Being completely honest, K-dramas shape our lives in more ways than we might care to admit. They keep us amused, dreaming...and well-dressed. It's true! They're a fount of easy style inspiration as modelled by our fave onscreen Hallyu stars, and they've convinced us that you've got to look great no matter the situation, because you never know when fate'll deal you an odd card. So exactly what are the foundations of the K-drama leading lady wardrobe? Here's a quick five-step guide!
1. Button-front mini skirt
Jeans are a given no matter the show, whether we're talking American or Korean, but it hasn't escaped our notice that K-dramas have a particularly soft spot for the denim button-front mini skirt. Ultimate example? Song Hye Kyo, who played headstrong army medical doctor Kang Mo Yeon in 2016's Descendants of the Sun, donned it even out on the field.
SHOP:
Button front denim miniskirt, MANTOU, mantouclothing.com
2. Beige trench coat
It doesn't matter if you're a lovelorn high school student or a struggling actress slash law office secretary like Yoo In Na in Touch Your Heart—a classic, enduring beige trench coat is an absolute must. What better piece to wear when being kissed by your handsome leading man in the pouring rain?
SHOP:
Havva linen trench coat, UNDO, undoclothing.com
3. Blue banker-striped shirt
Arguable, but we sincerely think that this workwear staple's most unforgettable starring moment had to be when mermaid-turned-human Jun Ji Hyun whipped up a riot being chased by a beleaguered Lee Min Ho in Legend of the Blue Sea—all while wearing his stolen, oversized blue banker-striped shirt. That said, spy it making an appearance in every show from 2004's iconic Full House to the currently-trending Hotel de Luna.
SHOP:
Striped shirt, BENCH, SM Megamall
4. Black turtleneck
You can style it to fit any scene in your daily life, from oh-so-importantly typing away at your office computer to gazing pensively out the bus window while reminiscing about that old romance. Kim Go Eun, for her part, donned it countless times in the immensely popular Goblin, both as a clueless ghost-seeing teenager and a posh grown woman.
SHOP:
Black turtleneck, COPPER, shopcopper.com
5. White sneakers
How to win over a certain Lee Jong Suk, according to psychic news reporter Bae Suzy in While You Were Sleeping: Remind him of your affections by using your supernatural powers to leave him sweet little nothings. Before going back to work after a trauma-induced hiatus, she runs around town saving lives and preventing fatal accidents in her trusty white sneakers.
SHOP:
Sneakers, KEDS X KATE SPADE, The SM Store, SM Megamall
