blue motorcycle jacket / UNIQLO
white shirt / no brand
red & white plaid necktie / Fahrenheit Homme
grey monk pants / no brand
hightop sneakers / vintage Adidas
새해 복 많이 받으세요! (Saehae bok mani baduseyo!)
Today is Lunar New Year in most of the eastern world. In South Korea it is known as Seolal (설날) and is a time to meet your relatives, wear traditional Hanbok (한복) clothing, bow to your ancestors and eat a lot of traditional home cooked food. But for the 22% or so of the Korean population who practice Buddhism, this day may also involve stopping by a temple for some spiritual reflection & meditation. I'm not much of a spiritual person myself, but I can appreciate the calm that a holy place such as the Jogyesa temple (above) or a cathedral can bring to one's mind. And with all the changes that will be happening in my life in the next couple of months as I prepare myself for the big move to London, a moment's calm can really do wonders.
Yesterday I came to Anguk station with some friends to go to a protest demonstration (more on that later) when I happened upon a store selling monk's clothing. They had beautiful knit hats & socks, long warm vests & baggy pants in monk grey & black. I bought this pair of trousers for only W30,000 (~$30US) and was very happy with the fit & the tight pleated ankle. The front waist band is also pleated & formal and the backside is an elastic waist band creating a one size fits all kind of deal.
The necktie was a freebie given to the audience when I watched the Fahrenheit Homme S/S 2010 show by Korean designer Duyoung Jung (정두영) during Seoul Collection last March. I wanted to offset the loose trousers with a more fitted upper body so I chose this faux leather UNIQLO motorcycle jacket, which brings out the hints of sky blue in the plaid tie. Then I wore the vintage Adidas hightops to make the look a little more casual. Also check out the Fahrenheit Homme F/W 2011 collection that I walked in last fall.
The protest I went to yesterday was organized by The House of Sharing which is both a museum and home to former "Comfort Women" - survivors of sexual slavery at the hands of the Japanese military during the Asia-Pacific War (1932-1945). My friend Fielding is a volunteer for this organization and about 100 people showed up in support. Yesterday marked the 955th Wednesday protest held across from the Japanese embassy where the former comfort women, now referred to as "Halmoni" (Korean word for grandmother), & their supporters have been demanding an apology from the Japanese government since 1992. Their's is a sad and horrific story of violence, but one that needs to be heard. For more information go to www.thehouseofsharing.org or visit their facebook page.
xoxochadchad
