Seoul, Korea for the Instagram Model
You're like, really pretty.
Korea is a country with many, many photo ops. It's a fun place to shop, dress, and get pretty doing it. Planning your entire day around glamorous backgrounds and outfit changes? I would highly recommend first perusing the racks of the Hongdae shopping area, as well as the Free Market at the Hongdae playground on Saturdays. The area is filled with artists selling their crafted goods, appropriately next to Hongik University, which is known for their highly rated art school.
In Hongdae you can find really cool and unique accessories and jewelry to adorn yourself throughout the day. The style in this youthful neighborhood is a bit quirkier as well, as seen in the clothing boutiques which I also recommend checking out. Arrive around 11 or 12, as the morning tends to be silent with soju hangovers.
No matter your fashion style, there's something to find in Seoul to wear. They tend to range on the smaller size, however, so the slightly larger, bustier, or taller females might not find luck in the dressing room. I am considered petite in America but some of the dresses would barely fit me! Many of the clothes are 'One Size', which is code for : sorry American girls, this store isn't for you and your big knockers.
I always feel comfortable being girly in this country, maybe because all the clothes seem so feminine, using more frills, lace, and unapologetically light hues in the fabrics. The style ranges from whimsical and childlike to form fitting and classic. If you want to wear a book bag with a dinosaur on roller-skates, Korea is a place where nobody would bat an eye.
The majority of Korean women are conservative, however, wearing nice trench coats, skinny jeans, walking shoes, and a cute top. Not a lot of skin is shown, and it's better to look put together with clean lines than "sexy".
Yes, this is a stand of fur, real fur, coats, scarves, etc. It's a thing here still.
A nice souvenir might be an "Enrish" t-shirt, basically any type of clothing that has random English phrases on it. We found a few :
Shirt on the left : "I don't know what the fuck I'm doing anymore"
Shirt on the Right: "Play with my friends."
Also seen on t-shirts: photographs of LA hipster girls with random states written in large bold letters like "MISSOURI", and a shirt that announces "It's a great Sunday to leave me alone."
Other mentionable places to shop for fashion :
Markets like Dongdaemun and Namdaemun for discounted clothing and a good place to find well made tights. Mine lasted me about five years, and that's something coming from a girl who ruins pantyhose in about two weeks.
Subway Stations - not all but a lot have a ton of cheap clothing and especially shoes stores. You can definitely find some good items here!
Kangnam - this is the place for well made and known Korean fashion brands. Stroll down Apeujong next door for a higher end designer shopping experience.
Where'd you buy your skin?
Any good model needs to prepare with a full beauty routine in the morning. When you wake up, why not try one of Myeongdong's face masks?
The trick is to go nowhere else but Myeongdong-- if you shop here you'll find the best sales, sometimes discounted to 50%. When you go inside, talk to the staff-- if you buy a product they recommend, you might just walk out with an armful of "extras". I purchased Klavuu brand face creams and pearl serum, and got a set of 30 Snail face masks as a gift.
If you've never tried a face mask from Korea, they come in a bazillion different 'flavors' from Tomato, Chamomille, Pearl, Avocado, Rose, Olive, Yuzu, Snail, and Honey. They are simply magic, and will transform your face.
One trend right now in beauty products is the addition of gold into creams and masks. A simple google search will inform any consumer that there's little to no evidence that putting gold on your face prevents wrinkles, so I mainly got the gold mask for aesthetic purposes. But how fancy.
This lady is surely going to have the freshest, best skin of her life. Not sure why we need to moisturize the boobs, but hey, if it works!
Korea is known for producing beauty products and makeup ; I found Espoir, a makeup store with a makeup bar and foundation on tap! You can get a personal consultation to find the right color for your skin tone. Mix colors together for your own customized shade of lipstick at Espoir, and walk out with a fully stocked makeup kit tailored to your exquisitely unique face.
make your own story
Everything in Korea is a "Story." Cafes use the title liberally, incorporating it into their store names. Pencil Story, Kakao Story, Coffee Story, Lovely Story.... If you're here to provoke social media envy, get your cute ass to one of the following cafes and create your Korean Story.
Princess Cafe story
Choose a dress. Buy a coffee. Wait for your turn. Then, it's all yours for an hour or so, as you take photos in front of backdrops and props. Make your own Princess Story!
I believe our particular story was something to do with a Saloon girl who escapes to the far Orient, befriending two Koreans who turn on her when they suspect her of stealing the Kimchi barrels in their restaurant. I'm not sure if she escaped or not.
Meerkat and Wallaby Story
The Meerkat Cafe has a policy not to have cellphones around the animals, so it's best to bring a regular camera for this one. The joy to see a wallaby hop around is worth coming here, and who doesn't want a selfie with a Meerkat? It was such a great little place; the people were nice and you are able to feed the animals, who will become your best friends. Oh, there's also a raccoon, if you're into that sort of thing. (I am not.)
Meerkats are just as hilarious as they are on Meerkat Manor, but so much tinier than I imagined. We spent as much time here as possible.
Cat Story
If you're a cat lady, or a cat person in general, you're going to need to come to the cat cafes. There are so many to choose from, but we went to this one: simply titled Cat Cafe. Clean, not too crowded, and so many fluffy kitties. We spent a very long time here and proceeded to name all the cats and form entire life histories for them.
Cats in boxes, they never cease to make my day. Come on down and make friends with the fur balls!
Hongdae's Trick Eye Art Museum
This museum is an experience that changes frequently and always provides endless entertainment. In this museum, YOU step into each painting and become a part of it. They are 2D paintings, but when photographed are painted to appear 3D.
I was here in 2013, when the tech hadn't evolved to incorporate virtual reality, so my photos looked like 3D paintings like this:
Five years later, 2018 has transformed the museum into this:
Now visitors can download an app which transforms the paintings into an interactive adventure, from crossing a plank to escape a volcano, gazing into the horizon as you transform into a mermaid, or hang from a chandelier against the ceiling.
Throughout the museum there are signs to suggest different poses that others have photographed, you can choose to imitate or create your own. It's actually the most fun that there ever was.
Keep in mind, these paintings were all 2D, save for the obvious additional AI.
When you're thoroughly done with imaginary sceneries and adventures, what's better to top it all off than with a selfie latte?
This coffee shop is located right inside the museum next to the entrance. Take a photo with their camera, and five minutes later voila! You now have your portrait draped against the soft latte foam that after sipping can become something of a Dali painting.
Wrap up your evening/night up at Namsan Tower
The coolest way to end the day is definitely a hike up to Namsan Tower, a mountain with a spectacular view of the city! At the top you can find the similar "locks of love" as in the Eiffel Tower in Paris. This is a great hike, with an even greater view, and greater at night.
Afterwards, as you're already in Itaewon, the neighborhood known for international restaurants, bars, and dance clubs, you might as well continue the night onward. Korea does not sleep at night; bring an outfit to change into and keep it in a locker inside the subway station. Trust me, it's a lifesaver.
Words to know when snapping those angles
Can you take our picture? ---> Uri sachin chigau juseyo? (informal)
So cute! ---> 귀여워요 Kiowoyo!
You look beautiful ---> 너는 아름다워 Na nun areum dawo
Perfect ---> 완전한 Wan cheonhan
Don't forget your red lipstick, peace sign symbol, and happy flying! X