Why South Koreans love wearing black and white

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.

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“Everyone dresses in black, white or grey,” the English teacher says, laughing. “In the US, I used to wear bold makeup 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.

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