Iconic K-Pop Fashion Concepts

Diya Nair, Kochi, Kerala

Every time our favorite group makes a comeback; along with great music, fancy music videos and dope choreography we also get a new concept and a plethora of new outfits and new fashion trends that impact whole of industry—whether it be SHINee’s coloured wide leg jeans with puddle hems or even the two-toned streaked hair that went rage in the K-Pop industry! 

_SHINee

Summery and Fresh

This is one of the all-time favourite concepts for both idols and fans alike. And what makes it so beloved is the fresh and preppy colours that pop out from the outfits which perfectly complements music video sets and upbeat songs that would be promoted by the groups. EXO’s ‘Kokobop’ is a perfect example of this style; the vibrant colours of the outfits perfectly match tropical setting of the MV. Chanyeol’s cotton candy hair screams summer while on the contrary, Baekhyun’s black and red mullet balances out the freshness with a unique bit of edginess. The lively looking blues and Suho’s rainbow sweater vest also demands its own attention. 

Another fan favorite is the cute concept where we get to witness the idols in all their innocence and childlike wonder. The stylings for this concept also follow on a much more lighter tones with splashes of pastels and lively yellows. Oh My Girl’s ‘Dolphin’ is a testament of this concept; flowery dresses, orange blush, rosy makeup and soft curls makes up a pretty cute picture; YooA’s glittery rose gold dress adds a tinge of glamour to the entire MV, while Seunghee’s colourful button clips on the braided ponytail also make a statement. One of the first things that you notice in THE BOYZ’ ‘Bloom Bloom’ is the variety of hair colors sported by members; soft pink, electric orange and faded burgundy to name a few. THE BOYZ members are styled quite casually in hoodies, sweater vests, baseball caps and informal blazers in accordance with the concept.

_EXO

Royalty

Royalty concept is personal favorite of mine. Long flowy blouses, knee-high boots and whatnot. And if we talk about modern royalty, we could talk about the stylings of BLACKPINK in a modernized version of Hanbok in ‘How You Like That’ or SHINee’s Taemin’s outfits tailored in ‘Criminal’; the luxurious satin yellow shirt in one performance and gloves or the bejeweled eye patch in the other. But if we talk about typical stylings of the royalty concept, ATEEZ’s ‘Wonderland’ is a great example of traditional royalty fashion; the members are dressed in long black trench coats and black blazers, halter belts and medals. They are also tailored in blood red velvet matching pieces, which stood for luxury in the ancient times. GOT7’s ‘Not By The Moon’ is the perfect illustration for traditional royal conceptual styling; feathered and ruffled satin shirts, the outfits also standing out with its use of textured materials; and the exemplary use of body jewels and silver and black components. Jay B’s long hair perfectly blends with the concept.

_ATEEZ

Retro

Retro concept went quite rage in the industry, and thanks to it we got to see more styles of this particular iconic era of fashion. SEVENTEEN’s stylist perfectly pulls this off with quite ease in their HOME;RUN comeback; three-piece pantsuits, turtlenecks and wide legged and high waisted pants; more contemporary styles for neutrals and browns and chunky jewelry with attention to details. Jeonghan’s three-piece brown suit along with Vernon’s bowed coffee shirt and velvet jacket and gold rimmed glasses does capture attention. GFriends ‘Mago’ is another prime example of the retro fashion styling; sequined and glittery dresses and off shoulder satin blouses, chunky jewelry making another comeback here. In the second half of the MV we see the girls in matching sets with hunky block heels along with strings of pearls and gold waist-chains.

_SEVENTEEN

Grungy and Edgy

Intensely ripped jeans, heavy smoky makeup, halter and garter belts are all indications of edgy and grungy fashion in K-Pop. But this concept is more known as “bad boy/bad girl” concepts. VICTON’s Howling and Nightmare is the first two songs that come to mind when talking about this concept. Dark clothes and darker makeup along with excessive accessories are another feature of this concept. Seungwoo’s see through shirt along with stripped pants and glittery overshirt is one of my favourite outfits in MV. While VICTON’s stylist aims for darker side of grunge BLACKPINK’s stylist goes to the other end of the spectrum; soft and pastel grunge for their ‘Lovesick Girls’ comeback. Lisa’s bejeweled bralette with stressed jacket or Rose’s contrasting leather black jacket with orange mini-skirt or even all the members outfits in their first chorus screams grunge aesthetic.

_VICTON

Mature and Sultry

The final one in the list; this concept always makes ripples in the industry no matter who decides to go for it. GOT7 awed people when they came back leather clad with ‘You Calling My Name’. This concept always provides space for some amount risk as this is the nature of the concept. GOT7 was styled in leather outfits and sheer and see-through outfits for this era, as well as deep necked satin suits. On the other hand, THE BOYZ were styled in skintight bodysuits and sleeveless shirts, and one pieces, one of the major factors in this style would be how the make-up is done and the other factor is how it always has a risk factor attached to it. How can one ever forget Juyeon’s black fringed blouse outfit or Hyunjae’s  bodysuit one? 

_{Juyeon (THE BOYZ)}

K-pop fashion concepts prevail in a wider range with a unique edge that keeps us amused. Tell us your favourite K-pop comeback fashion or enlighten us with your favourite group or soloist’s fashion concepts.