It is impossible for you to not hear of drama The King: Eternal Monarch that’s on broadcast concurrently in South Korea and on Netflix. After all, the show boasts big A-list names Kim Go-eun, whom you might remember from Cheese in the Trap and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, and Lee Min-ho, who starred in The Heirs and Legend of the Blue Sea. Adding to the fanfare was screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, who was the creative genius behind hits such as Secret Garden and Descendants of the Sun.
Ahead, we spotlight our favourite fashion items that Kim Go-eun wore in the show. Playing detective Jeong Tae-eul (and later, Luna), we love Kim’s almost tomboyish sensibilities for its comfort and ease that does not discount any style points. And unlike many Korean drama fashion looks that focus on high-impact glamorous looks, Kim’s ensembles are very relatable and wearable.
PS: some spoilers ahead – you have been warned. Also, keep checking back as we will be updating this story as the season progresses.
On a stakeout, Kim seems to take her outfit up a notch on the utilitarian front. Case in point: this cargo shirt from Ouie that features multiple pockets.
Because Kim is wearing a coat, the details of the cashmere sweater underneath aren’t that obvious. This Diagonal sweater shifts the button line to lay across the chest, creating a unique perspective on the classic silhouette. It is also available in other colourways besides neutral light grey.
This scene in episode 11 was particularly thrilling as it finally injected thrilling action scenes where we see her exercising at home before waking up in an unknown place. Here, she sports Ozweego shoes from Adidas Originals.
It is easy to mistake the outfit for a leather jacket at first glance, but it is actually a dress made with lambskin. The choice is perfect too, as it reflects the edgy Luna (the alter-ego of Lieutenant Jeong) who grew up on the streets of Corea.
Puff jackets haven’t seen their popularity wane since M0ncler made them skyrocket. Moontan added their own spin with a voluminous oversized fit. The vertical construction, however, might not find favour with people of larger builds.
Also available in aubergine purple, this forest green number is complementary to the personality of Kim’s character. The unassuming silhouette accented with large black buttons also makes it an easy number to rewear and style over and over.
Fun fact: the same blazer was said to be worn by Park Shin-hye in Memories Of Alhambra, which starred Hyun Bin. Kim chose to wear it uncuffed while Park cuffed it to show off the emerald green interior – two ways you can style a well-designed blazer.
In the same scene, Kim also wore this ivory sweater from Gouache. While they chose to hide the collar, another look you can try is to have the sweater collar lay atop the blazer. This creates a stacked collar effect, similar to what Kim Hye-soo wore in Hyena (which also starred Ju Ji-hoon).
If you aren’t a particular fan of the boxy silhouette of blazers, jackets and outerwear, find a piece that is built with a waist-tie. They allow you the versatility to cinch your waist or wear it as is. Just make sure that the jacket does not fold or crease awkwardly.
It seems like it isn’t just the cast of Crash Landing On You, Itaewon Class and more who have fallen in love with Gentle Monster’s sunglasses. We love how the stylists went with a simpler silhouette to mirror Kim Go-eun’s humble and down-to-earth characterisation. But if you want high impact, this iteration comes with coloured lenses such as yellow, red and green.
We can only expect that royalties of the Republic of Corea, where Lee Min-ho’s character is from, only wears the best. As such, it comes as no surprise that Kim was treated to a 100 per cent mulberry silk pyjama set. And of course, in royal blue.
The fashion tip here is simple: details make the magic. The added rainbow heart detail livens up the neutral grey jacket and shows off the wearer’s personality too. The brand also has other sweaters that feature the colourful detail too.
Dressing for cold weather involves multiple layers to insulate and keep the cold out. Yet, many forget that each layer can have little details to make the complete outfit greater. For example, this Recto jumper features cable knit and puffed sleeves that contribute greater style points that a plain counterpart.
Another item you can borrow from your man’s wardrobe, this brown cardigan comes from Acne Studios. With its clean lines and understated silhouette, the jacket is made with 100 per cent wool, which makes it lightweight yet insulating.
At first glance, this might look like an ordinary brown trench coat that you can find in any shop. However, the coat actually has voluminous raglan sleeves – notice how the shoulders look puffed up instead of the slouchy cut of regular jackets. Such a silhouette is great for people with petite shoulders or those who are looking to balance out their wider hips or waist.
This scene from the first episode laid the ground for the eventual looks of we can come to expect from Kim. Unlike her colleagues which made fun of the look to which she quickly rebutted as being a “chic, city girl”, we like this retro-style ensemble.
We loved how the cosy brown fluffy faux fur jacket brought the entire look together as it balanced out the light blue shirt, bright mustard yellow pants and a printed scarf knotted around the neck.
Another key feature of the look was the Gentle Monster sunglasses. Instead of popular black lenses, Kim stayed true to the vintage theme of her look and opted for a brown pair. The water droplet-esque shape also gave the sunglasses a subtle, not too overpowering cat-eye silhouette that can be easily styled into everyday looks.
Finally, the last noteworthy piece from this opening look was the black shoulder bag from Italian label Il Bisonte. Though we only had a short glimpse, it was enough to catch our eyes as the black was striking against her outfit of largely earth tones. We reckon that the clean, unfussy silhouette is rather befitting of Kim’s down-to-earth characterisation as well.
Whoever said that clothing had gender-specificity obviously hasn’t seen Kim rock this sleek goat suede AllSaints bomber jacket. So the next time you want to hit the streets shopping, why not raid your partner’s wardrobe for some fashion gems first?
This scene introduced the time-stopping element of the story, where it seemed that only Lee could move about freely as everything around him stopped in place.
We particularly love the neutral tones of this outfit as it fits in nicely to the park film location that was strewn with autumn-coloured trees. Moreover, the knit texture added a further dimension to the casual outfit.
If you’re in the market for a new winter jacket, don’t stick to formulaic silhouettes and designs. Rather, follow Kim’s lead and pick something unique, such as this MaisonMarais coat that features a high-neck cut. It is built to keep your neck warm and you don’t have to fuss with a scarf when you’re out. In addition, this coat is constructed with wool and lama so it is guaranteed to keep you warm and toasty.
This was one of the pivotal scenes in episode four where it shows Kim getting her photos professionally taken as she applies for a replacement of her missing police identification card – the same dated one which Lee has.
Beyond the importance of the moment, we’re loving the unique silhouette of the long-sleeved jumper Kim sported. It doesn’t have regular sleeves we see often but instead, has voluminous raglan sleeves that are cuffed around the wrist. Plus, the slight high-neck cut makes it looks formal without being stuffy.
While flannel is a favourite for the fall/winter seasons, it can easily look dated when it isn’t cut in the right silhouette or have the right mix of colours. Fortunately, this pick from AllSaints has a modern oversized silhouette without looking overly slouchy or boxy. The colourway makes for an easy jacket to throw over anything from denim jeans to sharp pants.
