Change of a Dress

Isn’t it just my luck that when I finally become enthralled by the world of Dolce and Gabbana and Nicole Miller, I land in a country that finds bare shoulders unacceptable! With South Florida-style halters and tanks, and my new discovery of the amazing tube-dress, I have absolutely nothing that covers my shoulders. So I hit the malls in search of a light cardigan or bolero (those little half jackets with short sleeves). Unfortunately, these women’s idea of style is 8-year-old meets Upper East Side credit card. If there aren’t bucketfuls of sequins and glitter lining the collar, then a break-the-bank jacket has to have puffy sleeves and frills all along the front. These women are walking around like disco balls and cheesy birthday cakes!

So I wondered: Are the cutesy dresses and reserved behavior just Korean society’s way of keeping women in line? Women even have a different set of words to use than men. I can tell Korean men aren’t used to bold women whenever my boss at work mumbles and stutters around me and my American friend, Taylor. Women here are so used to being modest, even their fashion has regressed to the shiny and lacy phase. Now, I’m not one to conform by covering up the goods, and by goods I of course mean those mouth-watering shoulders of mine. But I get enough stares walking down the street being brown and having that “Huh?” expression whenever someone tries to talk to me in Korean. Who knows; maybe one day I’ll go Lady Godiva, shed the outer layer, and let those daring shoulders see the sun.

Well, I managed to find a cheap jacket at a designer mall but spent $80, all the money I had left, on strappy sandals. Um…oops?

The title of this post comes from Sex and the City Season 4, Episode 15