I'm not going to lie, this post has been developing in my mind since the moment I landed in South Korea.
I'm an observant person. I notice the details. Always have.
There's a story that my mother tells about me telling my grandmother that her shoes and purse didn't match. I think I was in kindergarten or first grade. So you can imagine how my blunt acknowledgement of, well, "mistakes" has evolved over the years.
The title of this post sums up the three main "fashion" staples I've noticed for Korean women. (Please note, this is about Korean women. I'll get to the shiny suits, "Dancing with the Stars" platform shoes and rhinestone ties in a separate post.)
So, let's start with the panty hose.
I'll admit, I live in Dallas, Texas where more often than not it's warm - or most of the year, down right hot - and women don't have a practical purpose to wear stockings or tights. And notice I'm using the terms "stockings or tights."
Korean women where panty hose.
Thick, nylon, have-to-be-hot-as-hell, panty hose. And, they wear them in many shapes and sizes.
Full leg.
Foot bootie.
Knee high.
The commonality? They're the color of the ugly "skin color" crayon that was in the Crayola box when I was growing up and they have a toe seam.
You know, circa mid-70s through the 80s. "Nothing beats a great pair of Leggs!"?
Did I mention I notice "mistakes?" Or that I have a camera?
Lets take a look at some of the women I've come across here in Seoul.
It's typical to see sidewalk stands that sell panty hose. All shapes - I assume sizes - and colors. I guess they just pull them off the cart and send you on your way. No fancy "eggs" like L'eggs used back in the day. Hell, you don't even have to be awake to sell them.
As I said, panty hose are appropriate for any shoe or outfit here in South Korea. Just take a gander at this group I spied on the subway.
Rhinestoned, wedge flip-flops (yes, you read that correctly) and panty hose.
Her friend in the be-jeweled white ankle pumps and pastel green toenail polish gives her a run for her money, but it's her "sporty," sensible friend with the khakis and red Vans that really seems out of place.
When I saw this next woman I thought, "How do you think she went about purchasing these gems?"
"Can I help you?"
"Why yes, as a matter of fact you can. I have this great pair of baby blue coolots and some white ankle high nylons. I was thinking that something with a bit of a heel and sort of a combination of a shoe and a sandal would be perfect. Oh, and if there's an open hole in the back, even better!"
I wish this next one came with a sound effect. Remember in Sixteen Candles when the wedding coordinator walks down the isle and her thighs are rubbing together?
Where do you think she was coming from or going to in a knit skirt and red, velcro sneakers?
And panty hose.
With a MAJOR run.
Enough about panty hose. Let's move on to Korean's apparant fascination with perms.
Yes, perms.
They are rampant.
And, having bone straight hair and an inherited addiction to hair products, I kind of get it. I've been told that even children in kindergarten and first grade get them.
I'm pretty sure most children don't care for even getting their hair cut. Can you imagine how pleasant the idea of being hooked up to this with a bunch of stinky solution soaked on your head would be?
Me either.
And then, at least for young men, the result can be something like this....
Which I guess isn't all that bad considering it would confirm that yes, you are in fact an illegitimate son of Gene Simmons.
As summer began, and the heat set in, I noticed there was yet another major commonality among South Korean women - their desire to stay as fare skinned as possible. And the best way to do that while also staying a bit cooler on the city streets? A parasol.
Yes, an umbrella. One that's not waterproof, but that protects that perm from getting too dried out and, in all likelihood, may be made out of the leftover "product" that was used to produce their panty hose.
And, like panty hose, these can be purchased just about anywhere.
If you'll notice in the next section of pictures that it's not hard to score a trifecta of South Korean fashion - panty hose, a perm AND a parasol!
And, if you're really lucky, maybe you can find someone who will set down the parasol and start a pick-up game of hoops. Personally, I'm thinking I should have connected her with the "sporty" Vans wearing girl on the subway.
But what do I know? I think I'm just going to stick with a tradional Korean look.
