Korean Job Discussion Forums

[eddiebaby]

Hi newbie here,

Wanted to ask the experts if its possible to find clothes in large sizes in seoul.

Im a rather large guy and wanted to know if i should stock up before i go in july.

Also is it possible to find good websites to buy large clothes from.

Thanks a bunch guys

[Grotto]

Stock up on quality stuff

You can find large sizes in Itaewon or South of Seoul in Song-tan but they have a lot of knock offs and the quality can vary widely.

[eddiebaby]

Thanks a bunch Grotto

Any ideas on internet shopping

[tzechuk]

Definitely stock up. I can give you a few sites that sell imported clothes like Gap or Old Navy in Korea but those sites are in Korean and can I assume that you know no Korean? Most places do not ship to Korea (well, overseas, fullstop) and if they do, the postage is astronomic.

There are a couple of shops in Itaewon that sell larger size clothes but they are not quality clothes, nor are they trendy.. so you probably won't find anything in those places but if you happen to need a shirt or a pair of cheap trousers, then those are the places to go to.

[eddiebaby]

Yea dont speak much korean yet!

I was thinking of getting my mum to send me stuf once i was earning but ive read on this site that you can get taxed for getting stuff sent over eg laptops, does the same apply to clothes?

[tzechuk]

Definitely, absolutely on the tax thing. It's over 75 dollars including shipping. Having said that though, if you get your mum to take off all the price tags, wash the clothes before sending them over to make them look like used, then you won't get taxed.

[canukteacher]

I'm not male, but I don't have much luck shopping here. It is not that difficult to shop on line, and it doesn't have to be expensive. I order from Eddie Bauer on a Monday, and it is at my door by Friday. They quite often have free shipping deals, and these offers apply to international orders. I have also ordered from JC Penny, and the shipping was ressonable. I had to wait a bit for the stuff to get here, but no big deal. I have also found a site which sells underwear that I like. They are Cdn., and will air ship for 5.00. You can't beat that.

I've spent alot of time searching the net to find good online stores that don't have huge shipping charges. My top three these days.......Eddie Bauer, JC Penny and SierraBlue. I also use yesasia.com to buy books............good service and free shipping.

There are also coupon sites to help you save even more.

Hope this helps.

[eddiebaby]

Awsome guys thanx

really big help but ouch $75, thats gotta hurt. Good tip on the price tags and pre send wash ill bear it in mind.

[komtengi]

[teachingld2004]

I wouldnt worry so much about clothes. email your school and ask for a teachers e-mail. Ask them what the dress code it. Just bring enough clothes. If you are not a "fashion slave" you can get clothes here. Granted, the variety is not much, but you can get cothes.

If you are a female,you better get bras at home. cause I can almost bet 100$ you will not find a fit here. And get shoes at home/ The quality here is not very good, and u may not be able to get your size.

Used to be many things were not able to be found here, but in the past few years, if u are in a major city, you will have no problem.

I am going home in 12 more days for 2 weeks, and the first thing i'm going to do is go to taco -bell. We all have our vices.

[Canucksaram]

You can have quality shirts and pants tailored for you at prices comparable to off-the-rack clothes in Canada.

Shirts from KRW 30,000 and cotton/wool blend dress slacks from KRW 65,000 (plain cottom slacks start at KRW 35,000). Big sizes are no problem; they measure you up and go from there. Second time around any imperfections are sorted out good and proper.

I would recommend bringing over a second pair of whatever your favourite sandals or dress shoes happen to be. You CAN get larger sizes of shoe here, but it takes some shopping around to find a fit (and price) you're comfortable with. So-called "custom-made" shoes here are a chancy deal, at best.

[Demonicat]

Hey man, if you don't have to be formal don't worry. I'm a BIG dude (6'4 220 with muscular build) and I have ZERO problem finding clothes. Pants are built to be waaaaayy to long for Koreans so they end up being just a bit too long for us giants. Shirts are plentiful and cheap (look at Carrefour, or Co In, or Bang Bangs, or countless other stores). Remember, Koreans have big people too and they get dressed without ordering.

[Universalis]

[dulouz]

Buy a few extra pairs of shoes. You can find some clothes but the availability of shoes is pretty bad. You can find size 12 but they don't look good.

Good clothes here are necessary, the Koreans do judge you on how you look.