Tag Archives: KPOP

BoomShakaStylin’ Shinee – Why So Serious?

May 7, 2013 Talyssa Leave a comment

Shinee is back with their new debut song “Why So Serious?”

I don’t really understand the KPOP trend in Korea at the moment with the saying “Why so serious?” I guess GDragon made it popular in Crayon…then Epik High had that performance at the MAMA awards which featured every member dressed as a Batman character…and now this..

but what exactly sparked the trend…? Batman was never overly big in Korea?

Dun dun DUNNNNNN

We don’t know.

But what we do know is that Shinee’s hero outfit for this music video is perfectly suited to the lyrics and zombie dance moves of the song.

ZOMBIE GRUNGE

Shinee’s outfit seamlessly ties the MV together by further communicating the vibe and character of the song – a man whose heart has been in a zombie-like state for some time (or maybe the song is actually a supernatural tale about a zombie who has been buried for way too long). Regardless of your reading, his love has finally been awakened by a beautiful lady, who he tries to convince to be his, but she is a bit apprehensive as he is not the typical guy she would go for. The character likens his feelings of love to that of awakening from a zombie-like state “A heart where only dust used to be,” “my pale lips are again crimson-colored lipstick,” “my blood is heating up again, all that is because of you.”

Shinee’s grungy punk rocker style in this look, acheives a zombie-like aesthetic by coordinating together colours of red, black, grey and white with ripped cage tops, patchwork pants, casual T-shirts and ripped jeans.

Does anyone also get an MJ Thriller vibe from these outfits?? lol. Here you can also see Minho and Key with their blazers and Taemin with his Fedora X Top Hat.

What I find interesting is the addition of gentlemanly attire in the outfits – e.g. blazers and Taemin’s Fedora x Top Hat. The juxtaposition this creates with the grungy messy clothing, compliments the lyrics of the song as if to say, “hey I know I may look like a dangerous and unusual guy (zombie grunge clothes), but If you gave me a chance you’d see my feelings are true and despite my look, I’m a gentleman (blazers!! yay). Trust me, this won’t be a sad love story, everything will be great!!”

Shinee enhance the supernatural element of their look through accessorising. All members have dyed hair, painted nails and coloured contact lenses.

Now, Taemin’s stare has always creeped me out…I don’t know exactly how comfortable I feel having THAT STARE enhanced with contact lenses….To the right Onew flaunts his beautifully painted nails. In the clip the polish appears to have a gold-ish metallic shine to it when in the light.

Key’s sailor hat also adds a nice supernatural touch. At first I was like “what the…?” But it actually helps to give that supernatural vibe in two ways. First of all, it has magical powers or something because Key manages to dance, jump, lay down, and all the while it does not move an inch on his head!!! Secondly it gives off a supernatural vibe of “a time much before now.” Like maybe Key is a sailor zombie~~ who died out at sea oooooooooooooh.

Close up of Key’s outfit and his sailor hat. I think Key’s look has the strongest zombie vibe out of the members because it is the most unusual and quirky – I mean look at those mixed-matched shoes! The photo to the right I had to put in because he just looks hella creepy in a cringe-worthy way!!

For me Taemin and Onew rock this look flawlessly…well almost. Taemin’s Fedora X Top Hat is slightly confusing just as his “A” side pouch/bag thing is..

What does the “A” mean Taemin??! What does the “A” mean?!?

Then it hit me. Aria, Hannah, Spencer and Emily!!!! I have found who “A” is!!!!! He has had a gigantic label on him this entire time!!! Sheesh! Who knew Taemin had a double identity as the villain of Pretty Little Liars?!!?!?

Dayum ~~girl~~ boy! Your legs are fine~ And I really love the cage top.

Absolutely love the casual vibe of Onew’s outfit. I love the layering effect of the tshirt, shirt and jacket. The shoes are awesome as well!! Great look!

The biggest disappointment is my favourite member…Minho!!! First of all, his gorgeous hair has been ruined!! His red blazer, over his grandpa buttoned up cardigan and 1960s old man checked pants just make me so sad. His cute boy vibe has changed to one of a middle aged (or older) Korean man. I want Minho’s pinchable cheeks back!! I want his PINCHABLE CHEEKS BACK !!!!

What has happened Minho!? You use to be so CUTE!!!!

THE WHITE TUX

I like the concept of this look. The clean palette, minimalistic graphic shirts and fitted blazers make it pretty hard to fault this modern take on a combo staple. I love how the look takes the concept of the ‘classic tuxedo’ but transforms it to a wearable everyday look with street fashion pieces like creepers, fedora hats, zipper details etc. This captures the essence of a tuxedo without the formality.

If you look closely you can see that there’s two versions of suits: symmetrical and asymmetrical.

Symmetrical

Minho and Key.

Winner: Minho

Ultimate favourite is Minho’s style. It’s just classy period. The black trimming on the blazer’s lapel collar against the white of the blazer and the simple graphic button down shirt with rare comprehensible English sentences, check!

The white skinnies are what pull the look together. Choosing a pair of black skinnies would be playing it safe but white just took it to the next stage of class.

Key’s look is a bit hit-and-miss on the blazer detail. The pockets in the design are great to show contrast and to balance the kneepads (I’m guessing) however the subtleness in the border trimming gets overtaken by the presence of such a bold patch of colour. His blouse detail is AMAZING I must say, but not enough for me to forgive that blazer!! haha His “beat” earring was a bit out there when I first saw it. It matches his personality though; I dunno what I feel about it with this outfit yet.

Asymmetrical

Onew and Taemin

Winner: Taemin

Can’t go wrong with a top hat to bring some extra swag to your threads. Seriously, top hat, WTF? How do you keep that thing on your head while jumping around on beds Taemin? HOW?!

Anyways, there’s something very TOPSHOP design about the simplicity of the text on the tee with the zebra print. The fact that the pants are a dark green colour wins props in my stylebook. It’s a nice alternative to black. But, is the alternating zebra stripes from right to left too costume stage wear or can it be wearable for the everyday?

Hmmm, if you look from afar it may be subtle but I think it’s pretty unnoticeable in the video. Should guys wear zebra print (would a guy even wear zebra print)? That’s a look not for every guy out there. Taemin’s manliness got knocked back 1000 points in Sherlock so yes – Taemin can wear zebra print. LOL :)

Onew’s outfit is quite stage wear I feel. It reminds me of back in my Visual Kei stage where all the guys in the boy bands wore something similar to be visually pleasing on stage and compliment the other band members. And there was always that ONE guy stuck wearing the long coat/suit who had to suffer on stage LOL. There wasn’t anything striking about Onew’s outfit that I liked (except for the nice crisp tie). It was quite average. Except he can play great hide and seek in it…

MILITARY UNIFORM PREP STYLE

This outfit is just love, love, love! Maybe it’s the nostalgic feeling I’m getting of The Beatles fashion in the 1960s, but the idea of mixing classic powder grey suits and the preppy office wear of the past, with the outer exterior of a bulky trench, anoraks and overcoats in that khaki shade look so handsome on them ohohoho

The addition of zips and buckles seem to be a must for the Shinee-fashion way and works well to bring a fresh interest to the pieces but… the Union Jack?

Sorry to the Brits who might be reading this (please don’t kill me cos we’re Aussie as well ahh ><) but damn, did the stylist/designer just paint that on or what? It’s just so…obvious it’s not meant to be there. If it was faded into the fabric a bit like the other designs, then sure! It works! But that paint job…eww and it’s so obnoxiously big!! It literally screams: LOOK AT MOI!!

AWESOME JACKETS BUT NOT SO AWESOME PANTS!

This outfit is very cool, unique and alternative – very different to the other outfits in this clip. It is very much to show off Shinee’s style rather than to suit the MV or the song in any way. I’m totally digging all the members super quirky and cool jackets!! The trend of excessive zippers is continued in this look, and I’m trying desperately to figure out the function of the zippers on bottom of the sleeves of almost ever jacket and blazer featured in this clip…Perhaps all Shinee members have extraordinarily fat wrists that they need the aid of zippers to fit their arms into their jackets?

Key’s jacket and arm zips! I don’t understand why his face in this entire clip looks so creepy. It has crossed the line of creepiness to the point where I found it hard to differentiate him from Taemin. Yes, his face got THAT creepy.

The jackets are just so unique, I am especially loving Taemin’s baby blue jacket with clouds and the yellow lapel collar!

Taemin’s fabulous jacket! Look at the excessive detailing with the zippers!!! I never knew one jacket needed so many pockets!! Taemin must need to carry a lot of things.

The unique leather floral print on Minho’s jacket was also pretty cool!

Minho’s edgy jacket with arm zip! He definitely looks a lot more handsome here!

And then the awesomeness ends.. totally not loving ONEW’s Hawaiian print leather jacket…that’s just taking things too far.

Argh! Instead of the classic arm zip, Onew has decided to differentiate himself from his group members and flaunt…THE ARM TIGHTENING CUFF.

This overall look is very special in that we only really ever get to see the top half of the look (except for Onew and Taemin which we get slight glimpses of mid-thigh). This kinda got me thinking…Maybe SM ran out of money to feature pants for this last look so they just used dodgy ones and tried to avoid showing it…? Or maybe the jackets were just so amazing the stylists couldn’t find anything to match?? Or maybe…the zombie stage has just completely taken over that Key and Minho’s legs have completely fallen off, whilst Taemin and Onew have still managed to retain their thighs?!??!

Regardless, I’m sure we can all agree that the fact Key and Minho are never shown below the waist for this look, it is evidence enough to safely assume that they were not wearing any pants during this part of the MV. *drool*

Style Review

BoomShakaStylin’: Hyuna – Ice Cream

April 27, 2013 The Hidden Thimble Team 7 Comments

BoomShakaStylin’

adj, n, v

A term created by Siree and Talyssa to describe their new Blogging Fashion Segment focused on their mutual love of fashion and Kpop.

A critical but casual review of the fashion present in various Kpop music videos.

BoomShakaStylin’ originates from the word ‘BoomShakaLaka’ made famous in the Kpop world by BigBang rapper T.O.P in BigBang’s 2012 hit song ‘Fantastic Baby.’

– “Wow! That girl looks like shes dressed straight out of a KPOP music video – she’s so vibrant and stylish!!”
– “Yeah! I agree!! She’s BoomShakaStylin’!!”

And so, let the curtains open as we begin our BoomShakaStylin’ segment with none other than….

HYUNA’S ICECREAM

“Ice cream, ice cream
i’ll melt you down like ice cream”

The fashion style present in Hyuna’s Ice Cream is all about communicating one thing, and considering this is Hyuna we are talking about, there is really only one possibility as to what this could be. Yes, that’s right folks!

SEX APPEAL

Korea’s female diva does not just feature one or two sexy outfits within this clip, oh no, instead she flaunts a total of 9 different outfits!?!?! You see, pressing your boobs together in a bath tub does not convey sex appeal enough that numerous outfit changes are completely necessary! DUH!! IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!!

Regardless, Siree and I actually find the outfits in Ice Cream super vibrant, quirky, cool, fun and colourful and we actually really enjoy the overall look within the clip. When it came to deconstructing each outfit separately however, it was a completely different story! Almost every outfit is a total Monet! From far away it’s all okay but real up close its just too gross!

THE LEOPARD

**GET THE LOOK: Shoes: Jeremy Scott for Adidas | Hat: Adeen Lord Snap Back Hat**

We can’t help but think that Hyuna’s bright yellow leopard print crop top and maxi wrap skirt…are just…really gross and tacky!! The wrap skirt, of course, leaves itself perfectly open to a full view of Hyuna’s black underwear as she dances..Yes, this outfit is really something that only Hyuna could pull of…Damn girl!! Why you be so nastay?!?!?!

The accessories on the other hand are awesome – totally loving the street style of the hat + scarf combo and Hyuna’s shoes! But again, our problem – we’re just not exactly sure if the entire ensemble matches! Hyuna’s fashion in Ice Cream follows Simon and Martina’s theory – the Kpop Music video styling trend where everything on the whole looks really great, but when you actually begin to look at what is being worn, it’s as if the stylists have gone though a used clothes bin, picked a random bunch of items and threw them on the idols!!

A prominent element of Hyuna’s look in this clip is her ‘tanned’ skin colour (it’s tanned compared to other Korean celebrities) which differs greatly to the usual porcelain skin colour Korean celebrities don in their Music Videos. In a country where most high profile celebrities seek to acheive a white or porcelain skin colour that is culturally associated with things like beauty, elegance, innocence and aegyo, tanned skin in Korea, in relation to celebrities at least, is associated with “sexiness”. Therefore Kpop stars known for their sexiness such as Lee Hyori, Bora and Hyorin, feature tanned skin as part of their signature look. A powerful and sexy Kpop star such as Lee Hyori with her beautifully tanned skin has a very different image, physically and personality wise, than the Kim Yoona’s and IU’s of the female KPOP world. This is why Hyuna, being Korea’s current no. 1 sex symbol, sings “Chocolate ice cream like my dark skin” so she can further align herself with the image and notions associated with being sexy in Korea: she has dark skin like chocolate and is therefore oozing with sexiness and indulgence.

THE COLOURFUL SNOW LEOPARD

**GET THE LOOK: Jacket: Ashish’s A/W 2012 Collection | Glasses: Bride To Be**

This is probably one of two wearable outfits in this MV, and what an amazing outfit this is! I love the pop art colours featured in Hyuna’s sequinned leopard print jacket. Heck! I just love this jacket! Texture wise – tick, print wise – tick, colour wise – tick, its 80’s inspired style and cut – tick!!

Surprisingly, Hyuna wears this jacket over a fitted sequinned corset top with coloured false gems for embellishments. Who would have thought! Sequin over sequin MATCHES! This works in this outfit as both garments feature different types of sequins – matte sequins in the jacket and regular shiny ones in the corset.

What were you thinking with those glasses?!

Hyuna’s blue head scarf helps to tie the blue denim shorts into the outfit, completing the look and adding a very cute touch! The bride to be glasses however? A complete NO-NO! What is with the on-going junk and tackiness that Hyuna seems to need to attach to her branded outfits?!

And woah! Did anyone else impossibly miss the ‘in your face’ Chanel product placement?? I hope not.

Close up of make up and Chanel Accessories (the ring is Chanel)

Hyuna’s makeup throughout the clip is very ulzzang style, which suits her colourful outfits well. Each outfit’s makeup has subtle colour highlights to help tie the look together. Hyuna’s make up for this outfit featured subtle hints of light blue on Hyuna’s eyes. Her wild hair with blue streaks help add that extra cool, hip, and street style feel to the outfit.

A LITTLE BIT OF BONDAGE AND BUBBLES

For all the boys who have fantasied about Hyuna in bondage, all your dreams have now come true!! With her smokified eye makeup and her “kiss me NOW” seductive red lips, Hyuna is asking for youuu~! What we found most weird about this outfit is how it completely contrasts all the other alternative, street style fashion in this clip.

And then we thought! AHA! It must be to suit the random music change in the song!!!!

*cracks up* ahahahahaha! I laugh because we both know that’s not true.

It seems that in any way they can, Hyuna’s producers will push her further down into the depths of sexiness. It’s as if they just want to make sure that we didn’t get confused with Hyuna’s sudden cool hip hop street vibe, and that she still very much is that sexy sex symbol who constantly rubs herself up and down with her “ooh” and “ahh” pouting facial expressions. To be honest, this scene communicates exactly how Hyuna often crosses the boundary between sexy and tacky, where Hyuna’s sexiness just ends up looking cheap and unnatural.

Gotta love Hyuna’s “Ahh” expression as she casually touches her breast.

And. A side note…When did Hyuna’s boobs get so big?!?!?!

STREET TOMBOY

**GET THE LOOK: Glasses: Linda Farrow X Jermy Scott**

The composition of this outfit is a great way to show of the “Tomboy” style – which is a look I’m really loving on girls at the moment. An important aspect in achieving this look is definitely layering. Hyuna layers a baggy sweater over a white blouse with the collar and cuffs kept visible. Over this she wears suspenders which adds to the cool street vibe. The sweaters modern street art design works well with the beanie and I’m really liking those glasses!

Hyuna features a heavy amount of body art in this clip – whether it be makeup stars or psuedo tattoos, it all adds to the over-decorated vibe associated with the street style. I think Hyuna’s body art works particularly well with this outfit

GEOMETRIC SHAPES AND MY LITTLE PONY

**GET THE LOOK: Shoes: Jeffery Campbell**

This outfit is a variation of Hyuna’s leopard print outfit, but the skirt has been removed and a triangle print top has been added over the leopard print crop top…The outfit looks alright and manages to work well..until you look at Hyuna’s legs – orange and black striped legwarmers with yellow jeffery Campbell heels? I don’t get it.

We were loving the beanie and the HUGE Chanel necklace bling..until we saw it was decorated with..my..little…pony’s?? Again…we just don’t get it. We can’t understand exactly what message this whole SEXY X TACKY vibe is meant to be getting across?!?! We’re not getting a good one, that’s for sure!!!

TACKY ELEGANCE?

**GET THE LOOK: Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti (similar style) | Maxi Skirt: Karl Sunray Camo-Print | Shirt: Karl Berdina Camo-Print**

Ahh..yes even I’m getting tired of writing about all these outfits. All I can say is, Hyuna’s hi-low printed maxi could have totally brushed off as elegant, but she pairs it with red sport socks, a pink beanie and sneakers?? It’s just messy and mixed matched!

The beanie is overkill. The outfit could have been somewhat acceptable without it…

CAMO OVER HERE

**GET THE LOOK: Shoes: SueComma Bonnie**

Hyuna was right on trend with the army aesthetic in this look! Especially since army print has become increasingly popular in MVs following this clip quite a few months later – such as SNSD’s I Got A Boy. I’m quite liking the whole Army vibe at the moment and so I quite like this look – especially the fit of Hyuna’s dress/jacket.

This is one of Hyuna’s simpler looks accessory wise, however she still makes a bold statement with her coloured hair, belt, and extremely awesome shoes. See Hyuna, you don’t need to take the tacky route!

PREPPY ICE CREAM

**GET THE LOOK: Shorts: Topshop | Shoes: SueComma Bonnie**

We love love love this outfit!!! It has that preppy and cute vibe created mainly by the short’s printed retro ice cream pattern. This is probably the only outfit Hyuna wears that really suits the song. Hyuna emphasises the preppy nature of the outfit by tucking her top into her shorts, accessorising with vintage-esque Jewelry – the silhouetted woman piece and pearls – and her above ankle socks with diamond pattern. I am absolutely in love the the contrast created with Hyuna’s high top sneakers. This outfit was definitely thrown in to remind viewers of Hyuna’s cute image and in keeping with this, her skin in this look is also much paler.

Close up of accessories. Sorry about the screenshot Hyuna..lol

JUMPSUIT…I THINK..?

**GET THE LOOK:** TRUST ME YOU DON’T WANT IT!

And finally, the most ridiculously tacky outfit of all. In fact from the front it looks like just your regular everyday jumpsuit…..

UNTIL SHE BENDS DOWN AND TURNS AROUND!!!

What the!?!?! This is not a jumpsuit!!!!! This is half a jumpsuit…no this is an APRON that looks like a jumpsuit!!! Don’t let the one billion and one cords to tie up deter you from wearing this apron as you get down and dirty in the kitchen!!

Just…I don’t even…

Korea, Travel

Insadong – For all your Holiday Souvenir Needs!

October 19, 2012 Talyssa 2 Comments

Insadong is one of the most tourist-y places in Korea and is a great place to pick up souvenirs for friends and family. Unlike our Dongdaemun experience, I would like to say that Siree and I did Insadong well – exploring 80% of shops and only passing by shops which were not to our taste.

What I absolutely love about Insadong is its quirky kinda vibe blending traditional Korea with modern Korea, but at the same time still maintaining that “artsy craftsy” style that Korea does so well.

We arrived in Insadong around lunch time and instantly fell in love with this pretty looking traditional hanok restaurant called “Insadong Geujip,” located down the first side street on your left from the Insadong main street. Unfortunately we didn’t know anything about this restaurant prior to arrival so unfortunately…we didn’t order the best dishes…apparently recommended dishes for foreigners include “Insadong Seafood on Rice” or “Geukip On Rice”.

DSCN1646 — LOOK AT HOW CHEAP THIS MENU IS!!!! $6 bux for a freaking huge meal!!! You would never get that in Sydney. Ahh Korea how I love thee~

Siree and I, we needed to be exotic and order something that looked truly maginificent….

But unfortunately….our order was not so great…not that it wasn’t good, it just lacked as much flavour as we expected…probably because the food was traditional based.

DSCN1651 — Our really yummy side dishes!!

Our side dishes were super yummy! Especially the kimchi!! We ended up asking for 2 serves which we – extra sneakily – chucked into our hot pot meal to add more flavour ahahahaha! What foreigners we were at that moment.

After our meal, we ventured off to what is the highlight of Insadong – Ssamziegil. I think Ssamziegil is amazingly cool because it’s just that little bit quirky and that little bit alternative. I can’t even describe what exactly this style is, but it is just so nice and seriously something that is in the essence of everything Korean. I just LOVE it!!

Ssamziegil is filled with amazing little accessory stalls/popup shops and boutiques and every time I leave Korea I wish I bought more things from here. They have some of the most quirky/cool accessories ever!!

On the ground floor of Ssamziegil there are the snack food.

Poo shape filled cakes…this stall was always SOO busy!! I didn’t try any though, I’m not really into sweets…

I bought soo much of these rice snacks, and they are really yummy, my mum loved them. They are a mixture of rice puffs, grains, seeds, sultanas etc. but they are quite nice.

I absolutely loved this little cart stand…look how beautiful it is! It totally has its own charm and character!!! This little pop up stall sold all different kinds of tea drinks which helped you in different ways – emotionally or physically. I ended up buying a lemon honey one which was really delish.

As you go up the levels of Ssamziegil there are mainly accessory stores selling jewellery, phone charms, little gadgets, tea sets, scarves and so on. Whilst there are some clothing stores, its not really the place you go to to buy clothing. None the less, things here are SUPER cool!! I swear all the quirky earrings KPOP stars wear in their videos are bought from Ssamziegil haha.

DSCN1662 — Cute accessory store. Look at the detailing with the product labels, its all so pretty

DSCN1680 — If you’re ever in need of chopstick holders…?

Inside Ssamziegil there is also a miniature museums with little figures that are so cute. Unfortunately the store is TINY and always super crowded!!

DSCN1675 — Miniature museum! Sorry about the poor picture quality – we were trying to take the photo in secret as no photos were allowed…

Another must – do experience in Insadong is to go to a rice cake cafe. We went to Jilrisu at around 5PM but I recommended going there a lot earlier than we did, because almost all rice cakes were sold out!!

DSCN1690 — Our order~ I got the pumpkin latte!! First time I tried a pumpkin latte was in Korea and they are AMAZING!!

Hahahah check out the shopping bags in the background

Map

Transportation

As with most places in Korea, there are many ways to get to Insadong including different stations you can get off at etc, however I recommended getting off at Anguk Station (exit 6), one because it is such a short walk and two, because getting off at Anguk puts you at the beginning of the Insadong main street where as Jongno 3-ga station will drop you at the end.

How long should you spend here?

Siree and I spent 1 -1.5 days there, but really, one day I think is sufficient.

Time to go?

You definitely want to come to Insadong during a weekday (shops close around 6PMish). Weekends are usually crowded especially Ssamziegil.

Tips:

Eat as many foods as you can here because some things you cant find anywhere else in Korea. With almost all snack food places in Insadong ask to try – even if its tea or something, you can try it!

Don’t try bargaining here as souvenirs are already relatively cheap.

Make sure you shop around before buying something, many shops in Insadong sell the same things and different places can sell the same item for more or less.

Bonus Round!

Quirky AF! Check out the rooftop of Ssamziegil and you will find the Poop Cafe, a themed cafe restaurant for poop face emoji love.

If you do go definitely pick up a coffee as it comes in the most cutest toilet mug you will ever see. But before you think this place is too gimmicky for real taste, rest assured the coffee quality is no joke. The milk was creamy, the coffee taste was rich and the seasonal drink: rose water latte’s flavour had a nice floral scent that tasted quite nice with the bitterness of the espresso. Plus the addition of flower petals for that perfect Instagram shot to finish off, this place does gives a crap about their coffee!

Korea, Travel

Clothing Overload and Hyper-Giddyness in Dongdaemun!

October 12, 2012 Talyssa Leave a comment

Dongdaemun is, quite frankly, HUGE and overwhelming. In my life, I have never seen so many shopping places all in one area. Infact – considering Australia’s severely lacking shopping industry – I bet Dongdaemun alone has more clothing and larger amounts of shopping malls than all the shopping centres combined in Australia. I mean magine 5-6 Westfields in one spot, with some DFOs chucked in as well. That is what Dongdaemun is, the Armageddon of SHOPPING MALLS!!!

I don’t know if it is because we live in Australia and shopping here is somewhat unobtrusive, but we found shopping in Dongdaemun (or anywhere in Korea) extremely straining – mentally and emotionally. Shopping in Dongdaemun is this mixture of head spinning clothing overload and extreme hyper-giddyness over the sheer amount of clothing available to one person. It was so emotionally draining that Siree and I actually became physically tired – we had so much to cover in such little time! You just didn’t know what to buy in case you found something better elsewhere, but by the time you had looked elsewhere, you had already forgotten about the first item because there were just THAT many clothes. It is completely impossible to compare items and pricing in Dongdaemun. Just don’t even try. If you see something and you really like it, buy it. Chances are you wont find it again if you don’t!!!

DSCN2015 — The Cheonggyecheon Steam and one of the many shopping streets in Dongdaemun which we didn’t get to explore…

Don’t get me wrong, we still loved shopping here and always will.

One of my favourite highlights of Dongdaemun was the abundance of street food. So being the foodies we are, this was naturally our first Dongdaemun pittstop. We decided to stop at this little stall that sold fish shaped “pastries” filled with all different kinds of fillings.

DSCN2016 — Some of the flavours. I had pizza it was actually really yummy!! Though I really wanted to try the sweet potato one too…should have bought both.

DSCN2017 — Look at the cute menus! I love how Korea always decorates everything so nicely!!!

DSCN2021 — The process of making our pastries

DSCN2024 — LOL totally doesn’t look like the picture haha but tasted way better than expected!!

Street food vendors literally line the streets in Dongdaemun. The smell is so good, and trust me after a long day of shopping some Korean street food goodness is just what you need.

DSCN2190 — Some more streetfood…I am seriously drooling remembering the smell and taste. My favourites – Ddeokbokki as well as fish cake in this really nice broth…soo good in winter in Korea

DSCN3248 — Siree’s potato chip and sausage hotdog…? LOL Gotta love Korea’s inventive street food.

If you think Dongdaemun is awesome by day, it completely comes alive at night with entertainment, influxes of people and amazingly lit shopfront displays. One thing I got to love about Korea is they seem to really enjoy their Christmas decorations, so even though almost a month had passed since Christmas, everywhere was still filled with Christmas lights and decorations, which was super pretty!

DSCN2193 copy — Going all out with the lighting. Where do they keep all the cables??

DSCN2195 copy — The lights on this building would move and change into different animations. It was so pretty!! Unfortunately we didn’t even have time to check out the inside of the building.

Something you might want to be wary of when shopping in Dongdaemun, or anywhere in Korea for that matter, is the amount of shopping bags you are holding. Because there will be a point somewhere in your trip, where you are holding way too many bags that…you accidentally leave one of your shopping bags behind…and don’t realise until it’s too late… That is exactly what happened to me *cries*!!!! I know right how could I?!!?

The entire trip my brain was mush, but this seriously was the icing on the cake. I was so pissed off I resorted to modes of self punishment, which included retreating into quiet bouts of internal self reflection on how I could be so freaking reckless. I was so upset as my really nice (and cheap) double collared blouse was in the bag I had left behind. If theres one positive thing about Korean shopping its the fact that usually when it comes to the clothing and shoes there is usually only one piece of each item available to purchase, making your outfits more unique…however this obviously becomes a negative when you lose your shopping bags and now fear that you will never be able to find and buy that particular item again. Luckily for me though, I was reunited with my beautiful blouse the second time I went to Dongdaemun, although overall this meant it cost me 50000 won instead of 25000 won. sigh.

Map:

How to get to Dongdaemun:

Exit Dongdaemun Station exit 7 or 8. Dongdaemun has numerous shopping places, but for the “main” tourist area, you will need to pass Dongdaemun gate and cross the bridge that passes over the Cheonggyecheon river (see first image in post). 5 minute walk..not even.

How long to spend in Dongdaemun:

Siree and I spent 1.5 – 2 days of our schedule at Dongdaemun…and we only explored apM, Migliore and Doota..which is roughly (hardly) one side of Dongdaemun…soooo dissappointed at our efforts right now.

Tips:

If you are planning on shopping hardcore in Korea, go here first!!! Clothes are much cheaper here than items sold in Myeongdong and Hongdae – and often all 3 areas sell the same clothes.
Take a map with you so you dont miss any shopping areas. We didn’t take a map and therefore didn’t realise how many areas we didn’t explore!!!
Bargain wherever possible in stores like apM and Migliore…and use “aegyo”. It seriously works wonders – I got shoes down from 50000 won to 40000 won..and even ended up saving $160 on a leather jacket! Bargaining doesn’t really work in Department stores though.

Korea, Travel

Arriving in the Land of Sexy Boybands a.k.a Korea!!

October 10, 2012 Talyssa Leave a comment

If you havn’t guessed from our FML post, this month is centered around our trip to South Korea. This is some serious stuff okay, we’ll be sharing with you all the tips and tricks you need to know to experience Korean culture, particularly Korean youth culture, to its fullest as a foreigner.

This includes addressing important things like…going Korean clubbing, where do you go??? What do you do?? How do you make friends?? And most importantly…WHAT DO YOU WEAR!?

But! First things first. Before we get to the goodies, we need to address the basics.

Arriving In Korea

So you’ve just hopped off the plane feeling tired, grumpy and gross and all you desperately want to do is get to your hotel, shower, get comfy and sleep.

Never fear, you are not alone, this is exactly how Siree and I felt after 24 hours of barely any sleep. Not considering that we wouldnt get our luggage back during our stop over in Beijing, we stupidly left our toothpaste and brushes in our main luggage, adding permanent morning breath to our already uncomfortable situation. joy.

Being the girls that we are, as soon as our luggage was retrieved in Korea, we ran to the nearest bathroom to brush our teeth. This was both a blessing and a curse. Whilst it felt so good to feel and taste something other than the overstayed taste of blackbean sauced plane food in my mouth, it also meant having to look in the mirror and see my oily hair and dead tired face. ARGH! I mean there could be potential hotties I might need to impress on the way from the airport to my accomodation! Hahaha…I kid…I kid…but seriously.

Basically, there are 3 ways out of Incheon airport:

Bus
Train
Taxi

I’m going to focus on the bus and train, because I’m too much of a cheapskate to have considered the taxi (although I will say that travelling by taxi between towns during your trip is quite cheap and definitely recommended).

Bus

I highly recommend Korea’s airport limousine bus service as the most preferred mode of transportation to your accommodation ..its comfortable, you don’t have to hold your bags, you definitely get a seat, it is reasonably quick if the traffic is good and it is definitely recommended if you are going anywhere not directly serviced by the AREX. TRUST ME.

Before arriving in Korea, it is essential you plan your trip beforehand, so you know which bus to catch and where to catch it from. Siree and I were staying in an apartment around 10mins from Gaebong station.

In the timetable above, you can see our bus services the Gwangmyeong area (Seoul West), its number is 6014, its service is standard limousine, you can see all the stops it stops at, and the bus stops location (6A and 12B)
To find the bus that goes closest to your destination click here.

So now that you know which bus to catch, you will need to know where to actually buy your tickets. Although there is a pre-booking service available, there is no need to pre-book as you can buy tickets upon arrival (it is actually cheaper).

mapbusstops — Tickets are located inside the airport at exits 4 and 9 (green icons on the map – this is where we bought our ticket) and in numerous places outside the airport. Bus stops are spread out upon the coloured platforms. Match up the bus stop number of your bus with its location on the map.

busticket — Our bus ticket. Sorry for the crappy image quality!

Bus Fares:

Standard Limousine: 9,000 – 10,000 won (less than AU$10)
Deluxe Limousne: 14,000 – 15,000 won (less than AU$15)

Bus Do’s:

Plan and know where you are going, the bus number you are catching and where your stop is BEFORE you arrive. It will minimise stress and save so much time. You will also want to bring a print out copy of your plan, because you will forget it.
Sit as close to the front as possible. The hardest part of catching the bus is knowing when to get off it, especially since the bus announcements are all in Korean, so even if you are listening carefully, you will probably miss your stop…at least that is what happened to us..

Train

The first time I travelled to Korea, I was staying in Suwon which is quite far from Seoul. Being the noob that I was back then, I had decided to get there from Incheon by train…BIG MISTAKE. Whenever I needed to transfer stations there was always a HUGE flight of stairs that needed to be overcome upon exiting and entering a platform – an unachievable feat with heavy bags of luggage (although Korean men were so nice and always offered to help carry my luggage) – but it was still extremely exhausting and uncomfortable. This is definitely not something you want to go through after travelling for so long on a plane.

I would only recommend the train if you are not exhausted after your flight and are travelling anywhere between Incheon and Seoul station. The train is, after all, the cheapest and quickest way to the heart of Seoul.

The service you want to catch from the airport is called the AREX train service, which consists of both a commuter line (catch this if you are going to Myeongdong, hongik etc.) and the express line, a one way stop to Seoul Station.

Length of trip:

Commuter train – Seoul Station: 53 Minutes

Express train – Seoul Station: 43 Minutes

For information on pricing and train timetables, click here

Check out only the best website for all your Korean train travel needs (seriously it’s amazing for planning out your trip, you will use it always), here.

Train Do’s:

Ask people for help if you need it. In my experience, Koreans were always extremely friendly and always willing to take time to help.
Make sure you pick up a map of the train lines before exiting the airport, or have one with you before arrival. Although Korean train lines are fairly easy to navigate, you will get lost without a map.
Plan your trip to you accommodation BEFORE you arrive. You do not want to be making it up as you go along.
Consider how you will feel upon arrival…will you be tired from a long flight? Do you have heavy luggage? Do you expect to be seated the entire trip to your destination? If yes, consider the bus.

Finally, some things you may want to do ASAP when in Korea:

Buy a Tmoney card…it is like everything you will need transportation wise. Basically you load money onto it and you can use all forms of public transport with it. It is cheaper and more convenient than not using one. Tmoney cards can be bought from convenience stores as well as some little street vendors…I would insert a photo…but I have temporarily lost my card T.T

FML - Fashion Monthly Look

FML – Fashion Monthly Look: IU

October 7, 2012 The Hidden Thimble Team Leave a comment

It’s our first fashion post. Huzzah! Oh, but this is not your ordinary OOTD type of entry…Let us introduce our new project: “Fashion Monthly Look”, or better known as FML.

FML will be a monthly feature where all dedicated posts will explore a fashion look from head to toe. These monthly looks will vary from everyday clothing styles, to themes in movies and TV shows, to high couture inspired looks. Our posts will revolve around teaching you the different ways to explore, recreate and achieve the style of the month, and overtime will hopefully provide you with an extensive database of bright ideas for style, nail, hair, make up and even DIY tutorials.

So, if you like eye candy here’s a sweet treat, our first FML inspired by IU’s “YOU+I.”

If we could describe the overall theme of IU’s look, it would be a mix of ‘modern vintage’, with ‘preppy cute’ creating a highly feminine look.

style sheet — 1. Romwe ripple knit Jumper 2. Romwe navy cardigan 3. Marc Jacobs cotton poplin shirt
4. Asos lace socks 5.Yesstyle mary jane pumps 6. Top Shop beaded collar 7. Yesstyle A-line skirt

Notable items include:

Collared blouse: Peter Pan collars, two-tone double collared blouses, lace and so on.
Cardigans: Cute buttons add extra detail for this look.
Baggy/loose jumpers.
Skirts, Skorts, shorts: Short length and pleated are great for this look.
Mary Janes or other buckled shoes.
Colours: For a more winter and traditional IU look think: mustards, emerald greens, navy blues, burnt orange, creams and reds. For a more spring/summer look think: salmon pinks, navys, mint greens, creams, summer pastels and so on.

Please note this is not a “How to look exactly like IU look,” this is a guide to create an IU inspired look.

IMG_2853NEW — For this IU inspired look I have paired a loose mustard jumper over a Peter Pan collared blouse, with a silk pleated mini skort. The little details in this outfit make all the difference in achieving that preppy feminine vintage look.

Tips:

When wearing jumper on top of a collared blouse, wear the collar over the top, for extra contrast and added texture to your outfit.
Colour matching also gives a very vintage preppy vibe and always reminds me of that 60s matching “coat dress” fashion. Here I have matched my mustard jumper with my Mary Jane mustard platform shoes.
When wearing a short skirt and high shoes, I think it always looks super cute to dress up your legs with some socks. I am absolutely obsessed with wearing frill socks with my shoes and I think this looks suits IU’s style perfectly! REMEMBER: Always keep the socks pulled up, not folded!!

IMG_SET01 — I bought this jumper because I loved the knitted detailing on it! It makes the piece so much more unique.

This jumper also has lace detailing along the rim, adding extra femininity and a vintage flare.

Isn’t the collar of my Peter Pan blouse completely unique?? I love the lace overlaid on the main collar part and the netted lace trim. It’s so simple but subtly adds something unique and special to the outfit.

IMG_MAKE — To complete this look, I wore my hair in wavy pigtails and tried an IU inspired makeup look. IU is known for her large droopy puppy eyes so I tried to achieve this by extending my lash line…I personally think this looks a bit weird on me…What do you think?

IU style — Argh! I hate how my hands look so derpy here!! What happened?!
But this was the best shot of my Peter Pan collared nails and cute vintage bag ($10 from Insadong, South Korea! Hell yeah!) The nail tutorial will be coming later this month! Although you can’t see it here, the white nail design looks awesome, I wish I did them all that way!

For my coordinate, I paired this double collared blouse with these navy waist high shorts to repeat the navy undertone of the collar. I finished off with a pair of dark grey thigh high socks and suede brown wedges to neutralize the collar palette. It has that kind of school girl meets sailor vibe which I thought was cute.

Tips:

The subtle detailing in blouses can make the shirt turn from something that is a basic item to a delicate piece in your vintage wardrobe. Things like the buttons or cut of the collar can change up the look in a subtle and the silhouette is timeless, so investing in interesting blouse styles can live up a look if you’re feeling you need a bit more eye candy in your outfit.
Using belts to cinch in your waistline is a great way to give shape to your silhouette. As some vintage styles can hide the waistline to be more dainty than sexy for the body, you might feel somewhat shapeless. Here, I used my belt from my waist shorts to tie it into a bow to add more texture to the bottom as well as making the bottom “puff” more to give a slight bell shape at the ruffles.

These cute small gold buttons are adorable!

Unfortunately my makeup didn’t show enough. Boo~ I recently got a blunt fringe cut which I have always wanted to do but was afraid to ever try. I’ve seen pictures of celebrities who pull off this lolita look and it suits them so well, and at last I took the chance. I really liked it!

I love this bag! Just as Talyssa’s we both bought it at the same shop. This one was the last of it’s kind so I nabbed it. Teehee. The briefcase look was so adorable it definitely finishes the look of that old school, school prep.

Run by two travel and lifestyle bloggers, The Hidden Thimble focus’ on creating truthful and in-depth travel guides, food & beauty reviews. Enjoy drool-worthy photography from around the world!