Daegu (Taegu), South Korea
What Do I Wear?
In preparing to head out to South Korea I was researching what to bring with me. A lot of the articles I read mentioned how sizes run small for the most part. This posed a problem for me since I am all of 6 ft, 220 lbs, and a size 13 US shoe. Now the tips were to bring shirts, pants and shoes because you won’t be able to find them here. With that I packed 15 shirts, which may have been over kill, 3 pairs of pants, 3 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs of shoes and 1 set of sandals. What I didn’t take into consideration was the weather. I knew it was going to be hot and sunny so the shirts I brought were thin and long sleeved, to protect from the sun, and casual jeans to wear throughout the day. My thinking was that since Korea is very trendy and fashion aware, I would be fitting in. Oh! And did I mention? I packed a suit. I mean Germany’s weather was pretty warm and I was comfortable in the clothes I packed so I thought I would be comfortable.
When I arrived in Korea the first thing I came to realize was, I Really Underestimated the Heat; not only the heat, the level of humidity as well. I’ve never felt anything like it. To clarify, I grew up in some hot conditions, being from the valleys of California and living in the deserts of Texas, but this level of humidity was ridiculous! It was around 86*F with a humidity level of 80% to 90%, which made it feel like it was 100 degrees outside! Can I say I immediately regretted my outfit right then. I had no idea the I could produce the quantity of sweat I did in the time from leaving the aircraft to entering the terminal; I had already began sweating through my shirt. I’m so glad that Koreans believes in Air Conditions unlike the majority of Germany, it was so refreshing walking into that airport terminal.
This Korean heat has taught me the importance of planning ahead. Instead of looking trendy and cool, I looked crazy for what I was wearing. When it is so hot and humid that your pants become damp from your own sweat; you know you really need to adjust your wardrobe. Luckily I packed a pair of shorts in my backpack; I was able to change but it wasn’t for a couple of days that I could find some shirt that actually fit me.
What I ended up wearing for the most of my trip were a couple of golf shirts made from synthetic materials that breathed well and didn’t show moisture. And I ditch the jeans as well, instead I opted to wear shorts. So for all the clothed that I packed I ended up wearing a combination of 4 outfits that I had created while in Korea.