Lovely Runner Style Guide: Dress Like the Characters (Full Episodes 1–16 Breakdown)

The moment episode 3 ended, Korean fans weren’t only screenshotting Sun-Jae’s face. They were reverse-image-searching Im Sol’s ribbed cardigan. That’s the Lovely Runner effect — a drama so thoughtfully styled that the fashion became its own conversation.

Most English-language guides stop at episode 4 and call it done. This one covers the full 16-episode arc, breaks down both the 1990s idol-era looks and the modern-day wardrobe, and gives you real Korean brand names with actual prices — so you can shop this aesthetic, not just pin it.

If you’ve been searching for how to dress like a Korean drama character — specifically Lovely Runner style — this is the most complete English-language guide available.

Why Lovely Runner’s Fashion Hits Different (The Korean Insider Take)

Quick premise if you’re new: Lovely Runner (2024) follows Im Sol, a devoted fan who travels back 15 years in time to prevent her idol, Ryu Sun-Jae, from dying. That time-travel mechanic isn’t just a plot device — it handed the costume team two completely distinct fashion eras to build out: a late-1990s idol world and a contemporary Seoul setting.

Korean viewers noticed immediately. Within hours of each episode dropping, the 패션 인스티즈 (Fashion Instiz) boards and Naver fan cafes were dissecting every outfit. A post titled “선재 오빠 니트 브랜드 어디야?” (“Where is Sun-Jae’s knit from?”) published on the Lovely Runner Naver fan cafe the morning after episode 5 aired accumulated over 340 replies within 12 hours — the replies included brand IDs, Musinsa direct links, and size comparisons from fans who’d already ordered. The stylist team — working within a dual-era visual system — got genuine community praise, which is not a given on Korean fashion forums where the criticism is merciless.

The drama became one of 2024’s breakout K-dramas, and its aesthetic ripple was immediate. The ‘idol off-duty clean casual’ look it popularized started showing up in street style content from Hongdae to Seongsu within weeks of the finale. That’s the kind of cultural pull that makes this worth understanding properly.

The 1990s Idol Era Looks: Sun-Jae’s Retro Timeline Wardrobe

This is the section most English guides skip entirely — and it’s where the show’s styling gets genuinely interesting.

The retro timeline sequences required the costume team to reconstruct late-1990s Korean idol trainee fashion: the era of H.O.T., S.E.S., and early idol culture. That means a very specific visual language. Oversized blazers in muted plaid worn open over plain tees. Baggy straight-leg jeans — not the artfully distressed kind, but clean dark wash denim with actual room through the thigh. Thick crewneck sweatshirts in primary-adjacent colors (dusty red, faded navy, forest green). Chunky white sneakers that read vintage rather than fashion.

The clearest examples land in episodes 4–6, specifically the trainee scenes at the practice studio. Sun-Jae’s oversized plaid blazer-over-white-tee combination in episode 4 is the anchor look for the entire retro timeline — it reads instantly ’90s without being costume-y, because it’s grounded in those specific silhouettes rather than obvious nostalgia props. By episodes 5 and 6, the thick crewneck sweatshirts take over for the indoor practice sequences, which also tracks historically: trainees in that era wore whatever was warm and moved well, not whatever was stylish.

What the styling team got right: ’90s Korean idol fashion wasn’t actually that flashy at the street level. The stage outfits were loud, but off-stage and in training, the aesthetic was surprisingly pared-back — just with proportions nobody wears anymore.

The color story in the retro timeline is also deliberately different from his contemporary wardrobe. Where his modern looks are all cream and slate, the ’90s sequences introduce those slightly faded, slightly saturated tones — dusty red, washed olive — that reference how clothing actually looked in that era before Korean streetwear fully arrived.

How to recreate the retro timeline look now:

• Oversized plaid blazer: Search 빈티지 블레이저 (vintage blazer) on Bunjang or Karrot (당근마켓) — Korean secondhand markets are stocked with genuine ’90s pieces. Budget ₩15,000–₩40,000 (~$11–$30 USD) for authentic finds. For international shoppers, ASOS Marketplace or Depop under “90s blazer” gets close.
• Baggy straight-leg dark wash jeans: Musinsa Standard carries a wide-leg straight cut in dark indigo for approximately ₩49,000 (~$36 USD). The fit is deliberately retro-proportioned.
• Thick crewneck sweatshirt: Mmlg (엠엠엘지) on Musinsa does heavyweight crewnecks in exactly the kind of muted saturated tones the retro sequences use — approximately ₩69,000 (~$51 USD). Worth it for the fabric weight alone.
• Chunky vintage sneakers: New Balance 574 or 576 in white/grey. Widely available; Korean styling on the retro timeline look specifically used clean, unbeat-up pairs — so go new, not distressed.

Decoding Ryu Sun-Jae’s Signature Style (Modern Timeline, Episodes 1–16)

Sun-Jae’s contemporary wardrobe runs on a system, not random outfit choices. The formula: fitted or straight-leg trousers + oversized knit or clean button-down + minimal sneakers or loafers. Koreans call a similar vibe 청청룩 (chung-chung look) — denim-on-denim casual — but Sun-Jae’s version is cleaner and more polished. Think idol trainee off-duty, not college student rolling out of bed.

His color palette never strays: cream, oatmeal, slate blue, muted olive, warm white. Not a single loud print across 16 episodes. Korean stylists made this choice deliberately — those tones signal the ’90s idol purity aesthetic that’s central to his character identity, especially in the retro timeline.

Fabric matters too. Heavyweight cotton, fine-gauge knit, structured denim. InkiStyle documented him wearing a pink Oxford half-sleeve shirt from Avandress over a white tee in episodes 5–8 — that layering logic stays consistent throughout the run. Core look in episodes 1–4: cotton short-sleeve shirt over a white tee with jeans and white sneakers.

Episodes 9–16 show a deliberate wardrobe shift that mirrors the emotional arc. As Sun-Jae’s timeline becomes more uncertain, the styling gets slightly more layered and textured — longer outerwear enters the rotation, and the palette cools from warm cream toward greyer slates. Episode 12’s olive trench coat over a cream turtleneck is the clearest example of this shift: it’s the same character, the same restrained palette, but with more weight to it. The costume team was doing quiet character work here, and it lands.

How to build Sun-Jae’s modern wardrobe:

• Fine-gauge oversized knit: Romantic Crown (로맨틱크라운) on Musinsa does exactly this silhouette — approximately ₩79,000 (~$58 USD). Cream or oatmeal colorways are the most accurate to the drama.
• Oxford layering shirt: Avandress directly, or search 옥스포드 셔츠 on Musinsa under ₩50,000 (~$37 USD). Half-sleeve or rolled-cuff full-sleeve both work.
• Straight-leg trousers: Musinsa Standard again — their cotton straight-leg chinos in stone or slate run approximately ₩39,000 (~$29 USD) and are a near-exact match for his episode 7–10 trouser silhouette.
• Minimal white sneakers: New Balance 550 or Adidas Stan Smith. Sun-Jae’s modern timeline sneakers read clean and understated — nothing platform, nothing chunky.
• Outerwear (episodes 9–16): Search 트렌치코트 on 29CM or W Concept for mid-length olive or camel options. Budget ₩120,000–₩180,000 (~$88–$132 USD) for quality that holds the silhouette properly.

Im Sol’s Style: The Other Half of Lovely Runner’s Fashion Story

Im Sol’s wardrobe is the one that sparked that opening screenshot frenzy — and it deserves as much attention as Sun-Jae’s.

Where Sun-Jae’s style is polished and restrained, Im Sol’s is cozy and personal. Her aesthetic reads as 감성 캐주얼 (sensory casual) — the Korean styling approach that prioritizes softness, texture, and lived-in warmth over sharp silhouettes. This is intentional character work: Im Sol is a fan, not an idol. Her clothes say she’s someone who feels deeply, moves comfortably, and has actual taste rather than a stylist’s taste.

The ribbed cardigan from episode 3 — the one that triggered the Instiz threads — is a pale blush pink, slightly oversized, with a fine vertical rib texture. It’s layered over a white ribbed tank with slightly wide-leg cropped pants and white platform sneakers. That outfit is basically the Sol formula in one look: soft layering, tonal color story, mixed textures, practical shoes with just enough lift.

Her palette runs warm and muted: dusty rose, warm ivory, soft sage, camel, lavender. There’s a consistency to it that mirrors Sun-Jae’s palette logic — her colors feel emotionally adjacent to his. Whether that was a deliberate costume department decision to visually link them is unclear, but Korean fans on the Naver cafe certainly noticed it, with several threads specifically comparing their color stories across episodes.

Episodes 7–10 introduce her most-discussed looks. The sage linen button-down over a white long-sleeve tee in episode 8 became one of the most screenshotted outfits of the entire drama — clean, simple, textured, and immediately wearable. Episode 10’s caramel turtleneck-and-wide-leg trouser combination is her most polished moment, timed exactly to a plot beat where her character steps into more agency.

Episodes 13–16 wind the wardrobe back toward softness — more oversized knits, more layering, fewer structured pieces. It tracks with where Sol is emotionally in those final episodes.

How to build Im Sol’s wardrobe:

• The ribbed cardigan (episode 3): Chuu (츄) on Musinsa carries ribbed cardigans in the exact blush-to-ivory range Sol wears — approximately ₩45,000–₩59,000 (~$33–$43 USD). Size up one for the right drape. International alternative: & Other Stories or COS ribbed cardigans in pale pink.
• Ribbed tank underlayer: Any basic ribbed tank in white or ivory works. Musinsa Standard’s cotton-modal ribbed tank runs approximately ₩19,000 (~$14 USD) and has the right weight and texture.
• Linen button-down (episode 8 look): Search 린넨 셔츠 on Musinsa or 29CM in sage or moss green. Nohant (노앙) does a loose-fit linen shirt in exactly this range for approximately ₩89,000 (~$65 USD). Worth investing here — linen quality varies a lot at the lower price points.
• Wide-leg cropped trousers: Musinsa Standard cotton wide-leg in stone or camel, approximately ₩45,000 (~$33 USD). The cropped length is key — Sol’s trousers consistently hit at or just above the ankle.
• Platform sneakers: New Balance 530 or Asics Gel-1130 in white or cream. These give exactly the proportion lift Sol’s outfits use without going full chunky.
• Oversized knit for episodes 13–16: Mmlg (엠엠엘지) again — their soft-knit oversized crewneck in dusty lavender or warm ivory is almost a direct pull from her late-series wardrobe. Approximately ₩69,000 (~$51 USD).

Budget-Level Alternatives: Shop the Look at Every Price Point

Not everyone is ordering from Musinsa with Korean forwarding addresses. Here’s how to get close at three price points, whether you’re shopping locally or internationally.

Under $30 (High Street)

• Ribbed cardigan (Sol): ZARA ribbed knit cardigan in blush or ivory. Fit runs slightly fitted, so size up once.
• Crewneck sweatshirt (Sun-Jae retro): Uniqlo heavyweight fleece crewneck in dusty navy or olive. Slightly more casual than the drama version but the silhouette is right.
• Wide-leg trousers (Sol): H&M linen-blend wide-leg in stone. Linen quality isn’t premium but the shape is accurate.

$30–$80 (Mid-Range)

• Oxford layering shirt (Sun-Jae): ASOS Design oversized Oxford shirt in pink or white. Half-sleeve versions appear seasonally.
• Fine-gauge oversized knit (Sun-Jae): & Other Stories or COS offer exactly this silhouette in the right palette — worth the price for fabric quality.
• Linen button-down (Sol): Everlane Japanese Linen Shirt or Quince European Linen Shirt, both available in sage-adjacent tones.

$80+ (Investment Pieces)

• Trench coat (Sun-Jae, episodes 9–16): A.P.C. or Totême for the silhouette and fabric weight that holds the look properly. If you’re buying one piece from this drama’s wardrobe to actually wear long-term, this is the one.
• Premium knit (either character): Musinsa’s own premium label or Mmlg shipped internationally via a forwarding service. The fabric quality difference from high street is significant and visible.

The One Thing That Makes or Breaks This Aesthetic

Proportions. Both Sol and Sun-Jae’s looks depend entirely on getting the fit logic right — and it’s not complicated, but it is specific.

The rule across both wardrobes: one relaxed piece, one fitted piece. Oversized knit with straight-leg (not baggy) trousers. Loose linen shirt with cropped (not flowing) wide-leg pants. Baggy blazer with slim tee underneath. The moment both pieces are oversized, the look reads sloppy rather than intentional. The moment both are fitted, you lose the Korean casual softness entirely.

Color tonal stacking — wearing two or three pieces in the same color family rather than contrasting — is the second thing that makes these outfits feel Korean rather than just casual. Sol’s blush-cardigan-over-ivory-tank combination works because the tones are related, not matching. Sun-Jae’s cream-shirt-over-white-tee layers the same way. It’s a simple technique that makes a real difference.

Get those two things right — proportion balance and tonal stacking — and you don’t need to find the exact pieces. The aesthetic translates even with high-street substitutes.