I am someone who loves the cosy atmosphere that is associated with winter. What’s better than sipping on a warm cup of coffee under a blanket while reading a book (or at least pretend to), wearing comfy sweaters, or watching christmas movies? Although I wish every day would look like this, the reality of spending winter in Korea is sometimes quite far from a Netflix Christmas movie! From looking like a caterpillar with your long padding to try to make the best out of your winter break, let me guide you on how to survive harsh Korean winters. 

Heattech will be your bestfriend

At the beginning of my very first winter in Korea, I used to wear regular tights only under my pants thinking it would keep me warm enough, which obviously didn’t work. I then realized I needed something much warmer and quickly bought heattech tights, because I had heard from my friends it was the only way to not freeze. I personally use the Daiso ones, which are only 5000won and keep me super warm. You can find heattech tights, socks, leggings and tops pretty much everywhere these days such as at Daiso, Coupang, Spao, Decathlon and of course at UNIQLO which is the original heattech. 

Invest in a cosy and warm puffer jacket 

Have you ever envied Korean girls wearing those super cute outfits (short skirts…) in peak winter and wished you were them? Yeah, me too…Unfortunately I cannot stand the cold and I have absolutely no energy to look cute in winter because the cold is going to slap me in the face anyway, therefore I will keep on wearing my Michelin tire guy-looking puffer jacket as long as I can. I also have a mustang jacket which is super warm and more stylish than a padding for the days where I want to elevate my look a bit more. So, definitely invest in a nice puffer jacket if you are staying through the winter. If you are on tight budget, you can visit second-hand stores such as Goodwill or 아름다운가게, they have so many locations in Seoul and my friends and I found the warmest paddings ever at Goodwill for around 20.000won only!  And if you are the type of person who looks super cute and elegant in winter, please tell us your secret!