What to Wear in Seoul

Seoul is a well-dressed city. On the subway you'll see neat, fashionable outfits in muted colours, careful make-up and good trainers, even on a Tuesday morning. Nobody expects visitors to keep up, but clean, simple clothes help you blend in, and very revealing outfits get looks outside the nightlife districts.

The city is also hillier than it looks on the map. Bukchon, Ihwa and the city wall are all steep, stations have long corridors and many stairs, and a normal day adds up to fifteen or twenty thousand steps. Wear shoes you've already walked in. Pick a pair that slips on and off easily too: you take them off in hanok guesthouses, at restaurants with floor seating and in temple halls.

Summer is humid and often rainy. Choose loose cotton or linen, and bring a light layer, because the subway and cafés run their air conditioning hard. During the monsoon from late June, a compact umbrella and shoes that cope with puddles matter more than anything else. Convenience stores sell cheap umbrellas when you're caught out.

Winter is the season to take seriously (the seasons guide has the details). Temperatures often stay below zero all day, and the wind makes it feel colder still. Do as locals do: a long padded coat that reaches the knees, thermal underlayers, gloves and a hat. Heated floors (ondol) and warm subway cars mean you'll want a coat that opens easily.

Spring and autumn are about layers: a T-shirt at lunch, a jacket after dark. On dusty spring days, a KF94 mask is what Seoulites reach for.

Temples such as Jogyesa in Insadong are working places of worship, so cover your shoulders and knees if you step inside the halls. If you plan to rent a hanbok for the palaces, wear flat shoes and something thin underneath. Our palaces guide explains how the free entry works.

Packing list

• Worn-in walking shoes that slip on and off
• Socks without holes, for shoe-free floors
• A light layer for air-conditioned trains
• A compact umbrella, especially from June to September
• A long padded coat, gloves and a hat from December to February
• A few KF94 masks in spring
• A small hand towel for humid summer days
• A European two-pin plug adapter