The Ultimate Style Guide to the Off-Duty K-Pop Star Look
Here, we share our top tips to recreate your idols’ favourite looks on their days off.
Our favourite Korean idols are always donned in the best on-stage outfits, and we owe it to both the stars and their stylists. But don’t you sometimes wonder how they can ace the laidback look so easily, too? Below, we share the trending fits from our biases, and some tricks to capture the same cool-girl energy on cafe-hopping days.
Cropped Tee with Straight Leg Jeans
Never underestimate simplicity. It sounds straightforward enough, doesn’t it? A cropped tee with some relaxed-fit jeans. But to get this look down pat, a key point is the light wash denim. While darker denim can appear more contrasted and put-together, the lighter wash is sure to evoke a sense of relaxed chill. Plus, if you’re into the Y2K aesthetic, pair it with a cute baby tee and some dad sneakers. And like Blackpink’s Lisa, you can even accessorise with a big hair claw to keep your hair in place.
Holey Knit
On their rare days off, comfort is an important factor for our dear idols. But what do they do when they still want to look put together? The answer lies in a knit top, especially one that’s not closely knit. With a simple pair of black pants, throw on a big knit sweater or vest. Easily dressed up or down, the holey knit shows just the right amount of skin, and keeps you protected from erratic weather conditions. If you want a clean look, wear a white tank top under your choice of knit — preferably something eye-catching, like the pink number Jessica Jung is rocking — and slide into a pair of chunky white sneakers to tie it all together.
Loose & Baggy
Nothing says cool like a baggy silhouette. Since our idols are always seen showing off their figures on stage, it’s no wonder they opt for something a little more comfortable on their days off. Have your pick of big boyfriend tees with loose cargo pants for an outfit perfect for easy days of thrift shopping and indie-museum-hopping. A detail important for this look is to create some shape with your bottoms — like how Red Velvet’s Seulgi folded up her pants, adding a subtle balloon shape to her silhouette.
Comfy Cardigans
A long-time favourite of idols off-duty: The cardigan. They make take any shape or form, as seen on idols like Blackpink’s Jisoo and Girls’ Generation’s Yoona. To style cardigans in the Seoul-chic manner, the idea is to keep the outfit balanced. So with a chunkier cardigan, opt for skinny jeans or even shorts like Red Velvet’s Joy. Her look, albeit filled with prints and colours from each of the different elements, comes together nicely through the balance of her light shorts and crochet cardigan. If you prefer something more minimalistic, go for a cardi with a statement detail such as a chain or oversized buttons.
