For quite a while, I have been heavily interested in East Asian - specifically Korean - fashion, which is one of the many factors that brought me to this country. I have always been interested in Korean fashion, but because I live in America it is difficult to obtain and the shipping prices are nearly through the roof. By living here, I have uncovered some stark differences, both good and bad, between Korean and American fashion so I thought I'd share what I've found here.  

I'll start with American fashion so that we have something to go off of for comparison's sake. The fashion of America is ever changing, constantly growing and sticking to its elements, yet retaining a fluidity to move with the times. American fashion is often times heavily focused on what you would call basics. We adhere to simple colors and patterns, dressing them up with accessories or down with sneakers and a pullover. Mostly, when we are aiming for a formality level we tend to stay within that range, never daring to wear sneakers with dresses or suits or anything of the sort. Over the past few years the clothing style of America's youth has grown more and more provocative due to the immense and dynamic influence the media holds over them. Crop tops and high waisted shorts riddled with holes and slits have reached the top of the fashion tier (much of the fashion world is turning to bold performers such as Miley Cyrus for current inspiration). All in all, American fashion can be considered rather vast and not completely one-style. In America, the motto is to dress in a way which makes you comfortable, to the point where you can be proud and, most importantly, feel good enough to take on the entire world in what you wear.

"The clothes we wear and the trends we follow are often associated with superficiality and materialism. Fleeting styles come rapidly into vogue, then disappear as quickly as they came. But fashion has always been intrinsically connected to deeper elements of the American experience, from the economy and labor system to culture, religion, and class. From our underwear to our Levi's to our sneakers, what we wear has, for centuries, spoken volumes about who we are, what we do, and what we want. Whether Americans have dressed to make a political statement, to assert their class status, or simply to be irreverent, every style has carried a certain social meaning. This is in part because our culture has long ascribed great significance to individuals' public image, and because image has long been intertwined with the American capitalist economy. As Mark Twain once wrote, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." Then again, Twain never lived to see the rise of Playboy. Clothes—or the lack thereof—remain central to contemporary American culture and integral to our national history."

In Korea, there seems to be one key element that has taken the youth's fashion trends by storm: business casual. Every time I walk out my door, I am completely immersed in a world of blazers, tights, pencil skirts, and heels. Korean women have taken up this concept of a powerful image, which they definitely know how to pull off, while America is still aiming for comfortability and personal expression. Typically, an average American college student will be spotted in sweats and sneakers before a skirt and blouse. Americans in their teens and twenties are all about embracing their youth and dressing accordingly, yet here, the majority of college students I see here look dressed up enough to attend a business meeting and fit in without issue. While I do love this look as a whole, I'm not entirely able to pull it off, myself, so I really commend them (also for running in those heels, something I've seen multiple times).

On the other side of the spectra, Korea is ahead of its time when it come to contemporary fashion. Stores like Aboki, Arooki, and namely Stylenanda have completely captured my attention and adoration. Stylenanda, in particular, carries Jeffrey Campbell shoes as well as a number of vintage pieces that make it so unique and sought after. In addition, it is moderately affordable (unless you get into the vintage or hat section), which makes it a jetsetter fore Korean fashion as a whole. They are bold and brave in their choices, and additionally have a top Ulzzang working for them which brings in a lot of business. Because stores like this are garnishing more and more attention, I think there will be a bit of a shift in Korean fashion in the next few years - at least in the younger generation.