New Office-core: Comfortable, Practical Suits Replace Formality
Creatrip Team
a month ago
As job and school seasons approach in South Korea, a trend called 'New Office-core' is rising—mixing formal suits with comfort (e.g., pairing suits with sneakers or layering knits under jackets). The JTBC drama “Waiting for Kyungdo” helped popularize realistic, easy-to-wear office suits after its lead character repeatedly wears just a few practical suit sets. Retailers and brands are responding with affordable, functional options: E-Land Retail’s M.I.SUIT offers a 129,000 KRW “national suit” made from low-wrinkle, stretch fabric by controlling production directly to cut costs. Women’s brands like Dint emphasize versatile office-appropriate pieces, while athleisure labels such as Jeximix and Andar are expanding into business-wear with stretchy, breathable trousers and polos that saw rapid sales growth. With high living costs, consumers—especially younger and 30–40s office workers—prefer multiple reasonably priced, comfortable suits to wear and rotate for different TPO (time, place, occasion). The 'New Office-core' trend is expected to persist as price-conscious practicality reshapes traditional suit culture.
