044/ What I'm Wearing: Weeks 30-31.5
My final week(s) in Korea, the sets I found around town, and Ukrainian flats.
What I’m Wearing is a series where I share all of the outfits I’ve worn over a given week (or two), along with links, styling notes and related thoughts. If you see an outfit you like on my Instagram, you’ll find it here.
Good morning, readers!
This will be a quick and dirty What I’m Wearing so I can get you links to all my outfits per your requests on Instagram!
I’m in the car at the moment en route to Incheon airport, on our way to catch our flight to Osaka. ICYMI, I sent out my newsletter yesterday of the twelve Korean brands which caught my eye. Next week, I’ll put together my favourite places to shop in Seoul, and in the meantime, I hope to be able to do some similar scouting for interesting brands and shops in Japan to share with you.
There’s a small chance that my family will go home as planned in two weeks, and that I might stay an extra few days to spend time exploring Japan alone…TBC!
Days 1 & 5
Having been solo parenting here for a month, it was a miracle that I got any shopping done…so thank goodness you can conveniently shop as you’re momming in your local grocery store!
If you’ve been to Korea, you know about Shinsegae-owned emart, which sells groceries, toys, books, household goods, and, yes, random clothing and accessories, including this set. So random, in fact, that I passed by a few racks of Zara clothes. Not a few styles with full size runs, but racks of random one-off pieces. I didn’t stop to look closely, so I didn’t see how current the clothes were, but the point is, emart’s clothing offering is random!
At first glance, the set looked chic and seemed ideal for the sweat situation here (constant), while also feeling Very Korean, which I define as: a similar style to what I see a lot of women wearing here, relatively modest coverage, lightly shaped along the body line but sitting away from the body, and in neutral colours. The popularity of neutrals is a relatively new thing — for as long as I can remember, people had been wearing very bright colours and loud prints.
I couldn’t decide between the beige and chocolate brown, so I got both. I’ve included a link to the brand, L-Heim, above but unfortunately, I couldn’t find the set on the website. Each set was C$110, which I thought was reasonable despite knowing had I shopped around in the countless boutiques which source from Dongdaemun, or in Dongdaemun itself, I could have found something similar for less. But, time was not a luxury I had this month, so I was happy with my purchase!
I got a ton of messages about my sister’s bag, so you may be interested to know that she’s getting her ducks in a row to make them! They’ll be made-to-order and shipped from New York where she lives. When she has everything sorted, I’ll be sure to let you know here. Watch this space!
Crucially, for my sanity (and because I missed him, lol) my husband arrived in Korea two days ago, and brought — among other things, including childcare relief — the red Hereu flats I had ordered a couple of weeks ago. I knew they were a keeper as soon as I put them on. They’re so comfortable, and as someone who sticks to primarily neutral footwear, they‘ll be a welcome injection of colour to my outfits. Bonus that I’ll be able to wear them for most of the year because they’re full coverage.
With all the flats I’ve added to my wardrobe this year, I’ll have to work on my sock-flat game come fall! Stay tuned for that…
Speaking of flats, a few months ago I mentioned a Ukrainian footwear brand named Hvoya which caught my eye, but wasn’t sure how I’d get my hands on their shoes given its website quotes four weeks for delivery to Canada, and the potential complications around duties and returns.
Well, I just got an email from Moda Operandi saying they’re carrying the brand’s Merezhyvni Woven Flats in white and black, which according to the specs is “handmade for more than 20 hours.” It’s just one style, but maybe this is a sign that we’ll be seeing more of this brand in the North American market soon?
Days 2 & 4
My Donni shorts continue to my the most worn item on this trip for the simple fact that I can throw them in the sink and hand wash them after every wear.
Day 3
And I’m still loving these Doen shorts, although I’ve been selective as to when I wear them because they’re white, and I have two boys crawling (or cuddling, depending on your POV) all over me at all times.
Day 6
This set. Also white. Is it Simone Rocha? Is it Cecilie? Nein, it’s Korean brand Comb Studio! I’ve linked to the set in the photo caption, but I’m not sure if they ship outside of Korea. Many of you told me you wanted it, so if you know someone here who can ship it to you, I think it’s well worth it. Both pieces were C$280 total after a 20% discount.
A note about sizing: many small Korean brands often only come in one size, and that size is generally small, or even x-small by North American/European sizing conventions.
The top I’m wearing only comes in small but it’s very roomy so I can see it fitting up to a North American/European size large. The skirt comes in small and medium but not large. I couldn’t zip up the small, and while the medium fit, it became quite snug after having lunch. In other words, it fits very small, so make sure to check the measurements before you order!
That’s it for today. I’m signing off from the Motherland (I expect lots of tears at the airport when I say goodbye to my dad) and will see you next week from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Irene
"depending on your POV" -- you made me laugh, think and know more! XOXOX