Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MollyBloom]

Hey ladies:

I have been tearing my hair out with packing and repacking. I was going to bring a lot of clothes for a few reasons: I didn't want to waste time searching for clothes my first few months, I want to feel comfortable in the clothes I love and know, and also, I'd rather spend my money on things other than clothes. I am pretty sure I will fit into Korean clothes (5ft, 125lbs, size 4-6,depending on the store), but are they unattactive to western standards?

I guess what I am asking is this:
If I leave half of my clothes at home, can I buy clothes from stores like Gap, Banana Rep., Limited, etc. If so, are they more expensive, less, or the same price as in the US.

I also am thinking about bringing my makeup and facial products. Are there Loreal, Maybelline, Body Shop, etc. in Seoul? Again, how much will they cost? And also, do dept. stores have Chanel booths? Again, costly?

I am trying to weed things out to bring more books, cooking supplies, and other stuff.

Thanks!

[jessiaka]

No Gap, Banana Republic, Limited, out here. Bring that stuff

There is The Body Shop, and makeup counters that we all know and love (chanel, dior, smashbox, mac, etc etc etc) but you have to remember that there is duty on it all! So it's more expensive than back home. Availability of it all also depends on where you're moving to.

[MollyBloom]

Kangnam is where I'll be.

Oh man, so: the clothes that are reasonable, what is the style of them? I guess I really don't care what I wear as long as it doesn't have Hello Kitty and cats all over it.

So in the Lotte Dept. stores, what stores are there?

Is there a good website where I can see the clothing stores in Seoul, or in Korean dept stores?

I shop at Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Banana Rep, Gap, vintage clothing stores, j. crew, just to give you a sense of my style. I'm not really into trendy fancy clothes like Bebe, Marc Jacobs, Juicy, etc.

oh yeah! Are there any good vintage clothing stores in Seoul?

[MissSeoul]

Clothes are cheap in Korea.
Bring extra U.S made cosmetic with you, probably that fit with you better.
My mom mail to me Korean made cosmetic by air mail.
Why ?
I didn't know I have a sensitive skin until I use American cosmetic.
Cliniq ( expensive ) is for sensitive skin, but still my eyelid swelled like egg and my skin peelled badly and I had to see dermatologist several times, same things can happen to you if you use Korean cosmetic

[Hosub]

외국인 같은대요...MissSeoul

[Yo!Chingo]

Please don't take MissSeoul's advice...that's my advice.

Clothes here are definitely not cheap and from what I understand from rumor, the nail polish is really bad for your nails. Bring your own clothes and polishes. Makeup for the face and general hygiene products are easily obtainable here at the stores. Do however, bring deodorant. You'll pay 5-6 dollars a roll here!
I wouldn't worry too much about the cooking things unless you know exactly where you're living b/c not many places here have ovens. Stoves yes, ovens no. Spices would be a very good idea; namely thyme and cumin. I've yet to fine either.

Good luck!

[MollyBloom]

can anyone give me the names of western stores in seoul?

[maeil]

Ms. Bloom,

Out of curiousity, is it the Urban Outfitters in Harvard Square that you shop in? I worked there for two years.

Anyway, you can't really say clothes are cheap or they are not here. In the department stores, they are incredibly expensive. But in many neighborhoods there are tons of little boutiques where you can get shirts for around 3,000 ($3USD, more or less), cheap shoe shops, etc. If you're not looking for name brands, you can fill a closet VERY cheaply.

My opinion is that MissSeoul's advice is partly correct. If you are particular about your makeup, bring your own until you can locate a good replacement. It's not because of sensitivity issues, but because western women and Asian women typically have different skin tones. I've heard the aforementioned problem with the nail polish here, but I can't speak from experience.

In any department store you'll find the expensive makeup brands that you are used to back home, marked up. As with clothes, there are cheaper alternatives available at places like The Face Shop, Misscha, Beautiplex, etc. In some malls you can find The Body Shop and Origins.

You are living in Kangnam? That's kind of a shopper's central, as well as right next to a large bookstore (Kyobo) with a fairly good selection of English books.

As was mentioned, you won't find Banana Republic, Gap, etc. But there are stores in Korea that have similar styles: Mango, WHO.A.U, Basic House, etc.

I think the gist of my advice is this: bring enough "supplies" to get you through a month, while you get comfortable. Bring a comfortable wardrobe, but you won't have trouble finding good clothes here. Oh, I don't know why you would if you are 5 feet tall, but if you wear over size 8 shoes, bring plenty or you'll have to order them. Bring deodorant, certainly, and I always like to stock up on tampons. There is one brand in Korea, and it is sub-par. They import Playtex but again, expensive.

If you like to cook, I'll second the notion about bringing herbs and spices. Vanilla extract in particular seems difficult to find.

Anyway, the longer I live here, the more I see that most of what I am used to back home is available. You just have to look for it. Oh, except the shoes.

[LC]

[princess]

IMO, Mango and Who A.U. are NOT like Gap. They are trendier, and that's what I prefer.

[MollyBloom]

Maeil:

Yes! I lived (still kind of do) in Central Square, and shopped in Harvard Square a lot. Hmm. I wonder if we know the same people. Are you from Boston/C-bridge area?

[MollyBloom]

Also: when everyone says "expensive," what do you mean? For instance, good Maybelline or covergirl mascara in the US is around $8. What is "good makeup" cost in Korea?

Do they have French makeup and US makeup brands?

What US face cleansing products are available, and what are the costs? Neutrogena or anything like that?

[Yo!Chingo]

[essexboy]

you should get down to yongsan, loads of stuff there in the big shopping centre, cheap as chips!

[jessiaka]

I use MAC cosmetics almost exclusively and that's all I've bought at the counters here (I order other stuff from sephora.com and have my mom send it to me here).

Anyways, the markup on high quality makeup is ridiculoud (yet I still buy.. haha BAD!).

For example, a tube of MAC zoomlash costs cdn$9.00 back home, here it costs around cdn$23.00. MAC blush back home is around cdsn$15.00, here it costs around cdn$36.00.