There are affordable, Korean made clothes in large sizes.Yesterday my wife came back with a new winter coat, 5 pairs of slacks, 8 tops, and a shorts set for about 600k₩.These places are off the beaten path, but they are there. Most Koreans don’t buy all their clothes at The Hyundai.
The worst is furniture. The prices are outrageous. And the quality is absolute shite. Cheap particle board inside with weird, plasticky, faux wood on the outside. Or that brown leather sofa that 97% of the households in the country own.My mother in law bought us a bed when we got married, which is nice. My wife told me the price and it was millions and millions of won. I couldn't believe it. Then about two years ago I was moving it and a chunk of the headboard broke if in my hand. That same particle board stuff that you find in the most budget of furniture stores elsewhere and should be a few hundred dollars tops. EVERYTHING is made out of it. It's like solid wood doesn't exist.And I should add, last year there was a video released of a hidden camera expose of some Chaebol family woman screaming at an underling in her ultra luxury apartment. What I noticed was the furniture in the background was the same gaudy, tacky, particle board shit every one else has.
Quote from: JNM on December 14, 2018, 08:52:44 amThere are affordable, Korean made clothes in large sizes.Yesterday my wife came back with a new winter coat, 5 pairs of slacks, 8 tops, and a shorts set for about 600k₩.These places are off the beaten path, but they are there. Most Koreans don’t buy all their clothes at The Hyundai.This man married well.
Quote from: StillInKorea on December 14, 2018, 08:55:46 amQuote from: JNM on December 14, 2018, 08:52:44 amThere are affordable, Korean made clothes in large sizes.Yesterday my wife came back with a new winter coat, 5 pairs of slacks, 8 tops, and a shorts set for about 600k₩.These places are off the beaten path, but they are there. Most Koreans don’t buy all their clothes at The Hyundai.This man married well.Or his wife only told him it cost a mere 600k won. Credit card bill might say different.
I'd say your credibility here took a hit, but that was torpedoed a long time ago. Koreans absolutely will happily pay a premium mark up on products believing it relates to the quality and prestige of the item. You cannot have lived here any length of time and not noticed it across the spectrum of consumer products and services. You know it's true.
And as to your point that it happens back in the west, sure, it happens with a demographic known as the nouveau riche, or trailer trash that won the lottery. But how does the same mindset existing in a segment of the population back home make the fact it happens here any less true?
The irony of Dmart's protestations and defenses of all things Korean is that if you were to believe him, there is nothing unique about Korean culture or behaviour. Everything that happens here, according to Mart, also happens back home.
Or boats. Or guns.
The worst is furniture. The prices are outrageous. And the quality is absolute shite. Cheap particle board inside with weird, plasticky, faux wood on the outside. Or that brown leather sofa that 97% of the households in the country own.
We got a great table from Ikea for around 250,000 total (frame + top) and I see the same table in a lot of Koreans' re-modelling apartment photos.
Most Americans don't care about high-end brands enough to pay for them so we have tons of stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, etc. These stores sell higher end stuff at a discount, usually overstock items. 9 of 10 people will go there instead of Macy's.
However, I think the OP's point that a few people seem to miss or ignore is that the items in question were low quality, but extremely expensive. Those two things don't add up and is why he's angry. If you pay $1200 for a coat, you want it to the be the best quality and last for years, but I'm guessing he got more of a Gmarket vibe from it.
The point is that clothes that are absolutely terrible quality are sold for an insanely high price here. Same with furniture as Zola pointed out.
Sorry but I think DeMartino's spidey senses started tingling when he thought Koreans were being attacked and he leapt to their defense without really getting the OP's point.The point isn't that Koreans (and people all over the world) waste their money on things that aren't worth it purely for the prestige of the brand or label. The point is that clothes that are absolutely terrible quality are sold for an insanely high price here. Same with furniture as Zola pointed out. I'd say it's even more brazen with furniture.I have to say that I never noticed it back home. If the quality is terrible then the price would reflect it. Not so much in Korea.
Quote from: alexisalex on December 14, 2018, 10:13:34 am The point is that clothes that are absolutely terrible quality are sold for an insanely high price here. Same with furniture as Zola pointed out. Again, the Korean sticker price rule. If you're paying what's actually on the price tag, you're shopping stupid. That price is NOT what the item is typically sold at. As far as quality, it varies highly and I suspect some of the stuff back home wasn't quite as good a quality as you fondly remember. But yes, there's some crappy clothing here. Don't buy it. You aren't forced to and it's not the only clothing sold. I didn't shop at Kinney Shoes back home either as well or pay up the rear for Tommy Hilfiger's overpriced shoddy crap.
Where did I praise the quality of goods back home? Read it again. I said that if the quality was terrible then the price would reflect it.
You've been here a long time, isn't it time to move on from the "WTF, everything is so different!!!" phase?
Quote from: Savant on December 14, 2018, 08:56:25 amWe got a great table from Ikea for around 250,000 total (frame + top) and I see the same table in a lot of Koreans' re-modelling apartment photos.Good grief people, IKEA is the Reese's or Chipotle of furniture. It's got decent stuff at it's price point, but it's not the be all end all. And at times it's more like the Coldstone of furniture in that it can be hideous trash. Not saying Korean furniture is any better, but "I know good furniture- IKEA!!!!" OMFG, really?
The point that DeMartino is wildly trying to steer away from and get into one of his rabbit hole frantic attacks on the west arguments is that Korean department stores tend to be absurdly over-priced. Korean outlet stores and malls often don't have great deals like ones back in the states. Those are just observable facts that we all are able to know after living here. Those are facts that Koreans who have spent time abroad also know. Just a simple truth. Don't get too upset by it Martin.
Quote from: Mr.DeMartino on Yesterday at 01:40:32 PM Trump is a liar and a con man.
Quote from Mr.DeMartino on June 14, 2019 at 02:28:07 pmDonald Trump is a lying sack of shit