Suited and booted: Outdoor clothing is Korea's new luxury wear

Outdoor clothing prices have reached ridiculous heights in Korea. 

As hiking becomes increasingly popular as a weekend sport, outdoor clothing brands are growing at a rate of 20 to 30 percent annually in Korea, reported the Chosun Ilbo this week. 

“Jackets have a production cost that is less than a tenth of the retail price, but simply adding a brand name raises the price significantly,” said an outdoor wear industry expert.  

Although they are usually associated with more showy and fashionable designer wear, top Hallyu actors and singers such as Lee Hyori, Hyun Bin and 2PM are being tapped to model hiking gear and windbreakers in the industry’s lucrative marketing war.  

The leading outdoor industry brand last year notched up total sales of ₩392.1 billion, of which ₩107.7 billion was profit. The return on sales  was 27 percent, more than twice that of global designer brands. Foreign brands justify their steep prices because of high dividend payments (some more 40 percent) to overseas shareholders and parent companies. 

However, domestic brands are also flaunting exorbitant prices. 

“Outdoor clothes with a production cost of  ₩30,000 sell for ₩100,000 to ₩150,000 won in the market, but sell for ₩300,000 in a department store,” a seller at Dongdaemun Market told Chosun Ilbo. 

Although Seoulites are buying outdoor clothing of extremely high quality, this insistence on all-weather high performance gear is overkill, says French fashion designer Jean Colonna. The 55-year-old designer worked for the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld before signing on to design outdoor wear with Korean brand Kolon Sports.  

“Is it really necessary to insist on expensive material such as Goretex? For Korea’s topography, cotton or jersey is more than sufficient to hike in,” he said.