Alright so if you’ve been keeping up with my posts you
probably will remember me mentioning this, but for those who haven’t, I’ll
repeat my self- make sure to pack enough as much clothing as you can cram into
your suitcases, especially if you’re a guy. This is due to the fact that
western size clothing is very hard to find or outrageously expensive in Seoul,
especially for guys since most clothing stalls and stores for that matter are
geared for women. But not to worry, if you’re already in Korea and need to buy
some clothes, there are some good places to check out in Seoul. Here’s a list
of the top four places I found during my stay there.
1. Myeongdong- When I say Myeongdong, I mean the
street and areas right outside of Myeongdong Station. This area is filled to
the brim with clothing, beauty products, and athletics stores. Now most of
these will be brand name stores like H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, Adidas, etc., so
the prices will be somewhat higher. However, there are also plenty of street
vendors selling plenty of wares like shirts, bags, phone cases, and very
delicious street food for lower places. I know this was one of my favorite
places to buy scarves for less than 10,000 won. However, be advised that most
of the clothing sold on the street is one size fits all, and by that I mean Asian
sizes, so you might have trouble finding anything that fits. Additionally,
Myeongdong is one of the main areas that tourists visit so the streets and
stores are packed to the gills with people pretty much daily.
2. Dongdaemun- This area is right outside the Dongdaemun
History and Culture Park Station and is home to a sizable number of shopping
malls, street vendors, and small clothing stores. One of my favorite malls to
visit was Doota, considering it was of the few places that had larger sizes,
but do be warned that the prices are somewhat steep. This area is also home to
a night market that, I believe, usually starts up around 8 PM and is huge. I’m
sure that you’ll be able to find some clothing you like by walking around the
stalls. Even if you don’t, the area is very lit up and lively so it makes for a
fun experience. On a final note, there is also the Pyeonghwa Fashion Town (평화시장), an
absolutely massive shopping complex where you can definitely find a ton of
clothing. However, most of the clothing is of the mass-produced wholesale type
and you must be prepared to at least haggle with the vendors- otherwise you’ll
be taken advantage of on prices like one of my friends did.
3. Itaewon- For you guys who are not rail thin or
just happen to have a broad body type, Itaewon will probably be your best,
maybe only bet, for finding clothing fitted to your size. Itaewon, being the
foreigner district, for sure sells large size clothing in order to satisfy the
large number of foreigners living in the area. Finding a clothing store that
carries clothing in these sizes is made even easier because the vast majority
of them have a sign explicitly saying something like “Big Size.” However, the
clothing selections in these stores leaves plenty to be desired and the prices
are outrageous with $100+ prices on jeans being common.
4. Metro Stations- Here I’m not talking about a
specific station, but pretty much all Metro stations. The vast majority of
subway stations in Seoul are not just Metro stations, they also double as mini
shopping centers with a number of small outlets in each one. Gangnam Station,
in particular, is huge and contains tons of small clothing vendors where you
can pick up some good outfits for cheap. Be advised, though, that these areas
are geared mainly for women with most clothing being for females. Every once in
a while you’ll find some men’s clothing but it’s rare, at least from what I
saw.
Before you go to any of these places be sure to look up a
chart with conversions to Korean clothing sizes. There’s one here. If all else
fails and you can’t find clothing anywhere, your last resort will be to have
someone back home ship you some clothing, but it will be slow and costly.
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