Comments on: Shopping and Body Size

By: Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 19:15:00 +0000

In reply to Eunji Choi. True! For every inch of height you're supposed to add another ten pounds to a persons weight to allow for the difference in bone/ muscle growth etc.

By: Eunji Choi

Eunji Choi — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 09:07:00 +0000

“women who weigh over 50kg (approx 110lbs) are considered to be on the heavier side.”

Some might think so but this depends hugely on her height. If taller than 5’4”, than upto 58kg is still okay. From 60kg you maybe considered as heavier side regardless your height. So yes, 50kg could be considered fat if you’re short like 155cm, but not really if your height isn’t so short. My weight is always 58~60kg, I look very average.

By: Eunji Choi

Eunji Choi — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 09:07:00 +0000

“women who weigh over 50kg (approx 110lbs) are considered to be on the heavier side.”

By: Shaun adams

Shaun adams — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 23:59:00 +0000

When I was 13-17, my best friend was half-Korean (we were US Air Force brats. We also lived in England at the time). She was MAYBE one size bigger than I was. We’d go to her house, and her mom would be all over me about how I’m “too skinny” and “need to eat now” regardless of whether I’d just eaten. My friend, on the other hand, was “too fat” and “don’t need a snack.” I was very confused by this.

Then, at age 27, and being 6′ tall and 165 pounds, I moved to Korea to teach English for a year. I was a size Medium/Large (depending) in the U.S. I didn’t go clothes shopping for a couple of months, while I just got used to being in Korea. By the end of 2 months, my Korean diet, addiction to coffee drinks, and walking everywhere had magically led to losing about 35 pounds, and I just HAD TO buy new clothes because nothing fit anymore. So, we went to Dong Dae Mun, and the nicer Korean ladies told me (mind you, at 130# and 6′ tall) that I was “Extra largey” and “we no have extra largey size.” The ruder Korean ladies actually just tried to “shoo” me out of their little booths, as though my gigantic hands would rip everything to shreds if I so much as felt the fabric. I was very discouraged, and can only imagine how someone with a larger than 24″ waist (at the time), which is basically everyone not Korean, felt about shopping. Eventually, I found Uniqlo and a couple of other stores where I could buy things that ALMOST fit. I also learned quite a lot about online shopping and exchange policies.

By: Mandi

Mandi — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 07:34:00 +0000

In reply to Mindy Suk Gwinn.

They basically have a similar type area in the Doota complex in Dongdaemun. I think it’s called “Plus Zone” or something like that. I’m a size XL in the US but like a 3/4XL in Korea…it’s terrible! And THAT’S after losing almost 80lbs!

By: Yewan Holmes

Yewan Holmes — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:38:00 +0000

I had fun when on more than one occasion responded with my waist size (31″) while in Korea only to have the male shop assistant disagree with saying that I couldn’t be that size because I’m a weigukin and he was 32″. I would take great delight in trying on the clothes and proving to them that I was indeed trimmer than they were. HA! I loved shopping in Kroea though–I seemed to be about a centimetre of two taller than average which mean tI was basically mannequin size–in Australia pants are usually a touch too long, in Korea, they fit perfectly! ASSAH~~~

By: Sophie Song

Sophie Song — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 10:24:00 +0000

In reply to Sophie Song. Oh and another related note- Koreans tend to describe the western female body as "glamour" It's Konglish and carries the meaning of curvacious and sexy, from this they have a term "Bagle" which is a kinda shortened version of "BAby face, GLamour body" which is a term they use to describe girls of certain appearance (Korean girls)

By: Sophie Song

Sophie Song — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 10:22:00 +0000

I’m tall, Australian size 12. I fit a Korean dept store size 66, Homeplus size 90-95, Uniqlo size L
I find it hard to buy from the cheapest places in Korea that tend to only have FF/one size as most of that doesn’t fit me, but I have certainly not been lacking in choice of clothes.
The catch for me is shoes. The largest shoe size in Korea for women’s shoes is 255 (millimetres) I am a 265 which is about EU41 or Australian 10. I have been able to buy unisex sneakers and some unisex gumboots, but none of the cute womens shoes here will fit. Something that might surprise you though, is a lot of places do custom fitting is a size is not available (tends to be more expensive places though)
For my wedding I had a hanbok tailormade (long arms and required longer than average length in the skirt) and the shoes also had to be specially ordered

By: Nic

Nic — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 12:07:00 +0000

In reply to aj. oh no!

By: aj

aj — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 11:07:00 +0000

I’m a giant in korea, nearly 6 feet tall and usually a size L at home. if i pick the biggest shirt off the rack (which can fit two of me because oversized shirts here are in style) the sales woman will grab it from my hand and yell NO LARGEEE SiZEEE this is my life in korea lol last time i bought hiking boots I had to buy the lagest mens size in the store…….