By Grace Kim
At the menswear shows from Monday to Tuesday at the Fall/Winter 2012 Seoul Fashion Week, one type of gentleman came to mind: a 50-something who looks as if he were in his 30s.
The tailored armies marchinng down the catwalk in slate blue, olive and black represented yet another evolution in the Korean metrosexual.
They stand apart from their Western counterparts with an eager use of BB cream, and distinguish themselves from younger Korean “flower boys” with substantial purchasing power. These men are driving the growth in upper class menswear and men’s skincare.
Korean men have been outspending women on clothing since 2008. In 2010, the menswear market recorded 7.27 trillion won in sales, compared to 7.1 trillion won for women’s clothing. Additionally, Korea is the top market for male skincare products, according to Euromonitor International, a global market research firm.
Which begs the question, why devote just a mere third of Fashion Week for menswear given the volume and the potential of this market?
Although the young “flower boys” and fashionistas fill up the seats at the fashion shows, it’s more likely the middle-aged and fabulous man who will take a designer suit