Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Natebomb]

To find really cheap knock off clothes and such in Korea similar to what its like in China?

[krisinkorea]

I just say this coming from a person with a degree in textile production and manufacturing. Understand, the term "knockoff." Any company can get anything made in korea, china, taiwan, etc for 10 cents. No matter what company ordered the product, they are always paying 10 cents an hour (to exaggerate and make the point clear)to get the shirt or pant made. Now if you want adidas signature label on it (or donna Karen), well, they can add another $1 to the pant to make their pant unique. Then add on the fact that their brand is highly saleable and you have to pay the jobber, the manufacturer, the shipping, the buyer, the manager, the retail sales associate and well, then my friend, your pant is $100 by the time you get it. Why do Asian countries get away with selling the so-called secret for $10. Because they are the first to get the design and they can reproduce it for exactly what Adidas is asking for exactly the same way they are making it for adidas. The only difference is that you skip all those paid associates in between to bring the product to North America. In reality, it's not really a knock off unless you bought the run offs that where duds, (not accepted by the company for retail sale).

The only time you're going to pay more for anything is if it is made of a special technicalized fabric that required research and development and investment to make a limited amount of that fabric or style. If you bought the limited edition adidas pant that was made out of gold weaved fabric then you are paying for the gold and the fact that there are only 12 people to pay for the costly specialized development. You are not paying for the tailor, adidas name, shipping, etc.

So yes, you can buy the exact same frickin thing in Asia as in North America and pay 10x less the price. Only thing to look for is if the thread is coming undone and there are runs in the fabric. That may require a trained eye, and so, hence, will your friends know the difference? I highly doubt it. Knock offs are term labelled for Western Countries who claim "ownership" of trends, designs, etc, that cannot be owned.

[Natebomb]

Ok, are these goods readily available?

[Cigar_Guy]

Last Christmas I was shopping for family and friends and decided to get my cousin a Mets jersey with his name on it. I told my friend about it and he asked me about the possibility of getting one for him. The only problem was that he didn't want just a simple jersey--he wanted one of those limited edition Hank Aaron reproduction models.

Long story short--I can get a quality Mets jersey with my name and number beautifully stitched into the back for 25,000w (identical plain one would cost like $80 at home without my name), but no one I could find had even seen the special Hank Aaron one he wanted.

If it's possibly the kind of thing you're looking for, I got it in Itaewon.