How Blackpink’s Jennie and Aespa’s Karina are helping Korea’s ‘kimjang vest’ make a comeback
The iconic vest, long associated with older women making kimchi in the countryside, is being revived by young consumers embracing the ‘grandma-chic’ aesthetic
A floral quilted vest long seen as an unfashionable “grandma-style” item in Korea – commonly nicknamed the “kimjang vest” after the kimchi-preparing process kimjang, because older women often wear it while making kimchi in winter – is enjoying a surprising revival among young consumers as a trendy winter fashion piece.
According to Naver Data Lab search trends on November 18, searches for these quilted vests and related keywords such as “floral vest” among users aged 19 to 34 hit an all-time high of 100 the previous day. Naver assigns the peak search volume a value out of 100 to show relative change. After reaching 96 in December 2024 then dropping to zero, interest began surging again in mid-October.
With the rising buzz, related items have climbed to top-selling positions across major online shopping platforms. On apps popular with women in their 20s, including Zigzag and Ably, the floral quilted vest consistently ranks as a bestseller. Prices range from 5,000 won (US$3.85) to 40,000 won (US$27.15).
The trend has even expanded into pet fashion. On October 22, Korean underwear brand BYC collaborated with pet clothing label Gaeryas to release a dog-sized version of the quilted vest, which drew significant attention at a Coex pop-up event in southern Seoul.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.