The 10 Most Iconic K-pop Fashion Moments

Outfits may seem secondary to people who have never watched a K-pop music video, but fans know very well that outfits are, in fact, a vital element of K-pop.
They not only help define the concept chosen for a group or a specific comeback, but they also help enhance idols' qualities and express their personalities.
Some K-pop fashion moments, in particular, managed to leave their mark on K-pop history, some in a positive manner, others in a less favorable light. The response may also vary depending on the nationality of the fans and their overall cultural background or fashion taste.
Choosing which K-pop fashion moments would be on the list was tricky; some are my favorites, and some were chosen based on overall fan sentiment; I hope you will enjoy them all!
If you want to know more about K-pop fashion, keep reading this article. If you want to be updated about your favorite K-Dramas and K-pop groups, check out the other articles on Daebak.co, and if you're going to dress like a K-pop idol, look at our shop!
#MAMAMOO Hwasa 2018 MAMA Red Latex Bodysuit
Probably THE most iconic K-pop fashion moment on the list, 2018 MAMAMOO's performance was incredible, and all the girls looked stunning, but this outfit is still discussed after five years!
This tight and sexy bodysuit was considered too sexy by many netizens, who heavily criticized Hwasa for her choice. Still, many, on the contrary, really appreciated her bold move.
Especially considering how harsh body standards are in Korea, the fact that Hwasa confidently wore something so sexy without fitting those standards encouraged many viewers.
She was perfect, don't you agree?
When knetz criticized Hwasa at MAMA 2018 because of the red bodysuit and days later she appeared with a corset and garter belt at Gayo Daejun 💅👑 pic.twitter.com/oJ75OZVytw
— Ceci (@Cecilia09Ceci) October 16, 2020
Go to min 1.07 to see her solo stage or take the chance to also enjoy Moonbyul and Chaewon’s performance:
#EXO Kai Love Shot Red Suit
Kai is well known for his bold outfits, but the ones he wore for the Love Shot music video and the subsequent performances left an indelible mark on EXO-L and everyone else.
Despite finding it hard to choose one among those he wore, I finally picked this iconic K-pop fashion moment:
#KAI | LOVE SHOT ERA KAI
— TBC ★ (@T0BECOUTURE) December 7, 2021
Love shot was definitely one for the books. We got leather jacket EXO back, this time with graffiti printing and a more put together bad boy persona. KAI became the hottest topic, dominating every social media with his infamous red suit. pic.twitter.com/DWrcTPSN2c
As a plus, Kai is one of the best dancers in Kpop, so let us all bathe our eyes in this beautiful fancam of him wearing it:
And of course here it is the full music video:
#TXT Yeonjun Blue Hour Pink Crop Top
TXT’s Blue Hour was an, indeed, iconic comeback for the group, where they styled cowboys-meet-fairies kind of outfits.
The song in itself is incredibly catchy, but the music video brings it to the next level:
What took the internet by storm, even before the release of the full music video, was, however, Yeonjun’s pink Balenciaga crop top. Not only was the styling particularly intriguing, but it perfectly fitted Yeonjun’s aura.
Often, he likes experimenting with his style, so this was the first time anyone else could pull it off as well as he did.
yeonjun and his pink crop top pic.twitter.com/sNUxZ1m8i1
— junie thinker (@yjunthoughts) April 6, 2021
Surely an iconic K-pop fashion moment!
#Red Velvet Joy Rainbow Peek-a-Boo Dress
If you have never heard before in your life about Red Velvet, then you must be living under a rock!
They are undeniably one of the most iconic girl groups of K-pop. Their concept (red for the cute comebacks and velvet for the more mature ones) is united with their vocal talent, and their excellent music production is a must-known!
As a plus, Peek-a-Boo is one of their best comebacks! Each of the members’ outfits was unique.
peek-a-boo by red velvet:
— cYa ☆ (@soobuji) May 10, 2018
- THAT KPOP GIRL™️
- THE DANCE IS SO CATCHY HOW CAN YOU NOT DANCE ALONG
- THE RAINBOW OUTFITS WERE EVERYTHING pic.twitter.com/Dm1vdd2NYY
but Joy in particular was stunning in her rainbow dress!
No words, just #RedVelvet's #Joy in her iconic rainbow dress. pic.twitter.com/3MkZnMV9Qu
— Affinity Magazine (@TheAffinityMag) July 7, 2021
Indeed an iconic K-pop fashion moment!
If you haven’t listened to the song before, what are you waiting for?
#J-hope 2020 Melon Music Awards Purple Suite
Choosing just one among the many iconic outfits J-hope wore during the Dynamite era was hard, but this suit sent the internet into complete chaos, so I had to put it on the list.
J-hope has always enjoyed bright colors and risky fashion, but this K-pop fashion moment was unforgettable!
Dance leader Hoseok in the purple suit and a clip in his hair
— j-hope videos (@jhopevideos) June 26, 2021
#JHOPE #제이홉 pic.twitter.com/MRHN7AtLzy
Here you can watch the entire performance and bathe your eyes with BTS’ talent and beauty.
During the dance break in particular, J-hope, as usual, has a chance to show us his incredible dance skills:
#Lisa 2019 Coachella Glitter Dress
2019 marked Blackpink's first Coachella performance, here, they had a chance to show their incredible talent to both K-pop fans and non-K-pop fans, and indeed they did not disappoint!
Their performances and outfits were on fire so we couldn't miss this iconic K-pop fashion moment!
In particular, this outfit worn by Lisa left everyone speechless; she looked incredible!
190413 (3 years ago today)
— ᓚᘏᗢ (@timetolili) April 12, 2022
Lisa at Coachella 2019 Day 1 pic.twitter.com/Q8hXJ36UVs
Here you can watch their performance of DDU-DU-DDU-DU, where Lisa wore this iconic dress. They all looked stunning!
Since we are talking about Lisa, I also want to include another of her iconic K-pop fashion moments! Her outfit for the DDU-DU-DDU-DU music video:
Lisa looks like she just finished washing the dishes and forgot to take her rubber gloves off but she still look amazing as always
— 유나비🦋✨ (@not_your_nunna) June 22, 2018
-
[ song: blackpink - ddu du ddu du ] pic.twitter.com/ZtLC3V52yI
This one sparked controversy since the gloves reminded many people of dishwashing gloves!
Despite that, she still looks fantastic, don’t you agree?
#TWICE Chaeyoung Fancy MV Two-Piece Set
As a song, Fancy functions almost as a splitter in TWICE’s discography; it marks their new, more mature rendition of their concept. Before the song, TWICE’s concept was adorable; now, despite not losing its core, their music fits more their maturity and has a hint of sexiness.
Chaeyoung, in particular, had an iconic K-pop fashion moment during the FANCY MV; not only was the outfit iconic, but also her haircut.
chaeyoung has it all!! she really has it all!
— unforgiven 🍓 (@nextlevelchaeng) April 22, 2019
-birthday comeback
-blonde hair (mv)/ pink hair (promos)
-RAP LINES RAP LINES RAP LINES!!!!!
-wrote strawberry
-serving LOOKS
-stage presence and confidence
this era is already hitting so different#TWICE_FANCY #chaeyoung pic.twitter.com/ryMZdtcVJD
This outfit fits her perfectly!
Here is also the music video, if you haven’t heard FANCY before you will not be disappointed!
#Jessi Who Dat B MV “Hate Tweets” outfit
For the ones who don’t know Jessi, she is an incredible solo artist whose talent spans from rap to singing to host.
She has been in the K-pop industry for more than a decade, and despite many finding her highly controversial, she managed, in time, to consolidate a faithful group of fans who love her also, if not especially, for her honesty and confidence.
She often speaks about taboo topics in Korea, such as her plastic surgeries, which are usually themes K-pop idols avoid. She was never afraid to talk about what she decided to change, and, in many interviews, Jessie spoke about her “fake boobs,” something she was teased for a lot.
In her Who Dat B MV, she wore an outfit containing hate words directed at her; in particular, her top recites “FAKE,” an apparent reference to her “fake boobs.”
278 . Jessi - Hate Tweet Outfit : pic.twitter.com/h8V0VqWLBH
— Legendary Kpop Outfits (@iconickpopfits) May 25, 2021
This was, without any doubt, an iconic K-pop fashion moment!
#ITZY Ryujin WANNABE MV Two Piece Outfit
Itzy is a 4th generation girl group that debuted under JYP, which, from their debut DALLA DALLA, took the world of K-pop by storm thanks to their catchy music and incredible performances!
Their comeback WANNABE, in particular, became viral thanks to Ryujin’s iconic shoulders dance move, which invaded TikTok and other social media platforms!
In the video, they all wear beautiful outfits, but Ryujin’s one, thanks to the success of her fancams, became an iconic K-pop fashion moment!
The song is super catchy and their dance moves are incredible! Here is the video:
#SHINee World IV Iconic White Outfits , designed by KEY
SHINee is iconic, probably one of the most known boy groups in K-pop music, with incredible vocalists, outstanding performers, and K-pop fashion icons!
Their music has defined the industry for over a decade, and their comebacks never disappoint!
I could not not include these incredible white military-style outfits, which KEY himself designed for the group tour!
Superior outfit for superior boys.
— ℕ𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕒Who♥️𝕊ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕖𝕖🌸💎 (@shinin_omma) April 23, 2020
My most fav outfit. Iconic.#SHINee #샤이니 pic.twitter.com/oR8idfbW4E
Undeniably an iconic K-pop fashion look!
Here are some of their amazing performances while wearing these outfits:
#SEVENTEEN Minghao HOT MV outfit
Last but not least, one of SEVENTEEN’s most recent comebacks, HOT, is a song that is catchy and full of K-pop fashion moments.
Every outfit in the video is unique and eye-catching, but it is undeniable that Minghao stole everyone’s attention in his red-yellow top!
An unmissable K-pop fashion moment!
Exactly!!!pic.twitter.com/ELxImiFvOU
— 𝑵𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐 𝐀𝐉 🦄🐈 (@DojaCatJuicy) May 16, 2023
The song is a literal ear-worm, you can never stop listening to it after the first time:
Compiling a list of all the most iconic K-pop fashion moments was hard since there were so many great outfits to remember, but I tried to add as much variety as possible.
I hope this article will be an excellent way to find style inspiration, discover or re-discover new music, or reminisce about the good times connected to these outfits.
If you have other iconic K-pop fashion moments, let us know in the comments!
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