I’ve officially been in South Korea for about 24 hours now. Today I went out on the sole mission of finding a foreign-language bookstore (succeeded) and seeing if I could find an ATM that accepts foreign cards (succeeded as well). Both were at a mall near where I’m staying in Seoul.
Walking around the mall, I was awestruck at how much American culture there was. Most striking was the American-owned clothing stores and beauty shops. I’ve realized I no longer need to worry about getting another pair of Reef sandals or body splash from The Body Shop. Most interesting, though, is the young Koreans’ fascination with the “California” look. It’s something the US experienced in the last decade or so with the growing popularity of Abercrombie and Hollister stores. And for some reason, it’s catching on HUGE here. Importing the SoCal life was something I’d seen a bit of in China, so I guess I wasn’t too floored when I saw Hollister clothes at the high-end department store.
But what I was surprised by was this Korean store. Who.A.U. is a Korean chain with locations throughout the country. Walking into the store, I felt like I’d just stepped off the Hollister porch. All the clothing is West Coast themed; women’s shirts say things like “Cali Girl” and “California Dreaming.” Clothes are in the pastel, sun-bleached colors, and cotton is king. But it’s not a California store. It’s Korean.
Really, you need to check out the website.
