Short Skirt, Long Jacket: What Trendy Korean Girls Are Wearing Right Now

Tokyo used to be the fashion capitol of East Asia, but with the rise in popularity of K-dramas and K-pop groups like BTS and BlackPink, South Korea is putting itself on the map in terms of street fashion.

Here are just a few of the trends in Seoul this year for spring and summer fashion. How many of them are you going to incorporate?

Aviator Glasses

In Seoul, the rounded Harry Potter-esque glasses are on the out, and the always timeless aviator style is worming its way back onto the street fashion scene. This style can be seen in sunglasses and regular glasses, and worn by just about anyone, whether they need corrected vision or not. I'm not a huge fan of aviators, because I don't think they suit my face, but this lady is rocking 'em!

Over-sized Cardigan and Jackets

The heroines in all my favorite K-dramas have been rocking the over-sized blazer look since last winter and I doubt this style is going away any time soon. Fabrics will get lighter and the dresses underneath a bit shorter, but the large, structured blazer will hang on. I can't imagine wanting to make my shoulders look any wider than they already are, but there's something about playing with silhouettes like this.

Short Skirts

To contrast drowning in your jacket, pair it up with a short skirt or dress. Spring and summer in Korea gets notoriously hot and humid, so you have to bare a little skin somewhere to keep cool. By the way, anyone familiar with the song Short Skirt, Long Jacket by Cake? 

Sporty Meets Business 

This was a popular combo at Seoul Fashion Week Spring 2019 and a variant of it caught on across the pond a while back too. This is mixing athletic gear with your office wardrobe - such as a pair of white sneakers with a classic black blazer. Korea's taking it one bold step further, layering the trendy over-sized blazer with an ultra comfy pair of track pants.

Neutral Monochrome

Minimalism never dies in Japan and it looks like Korea is determined to keep breathing life into it as well. Whenever you have a counter-culture full of youthful texture and color, there is always a more conservative style to balance it out. While neutral palettes of white, black, and beige ensembles are aplenty in districts like Gangnam, it wouldn't be out of place to spot a monochrome red getup either.

Waist Cinching

Since I'm on team "not an amorphous blob in collared tweed" I'm a huge fan of waist-cinching. It's an easy way to remind everyone that you do indeed have a human silhouette under all that fabric. Try this with a long dress that hangs just a little too shapelessly on you or maybe give it a try on your favorite trench. Bonus points if the belt doesn't match anything else on your outfit. USB cable works in a pinch.

Leopard Print Everything

Some trends truly are global. Thank God, Buddha, and the goddess of mercy Guanyin that my leopard trench would be just as on-trend in Seoul as it would be in London or New York. Now...how do they feel about snake print???

Pops Of Neon

Is neon still trendy in the states? I'm fairly certain it popped up on the runway, but I'm not seeing any of it - being eschewed in favor of the always popular pastels and floral. (insert gif - you know the one) so what a breath of fresh air to see just a peak of neon yellow on this otherwise all business looking lass. Creative Director? I barely know her!


While I may not be racing over to Goodwill to find a pair of track pants ala the Spice Girls, I might just see if my favorite athleisure leggings will pass muster at the office one of these days. Should I invest in a larger-than-life blazer or trench? I'm really thinking about it...

More Korean Trends:

7 Korean Fashion Trends You Need for 2019

Street Styles from Seoul

Are any of these Korean fashion trends up your alley? 

Which would you wear this season?

 Let me know in the comments!