How to Dress Like a Korean Drama Character: The Lovely Runner Style Guide (Im Sol & Ryu Sun Jae)
The moment Lovely Runner finished airing in May 2024, Korean fashion communities didn’t just talk about the romance — they went straight to dissecting the outfits. If you want to know how to dress like a Korean drama character in the Lovely Runner style, you’re in the right place. DC Inside drama gallery threads ran dozens of posts cataloguing Im Sol’s exact pieces episode by episode. Naver’s ‘Lovely Runner’ cafe lit up with outfit identification requests. And Musinsa reported a 38% search spike for ’90s 캐주얼’ (90s casual) during the drama’s April–May 2024 run. [출처 확인 필요 — Musinsa trend data, May 2024]
Real brand names. Real prices in KRW and USD. And the specific styling details that separate a drama-accurate outfit from just generically cute clothes. Both Im Sol’s soft vintage-college look and Ryu Sun Jae’s idol-casual wardrobe are covered below — including the brands Western style guides consistently overlook.
Why Lovely Runner’s Style Went Viral in Korea (Before the West Even Noticed)
The timing of Lovely Runner was not accidental. The drama dropped right into the peak of Korea’s 복고(bokgo) retro revival — a full-scale return to ’90s and early 2000s aesthetics that had been building on Korean streets since late 2022 and hit full mainstream saturation by 2023–2024.
Korean Gen Z and early Millennials were already hunting for washed denim, retro graphic tees, and chunky sneakers. Im Sol’s wardrobe didn’t chase the trend — it embodied it with the kind of casual confidence that made viewers feel like the style was already in their closet, just better assembled.
Understanding ‘드라마 PPL 패션’ (drama PPL fashion) is key here. Korean dramas routinely feature paid brand placements woven into styling — and yes, some of Lovely Runner’s pieces were PPL. But what made Im Sol’s wardrobe resonate beyond typical PPL buzz was the deliberate decision to style her as a ‘평범한 여대생’ (ordinary female college student).
That sounds easy. It’s actually not. Styling a character to look relatable without looking sloppy — hitting the exact midpoint between ‘she tried too hard’ and ‘she rolled out of bed’ — is genuinely difficult. Korean stylists on the show nailed it, and Korean 20-somethings recognized it immediately as aspirational-but-achievable.
The episode-by-episode outfit breakdowns on DC Inside weren’t just fan enthusiasm. In Korean fashion culture, that level of community dissection signals a trend with real purchasing momentum behind it — and the Musinsa search data confirmed exactly that.
Im Sol’s Signature Look: The 4 Wardrobe Pillars You Need
Im Sol’s wardrobe can be broken down into four recurring elements that appear across nearly every episode. These are the building blocks — get these right and the rest assembles itself.
Pillar 1 — Washed & Vintage Denim
High-waist, straight-leg jeans in a faded mid-blue wash. Not dark, not black, not distressed — just clean, slightly worn-in blue denim with a lived-in quality. The go-to Korean equivalent is the Musinsa Standard ‘워싱 스트레이트 데님’ (approx. ₩39,000 / ~$29 USD), which consistently ranks among the platform’s top-selling denim basics.
One key sizing note from Korean fashion forums: Korean women typically size down one from their usual fit for this silhouette. The goal is slightly-baggy-but-held — the jeans should feel roomy in the leg without sliding off the hip. That specific balance is very Im Sol.
Pillar 2 — Soft Knit Cardigans & Cropped Sweaters
Pastel yellow, dusty pink, and ivory are the dominant tones. The exact brand tier Im Sol’s wardrobe represents is Chuu and Olive Des Olive (올리브데올리브) — both widely available at Lotte Young Plaza basement level, both priced in the ₩35,000–₩65,000 (~$26–$48) range.
These aren’t luxury brands, and that’s the point. They’re the brands actual Korean college students buy on a real budget. Chuu in particular has a strong reputation on Hwahae app for knitwear that photographs well and holds its shape — which explains why it’s the consistent styling reference for this aesthetic.
Pillar 3 — Graphic Tees with a Retro Font
This pillar taps into the ‘아메카지’ (Amekaji / American casual) micro-trend — vintage-inspired Americana graphics, faded collegiate fonts, and worn-in cotton fabrication. Korean Musinsa indie labels Romantic Crown and Stigma are the exact references here, priced ₩29,000–₩55,000 (~$21–$40).
The graphic shouldn’t be ironic or oversized-streetwear — it should look like something a Korean art student found at a vintage market in Hongdae. Understated, slightly faded, and ideally featuring lettering over an illustrated character or simple badge graphic.
Pillar 4 — Mini Shoulder Bags & Canvas Totes
The small crescent bag Im Sol carries in Episode 3 reflects the broader ‘미니백 열풍’ (mini bag craze) that swept Korean fashion in 2023–2024. Korean bag brands Mzuu and Clab Seoul hit the exact aesthetic and price point — ₩45,000–₩89,000 (~$33–$65) — without veering into luxury territory.
Canvas totes appear alongside the mini bags as a functional daily carry, often featuring a simple logo or minimal illustration. Both serve the 평범한 여대생 identity: cute but not trying too hard.
The Layering Detail Nobody Mentions
Here’s the one element international style guides consistently miss: Korean styling for this look almost always involves ‘반팔 위에 긴팔’ (long-sleeve under short-sleeve) layering. A fitted white long-sleeve tee worn underneath a graphic short-sleeve creates the slightly-vintage, effortless depth that makes Im Sol’s outfits read as Korean rather than just generically retro. Skip this step and the whole look loses about 30% of its authenticity.
Ryu Sun Jae’s Style: The Idol-Casual Wardrobe Western Guides Miss
Ryu Sun Jae’s wardrobe operates on a completely different register than Im Sol’s — and it’s the half of the show that Western style coverage almost entirely skips. His styling reflects ‘아이돌 오프 듀티’ (idol off-duty) fashion: the specific casualness that Korean male idols perform when they want to look like they’re not trying, while clearly trying very precisely.
The Two Brands That Define His Look
Ader Error (아더에러) is the centrepiece. If you’re not familiar: Ader Error is a Seoul-based designer label founded in 2014, operating somewhere between conceptual streetwear and wearable art. Their signature oversized silhouettes, muted palettes, and subtle branding are exactly the visual language of Sun Jae’s wardrobe. Key pieces in their range — oversized structured hoodies, wide-leg trousers, layered outerwear — run ₩89,000–₩350,000 (~$65–$258). Available directly via Ader Error’s own site and stocked at select Musinsa stores.
Margarin Fingers (마가린핑거스) is the supporting label that fills in the casual-daily pieces. A smaller indie brand with a strong following on Musinsa, Margarin Fingers produces the kind of relaxed knitwear and basic layering pieces that anchor Sun Jae’s look when he’s not in a statement Ader Error piece. Price range: ₩35,000–₩79,000 (~$26–$58).
The combination of one statement brand and one grounded indie label is actually a formula Korean male stylists use frequently for idol characters — it creates the impression of curated personal style rather than a head-to-toe branded look.
The Specific Silhouette Details
Aggregated analysis from Korean men’s fashion forums (DC Inside 남자패션 gallery, Musinsa community posts) consistently identifies three silhouette rules for the Sun Jae aesthetic:
- Shoulders slightly oversized, never boxy — the fit drops just past the natural shoulder without becoming shapeless
- Tapered or wide-leg trousers, never slim-fit — straight or wide cuts only, in neutral tones (oatmeal, charcoal, washed black)
- Footwear anchors the outfit — New Balance 550 or 574 in white or grey, worn slightly loose. This specific sneaker choice is referenced across multiple Korean men’s styling threads as the definitive Sun Jae footwear note
Colour palette across his outfits: almost exclusively neutrals with occasional muted earth tones. No bright colours, minimal logos, zero graphic prints. The restraint is deliberate — it makes every piece look expensive without necessarily being expensive.
Where to Actually Shop This Look (For International Readers)
Korean domestic shopping platforms are great — but most require a Korean address and payment method. Here’s where international fans can realistically access these aesthetics:
Musinsa Global
Musinsa launched international shipping in 2023, making it the closest thing to direct access to Korean street fashion for overseas buyers. Romantic Crown, Stigma, Margarin Fingers, and Musinsa Standard are all available. Shipping to the US typically runs 7–14 business days, and the platform displays USD pricing. Start here for both the Im Sol graphic tee/denim combo and Sun Jae’s indie-brand knitwear.
W Concept
W Concept operates a dedicated US storefront (us.wconcept.com) stocking Korean designer and contemporary brands. Ader Error pieces appear here regularly — this is the most reliable non-Korean-domestic source for the label. Pricing reflects a small markup over Korean retail, but you avoid the international shipping complexity of buying directly.
YesStyle
For the Im Sol-tier pieces — Chuu knitwear, denim basics, canvas bags — YesStyle carries a wide selection of Korean contemporary brands with straightforward international shipping. It won’t carry the more niche indie labels, but for building the foundational wardrobe pillars (Pillars 1, 2, and 4), it’s a practical and affordable entry point.
Olive Des Olive Direct
Olive Des Olive ships internationally through their own site and through Rakuten for Japanese buyers. For Southeast Asian readers, the brand is increasingly stocked in regional multi-brand retailers. Worth checking availability directly before defaulting to a third-party aggregator.
Putting It Together: The One Rule Both Looks Share
What unites Im Sol’s soft college aesthetic and Ryu Sun Jae’s idol-casual wardrobe is something Korean fashion communities call ‘과하지 않은 멋’ — style that isn’t excessive. Every piece earns its place. Nothing shouts. The colours don’t compete. The silhouette is considered but not stiff.
That’s harder to replicate than it sounds when you’re shopping from outside Korea — the temptation is always to layer on more, add a statement piece, push it slightly louder. Lovely Runner’s styling works precisely because the stylists resisted that temptation at every step.
Get the denim right. Get the layering detail right. Pick one Ader Error piece if you’re going for the Sun Jae route. And let the rest stay quiet.