Korean men’s fashion inspiration
Thanks to their stylists, we can’t deny that K-drama male leads always dress so well. The good news is that even if you don’t have a stylist, you can style yourself to look as attractive as K-drama male leads. All it takes is a little Korean men’s fashion inspo and planning.
To help you with that, we have compiled 8 Korean men’s fashion examples from K-dramas that will spruce up your image in no time.
1. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay – Moon Gang-tae’s boy-next-door look
Image credit: tvN 드라마(Drama)
Moon Gang-tae’s style in It’s Okay To Not Be Okay screams “boy-next-door”. It is a comfortable and basic everyday look that is suitable for casual days. His outfits are a mix of plain T-shirts, flannels, and denim outerwear.
To achieve this look, remember that less is more.
Image adapted from: tvN 드라마(Drama) and tvN 드라마(Drama)
Invest in a good plain white T-shirt – it will complement almost any type of outerwear, from flannels to denim jackets.
Image adapted from: tvN 드라마(Drama) and tvN 드라마(Drama)
For outerwear, stick to basic colours such as blue and grey. These are safe choices that are easy to pull off, as proven by Moon Gang-tae.
Image credit: tvN 드라마(Drama)
Complete the boy-next-door look with a trusty pair of denim jeans.
Image credit: tvN 드라마(Drama)
Elevate your look by tucking in your shirt and buttoning up the outerwear partially. For something more casual, leave the outerwear unbuttoned.
2. The King: Eternal Monarch – Lee Gon’s cosy chaebol look
Image credit: SBS
Lee Gon’s look in The King: Eternal Monarch showcased a wide variety of overcoats, making him look elegant yet comfortable – just like a cosy chaebol.
The plethora of overcoats donned by Lee Gon, ranging from plain colours to snazzy designs, helped accentuate his broad shoulders and tall height. It can do the same for you if you get two things right – choosing the right fit and matching the layers well.
Image adapted from: SBS and SBS
Finding an overcoat that fits your shoulders well ensures that you can move around comfortably. Lighter colours draw attention to your upper body, giving the illusion of a bigger frame.
Image credit: SBS
Try pairing your overcoat with turtlenecks, dress shirts, and knitted sweaters and see which combination suits you best.
Image adapted from: SBS and SBS
Textured and patterned overcoats should be paired with a plain top while solid-coloured overcoats can be worn with patterned inner layers.
In the drama, Lee Gon favours overcoats in black, grey, navy blue, and camel.
3. Itaewon Class – Park Sae-royi’s oversized street look
Image credit: JTBC Drama
In Itaewon Class, Park Sae-royi’s street look comprises a variety of oversized bomber jackets, hoodies, and pullovers. His outfits are loose-fitting, making it a fashionable yet comfortable look to recreate.
The tip for this look is “if it’s not oversized, you’re not doing it right”.
Image adapted from (left to right): JTBC, JTBC, and JTBC Drama
This look is very easy to achieve. When shopping, look for oversized denim jackets and hoodies – Park Sae-royi prefers solid colours with simple designs.
You can match the oversized tops with loose jeans, cargo pants, or even joggers.
Image adapted from: JTBC and JTBC
Those who prefer a tougher street look should go for oversized bomber jackets, which will create the illusion of broader shoulders.
4. Crash Landing On You – Ri Jeong-hyeok’s dandy turtleneck look
Image credit: TvN
Turtlenecks are immensely popular in South Korea and even Ri Jeong-hyeok from Crash Landing On You could not resist them.
Turtlenecks are versatile and can be paired with various types of outerwear, such as overcoats, baseball jackets, and cardigans. Ri Jeong-hyeok perfected the dandy look with turtlenecks and you can do the same too.
Image credit: TvN
The outerwear that you match your turtleneck with can greatly affect the level of formality of your outfit. Pairing it with a chesterfield coat will give off a formal vibe, while a cardigan or baseball jacket makes the turtleneck look more casual.
Image adapted from: TvN and TvN
It is also important to avoid clashing colours. Ri Jeong-hyeok goes with different shades of grey and black, which are easily paired together.
5. My First First Love – Yun Tae-O’s preppy look
Image credit: Koreandrama.org
Yun Tae-O in My First First Love sports a casual preppy style with a variety of baseball jackets, hoodies, and pullovers. Even if you are not a student now, nothing’s stopping you from wearing a preppy outfit for casual meetups.
Image adapted from: My First First Love and Ji Soo – 김지수 Indonesia Fans Club
Sweaters and hoodies with collegiate designs are popular choices among students. Plain pullovers worn over a dress shirt will create a staple preppy look.
Image credit: My First First Love
Stay away from baseball jackets that are too colourful as it can make your outfit look “busy”. Instead, stick to those with 2 or 3 colours at most – take Tae-O’s navy baseball jacket with white stripes as a good example.
6. Dinner Mate – Kim Hae-kyong’s casual suit look
Image credit: MBC
In Dinner Mate, Kim Hae-kyong proved that suits aren’t just for formal occasions. Throughout the drama, he can be seen wearing suits even when going for a simple dinner.
Image adapted from: MBC and MBC
When choosing a casual suit, try to avoid dark colours. Dark suits are basically the staple of businessmen, which is – to put it bluntly – boring. However, if you match a dark-coloured suit with a patterned shirt, like Kim Hae-kyong does, it can counterbalance the formality of your overall look.
Image credit: MBC
Alternatively, you could go with patterned or textured suits that look more fun and informal. Pair your suits with polo shirts, linen shirts, and shirts with mandarin collars, rather than regular dress shirts.
7. To All The Guys Who Loved Me – Park Do-gyum’s quirky look
Image credit: KBS 드라마
Park Do-gyum in To All The Guys Who Loved Me never failed to brighten up the atmosphere with his quirky and colourful outfits. From tropical prints to stripes, his penchant for loud designs helped portray him as a cheerful and lively person.
If you are in need of a vibrant update to your dull wardrobe, take inspiration from his outfits.
Image adapted from: KBS 드라마 and KBS 드라마
The key to the quirky look is, of course, bright colours. Park Do-gyum utilised yellow, green and orange – all cheerful and bold colours – in his outfits. Bright colours might seem daunting to wear, so tone it down by pairing a colourful top with a neutral-coloured bottom.
Image adapted from: KBS 드라마 and KBS 드라마
If colourful prints are too much for you, stick to tops in solid bright colours or ones with simple patterns like stripes.
8. A Piece of Your Mind – Moon Ha-won’s sweater look
Image credit: TvN
A Piece of Your Mind’s Moon Ha-won rocked a classic sweater look. Thanks to the fuzzy and soft quality of knitted sweaters, the look can make you appear friendlier and down-to-earth.
Image credit: TvN
Sweaters can be made with different materials such as wool, cotton, and cashmere, and different materials provide different levels of warmth. If you don’t plan to layer for the sweater look, avoid wool sweaters as they can feel itchy against bare skin. Choose cotton sweaters instead.
Image adapted from: TvN and TvN
Those who prefer a classic look can go for sweaters with solid colours, while those who like to make a strong impression should choose colourful designs and patterns.
Korean men’s fashion inspiration from dramas
As the saying goes, if you never try, you’ll never know. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and take on colours and designs you haven’t tried before.
Armed with these K-drama men’s fashion tips, you too can steal the hearts of many – just like a K-drama oppa – with just a small wardrobe update.
Check out other K-culture articles:
- Korean photo poses for men
- K-pop dance tips for beginners
- Korean Instagram photo tips
- Popular Korean slang in 2020
- Photos of Seoul then & now
Cover image adapted from: tvN 드라마(Drama), SBS and tvN