dress like it. Save those clothes for watching football at home with the guys.

Now, I admit sometimes I throw on a sweat shirt and walking shoes just to run outside to the supermarket. That is fine, but not to go out and be seen in public.

Unless you don't live in Seoul..........then the rules are different....

[crazylemongirl]

Does a suit maketh the man? Nope. I think the last time my father wore a suit was to his wedding. Yet he's still a sucessful professional. Granted he works in the film industry in kiwiland where nobody wears suits. But I getting away from my point.

I've seen people still looking scruffy in a suit and I've seen people looking great in causuals. The key is to make sure that your clothes are clean and well cared for. If a color is fading replace the item. Hems coming apart? Get them fixed. Ironing stuff is always a bonus too. Also good clothes are let down by bad grooming.

As for what to wear, at work I always look at what others are wearing and then dress a step up from that.

[Scott in HK]

I have always thought it was what you did in the classroom, rather than the clothes you wore as you entered it that decided whether you would gain the respect of your students. Students respect teachers who can teach regardless of whether or not they wear a suit. If you can't teach, then no suit is going to gain you respect.

I have taught for 10 years..the last six in Hong Kong in the NET program (now for a uni in Korea) and have never met any teacher that included their clothing choices for the day in their lesson plan.

I got into teaching so I wouldn't have to wear a suit. I wouldn't take a job that require me to wear a suit to work. I have never seen the point of wearing one and don't think any more or less of people who do or don't wear them. It is a non-issue...especially in teaching.