Black, grey, white: Why South Koreans love monochrome fashion

SEOUL – When Ms Isabel Smith, 32, arrived in Seoul from the United States a year ago, she was struck by one thing – not the food or subway system, but the colours, or rather, the lack of them.

“Everyone dresses in black, white or grey,” the English teacher says, laughing. “In the US, I used to wear bold make-up and colourful outfits. Here, I stand out everywhere I go.”

Her students often tell her: “It looks great on you, but it wouldn’t suit me.”

Once, Ms Smith walked into a Chanel store, hoping to find a pair of vibrant orange earrings she had seen online. The sales associate smiled politely and said: “We don’t sell that colour in Korea. It doesn’t sell well here.”

Her experience is not just personal. According to logistics giant CJ Logistics’ 2021 Everyday Life Report, based on parcel-delivery data, South Koreans’ love of neutral fashion is measurable.

Among all clothing items shipped by colour, black accounted for 38 per cent, white 15 per cent and grey 9 per cent, meaning over 62 per cent of delivered fashion items were monochromatic.

Experts say this preference reflects both cultural psychology and practicality.

Desire not to stand out

Ms Kwon Eun-ji, 34, admits she rarely wears colour.

“My closet is mostly white, black, navy – muted tones. Sometimes green, but very subdued shades,” she says. “Once, I saw a cute red striped polo online, but I ended up buying the navy one. I thought, ‘What if it’s too flashy? What will people say?’”

One day, she wore a yellow cardigan to work. Everyone commented – “Your outfit is very bright today”, “That colour suits you” and “Are you having a date tonight?”

Though the comments were mostly positive, she says the attention made her uncomfortable. “I don’t like people noticing what I wear,” she adds. “I just want to blend in.”

Professor Lee Ji-kyung of Kyungsung University believes “neutral colours convey humility and social harmony – values rooted in Korean culture. Standing out too much can feel uncomfortable in a society that values fitting in”.

“Koreans were once called ‘the white-clad people’ because they traditionally favoured white hanbok,” she says. “Today, that preference has expanded to other neutrals, black and grey, representing modesty, calm and refinement.”

In a small survey of 176 university students that Prof Lee conducted for The Korea Herald, 41.5 per cent say they preferred neutral colours because they “didn’t want to attract attention”. Another 33.5 per cent say colourful clothes were “hard to match or might look unflattering”, while 8 per cent mention that bright clothes “stain easily or are difficult to maintain”.

Others say they simply found neutrals “comfortable” (12 respondents), reserved colour for “special occasions like dates” (four respondents) or “rarely found colourful options in stores” (six respondents).

Practicality of monochrome

For many, neutral fashion is not just about caution but efficiency.

Mr Park Nam-jin, a 33-year-old office worker, says his monochrome style helps cut down the time he spends choosing outfits for his hectic life. Between getting ready, commuting and working, he spends more than 12 hours a day on work-related activities and does not want another hassle like matching colours.

“Neutral clothes go with everything,” he adds. “I don’t have to think about matching colours every morning. I care more about fit and texture when I shop. That way, even in grey or black, I can look effortlessly put together.”

Professor and director Lee Jee-hyun of the Fashion Design Lab at Yonsei University says neutral tones dominate South Korea’s market for practical reasons.

“Neutral colours mix easily with different fabrics and layers. It reduces the chance of styling mistakes,” she adds.

Buying a few black and white pieces allows people to “reuse and recombine outfits economically” while still appearing stylish.

“That’s why black and white T-shirts are the most commonly sold and worn wardrobe staples,” she says.

In winter, the sea of black coats and padded jackets on the streets is not accidental.

“Outerwear is expensive and not changed frequently,” she says. “Black is popular because it hides stains and matches everything inside.”

In a society where harmony often outweighs individual expression, South Korea’s monochrome fashion says as much about social psychology as it does about style, she adds.

For Ms Smith, it is still surprising that her love for orange and bright pink draws so many eyes. “Maybe, colour here isn’t about the clothes – it’s about harmony,” she says. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK