“My first impression was that Korean people are very fashion-forward,” said Sofía Basurto, an American exchange student at Korea University. “But then you can see how people dress in a similar way, and within a similar color palette.”
Like many aspects of contemporary Korean society, Korean fashion focuses heavily on trends. But for new arrivals to Korea like Basurto, it can be very difficult to stay on-trend if you don’t have the inside track on what’s hot and what’s not.
While there may be numerous ways Koreans like to work out what’s trendy when they shop for clothes — walking around shopping malls, browsing through racks at underground shopping centers and thrift shopping in traditional markets — not all options are English-friendly.
One of the easiest ways to keep up with the latest fashion styles is through a number of fashion applications.
According to research by Opensurvey, 88.2 percent of young Koreans in their 20s and 30s use online shopping platforms, where they can view a broader range of clothes, compare prices and easily read reviews.
Here are some of the best English-friendly fashion applications that will help you build a trendy wardrobe for this F/W season.
ZigZag
![[SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2022/10/01/e72dc294-7ec9-4784-afc2-d7756dbe07ca.jpg)
If you are unsure where to start with online shopping malls, this is a great place to look. ZigZag is a staple shopping app that gathers other shopping mall websites’ products and offers recommendations based on the user’s interests and styles.
![[SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2022/10/01/1904a83d-8c38-47c9-871b-fa52fa0559af.jpg)
ZigZag offers a ranking of individual shopping malls and the products in each category based on their popularity. If you are not yet aware of the countless shopping mall websites, you can easily get a glimpse of what options are available.
There is no need to sign up several times for these individual shopping mall websites. By making an account on ZigZag you can purchase from different stores and keep track of delivery and refund processes within the application.
There are over 7,000 shops available, but ZigZag will not leave you swamped with options. The app offers categorized items based on editors’ picks or trending styles such as retro, elegant polished, preppy, and more.
Besides the convenience of not having to make countless IDs for several websites, ZigZag users benefit from in-app reviews. Since the app has a wide user base, you can often find more reviews through the app than the review section on the actual shopping mall websites.
Prices vary, but many items are relatively cheap compared to shopping in department stores or offline shopping malls.
Under product information, there is a “For You” section where you can easily find similar styles or sometimes the same item sold in different stores. This function is handy to get a sense of prices and avoid being ripped off.
ZigZag is available in English and Japanese.
onthelook
![[SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2022/10/01/dd137820-b11d-458e-9a2b-efc6d525908e.jpg)
Have you ever left a comment on an influencer’s post asking where their outfit is from and waited forever for an answer? If so, this one is for you.
![[SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2022/10/01/9564467c-8d0b-4aad-bc7f-df6a8adf8a57.jpg)
But the fashion creators on onthelook do not gatekeep their chosen items.
“Fashion creators” are not the professional models you typically see in advertising clothes. They are normal stylish people who are approved by onthelook to share their fashion. Since they are monetarily rewarded when their posts lead to a purchase, they voluntarily provide outfit information.
With a simple tap on a post, all the tags appear revealing the brand, product name, price, color, and size.
Different from ZigZag, onthelook does not provide in-app purchases. Instead, the tag directs you to the website for purchase.
If you select an item you can see other posts styled with the item and get recommendations on other products that are similar.
Selecting occasions from exhibitions and school to weddings and dates leads you to a collection of posts where you can get a grasp of what other Korean people would wear. onthelook is a relatively new platform but it’s growing fast as you can apply and contribute as a fashion creator yourself.
onthelook is available in English and Japanese.
Kream
![[SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2022/10/01/db5e9b84-b154-4ec4-bc0b-49d57a4a6195.jpg)
You can easily spot people wearing Nike Dunk Lows around Seoul, but they are out of stock on the official website most of the time. Have you ever wondered how so many Koreans get their hands on limited-edition or popular items?
![[SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2022/10/01/e6e0af8e-f0b2-4978-87aa-e55daffb2616.jpg)
Kream is a resale market application for rare products. You can easily navigate the app and contribute as either a seller or a buyer. Only new, unused products can be traded.
Kream is more focused on high-end brands such as Jordan, Off-White, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Bearbrick. While it is best known as the go-to place for sneakerheads, Kream also covers clothing and electronics such as the Dyson Airwrap and Apple AirPods Max.
The price is set according to need and demand. Like a stock market, you can check the prices in real-time and offer bids. The price may vary depending on size or color, as well as the time you are looking into it.
You can access a graph for how the price has changed for the past year, which helps you decide when you want to either sell or buy items. The graph is also an indicator of how popular the item is.
Being a reliable platform to trade pricy items makes Kream stand out from other well-known secondhand goods markets. Rather than waiting for a buyer or seller and communicating one-on-one, the transaction process is mediated by Kream.
Also, Kream has built a reputation for having a strict verification system on whether an item is authentic or not. If it is proven that the traded item is an imitation, Kream compensates the buyer at triple the price paid and the seller faces a heavy penalty.
Unfortunately, some parts of the application such as category names are not fully translated, but most of the product information is offered in English.
Top tips when shopping in Korea
Size standards are generally formed based on Korean frames and are likely to be smaller and tighter than Western standards.
Especially for female clothing, many Korean brands and shopping malls produce clothing in the range of sizes 44, 55, 66, 77, and so on. How this works out differs for each piece, but generally, a size 55 is equivalent to the smallest size in the United States. Sizes larger than 66 in Korea, which is roughly a size 8, are likely to be manufactured as plus-size clothing.
Many fast fashion clothing items are one-sized, or labeled “free size.” However, these sizes are most likely to come out small by Western standards.
The safest way to shop successfully is to refer to the size chart for individual products and websites, as well as to check the reviews for recommended sizing.
BY STUDENT REPORTER KIM WON [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]
