Long black puffer jackets have long dominated South Korea’s winter streets.
But in a country known for its fast-changing fashion trends, could brighter colours be making their way into winter wardrobes?
K-pop stars such as Red Velvet’s Seulgi, Aespa’s Karina and Winter, and Ive’s Jang Wonyoung have been seen wearing puffer jackets in various colours, suggesting a shift influenced by local fashion brands.
“In the past, companies often concentrated their inventory on staple colours like black and navy, which were guaranteed to sell, while offering other colours mainly as additional options,” a local fashion industry official said.
“Recently, we’ve seen substantial demand for colourful products, so companies are offering a wider range of colours from the product-planning stage.”
Read more: Why are lightweight puffers becoming South Korea’s latest fashion must-have?
However, some remain skeptical about the trend’s longevity.
“If you’re going to wear it often, just buy black. Who’s going to wear it once the trend dies out?” said Kwon Young-jin, 32, an office worker in Seoul.
“Black padded jackets are all I ever wear during winter. They’re easier to maintain than lighter-coloured ones,” said Kang Soo-min, 38.
Others are open to embracing change.
“Wearing only black is so monotonous, and everything looks the same no matter what you wear, so I bought a lemon-coloured one this time,” said Park Hae-soo, 29, who recently purchased a lightweight puffer jacket.
Fashion industry experts explain that the rising popularity of colour-focused trends such as “mint-core”, “lemon-core” and “purple-core”, denoting an ordinary style, has increased demand for winter outerwear in a wider range of shades.
Read more: Grape expectations: The colour purple proves its staying power in fashion
The colour-focused trend is visible in online search data.
On Zigzag, a fashion platform operated by Kakao Style, searches for “purple” surged 740% in July-September compared with the same period last year.
Searches for “lemon” increased more than eightfold, while those for “mint” increased more than fivefold.
W Concept, another fashion platform, reported similar trends.
The average transaction value for products in lemon, olive and purple shades increased by approximately 40% year over year.
Sales of mint-coloured products rose 130%, while sales of lemon- and olive-coloured products increased by 92% and 39&, respectively. – The Korea Herald
