Similarly to when The Mouse wanted to go to France, one of the first things she tried to figure out is: what do people wear there, and what is taboo? The Mouse, while only recently becoming more aware of Korean culture, was definitively aware of the fact that Korea, in some ways, is more open than her home country, and in other ways, is less so.
The Mouse has thus learned that,
1. There is a seemingly strict sense of professionalism in schools,
and so
2. What you wear in the classroom is allowed to differ greatly from what you wear on the street.
Okay. The Mouse can handle this. This is something that she has wanted from American culture, but has not always seen from her own teachers. Sometimes this is ok (i.e., The Mouse does not look down on American teachers who dress casually, though she DOES tend to look down on teachers who dress provocatively or otherwise inappropriately (and this applies to both female and male teachers.)), do not do this, or this, and - oh please dear Gods - do not do this.
So the idea is, while in the classroom, dress professionally, or, at the least, business-casual. That is, if you wear a skirt, make sure it is at or below the knees. If you can't handle that, wear pants. Blouses should not show cleavage. No strappy sandals (and apparently, no open-toed shoes, period.), no jeans, no sweats, and PLEASE, none of the stuff in the links above. And don't be showy. Professional does not mean "spoiled rich lady." If you own the gaudy jewelry (which The Mouse does not), leave it at home. Wear it when you're out with the girls or even if you want to show off when you're just walking around the supermarket. That's your business. Don't do it in the workplace. (The Mouse will get to what is not appropriate of teachers even outside the workplace in a later post, as that is a rather loaded issue with a lot of topics that are separate from this. She won't politicize this particular post, since it is just for fun.)
But then what about in public, outside of the workplace? The next question The Mouse asked herself, is whether there is a different standard for what constitutes "provocativeness" in Korean versus American culture. For example:
1. The Mouse, for whatever reason, has always considered super-short skirts more provocative than cleavage. This does not seem to be the case in Korean culture, where the miniskirt is much more accepted than the sometimes-even-taboo cleavage. Oh, and don't wear tube-tops, halter-tops, or spaghetti-strap tops. Showing that much of the shoulders seems to automatically label you a slut in most places in Korea. Just don't do it. But as for that miniskirt - that's perfectly fine.
2. Since the super-extreme is out of the way, let's focus on some less-taboo, but still-shouldn't-do-it bits. Showing a lot of one's back is considered "sexy," and one should not do this when one is in the classroom, or over a co-worker's house for dinner. Again, if you're out with the girls or showing off, knock yourself out. Tattoos seem to be more accepted for men than women, but if one has a tattoo, it is better to cover it up. You might think it's rude to stare, but stare they will. And really, it's no different than you staring at this dude on the bus because he doesn't look like everyone else.
3. In Korea, fashion is a huge thing. But Korean fashion is different from American fashion. For one, I take back what I said earlier: it's actually OKAY to wear that tube top or spaghetti-strap top, but put another layer or three (The Mouse is exaggerating for humor here, not debasing Korean fashion, which she actually loves. Layering is a popular trend in Korea) over it to hide the shoulders and/or the cleavage that it exposes. Shrugs and cardigans are popular in Korea. Use this to your advantage and try to be trendy, rather than slutty. Also, muted colors seem to be fashionable. If you're trendy in Korea, your overall outfit is made up of shades of grey and brown, and your accessories are colorful. There are exceptions to this rule, of course. But I like this particular quote: "Primary colours are for kids, strong pastels for older women." (Another one from The Korean, on distinguishing between Asian ethnic groups).
3.5. Accessories are the key. I said don't be gaudy in the workplace. That doesn't mean you can't be when out on the street, on the subway, with the girls, etc. Remember: muted clothes, showy accessories. Got it? Good. While we're on the topic of color: (I can't find the source here, sorry! This line is taken from somewhere.) "No bright, odd, or eccentric hair dye. Seriously. This is Korea, not Japan."
4. Korean women wear makeup. This will be a bit difficult for The Mouse, since she usually does not, and The Mouse Fiancé prefers The Mouse not to wear makeup. But it seems that in Korea, showing up to work without makeup is equivalent to showing up to work in a dirty, stained sweatshirt and ripped jeans, along with those sneakers that you've owned for ages and ages but they're too comfy to throw out. So yeah. Makeup is a must. The Mouse supposes she can live with a little makeup.
5. I think, aside from those, pretty much the same things that apply in America apply in Korea. Try to look nice but not slutty, especially at work. Put your best, preferably pedicured, classy-shoed foot forward, because the first impression is often the most important.
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