Lovely Runner Style Guide: Dress Like Im Sol & Ryu Sun-Jae
Byeon Woo-Seok in a cream knit. Kim Hye-Yoon in a faded graphic tee and wide-leg joggers. If you finished Lovely Runner and immediately opened a shopping app, you’re not alone — and you’re definitely not overreacting. For anyone searching how to dress like a Korean drama character, Lovely Runner is one of the most copy-able style references of 2024: specific enough to be useful, relaxed enough to actually wear in real life.
This 2024 drama didn’t just win hearts with its time-travel plot. It quietly became one of the most-referenced fashion dramas of the year, with Korean fashion communities on DC Inside (패션 갤러리) and Naver Café picking up ‘Im Sol 코디’ as a search trend within days of Episode 1 airing. Gulf News covered the show’s international cultural reach in 2024, noting that Lovely Runner drove measurable search spikes across Southeast Asia and the Middle East for Korean fashion terms — a signal that the wardrobe was landing as hard as the storyline. That kind of organic cross-market buzz is the real signal — not press releases.
What follows isn’t an episode-by-episode outfit list (there are plenty of those, and they’re mostly useless for actually getting dressed). This is a wardrobe formula guide — the specific pieces, the real Korean brands, the KRW prices, and the closet remixes that don’t require you to buy a single new thing if you already own the basics.
Why Lovely Runner Fashion Hit Different: The Aesthetic Behind the Hype
Lovely Runner — starring Kim Hye-Yoon as Im Sol and Byeon Woo-Seok as Ryu Sun-Jae — built two very distinct but complementary aesthetics. Im Sol runs on 캐주얼 스포티 (sporty chic): relaxed, slightly undone, like someone who genuinely lives in her clothes. Sun-Jae operates in 부드러운 단정함 (soft smart casual): clean, warm-toned, and effortlessly put-together without looking like he tried.
These two looks are not accidental. K-drama productions have increasingly integrated costume direction with brand placement and trend forecasting — and Lovely Runner is a clear product of that shift. The wardrobe choices feel deliberate at every level.
For Lovely Runner specifically, the styling strongly evokes the 헬로키티 y2k revival trend that dominated Korea’s 20-something demographic through 2023–2024. That’s why Im Sol’s wardrobe feels retro-adjacent — slightly faded, slightly vintage, but never costume-y. It’s a very intentional softness, and Korean fashion forums consistently read it that way even if there’s no single public interview where the costume team spelled it out directly.
The result? A drama that didn’t just tell a love story — it sold a lifestyle that felt achievable, not aspirational. That’s the fashion gap most English-language coverage misses entirely.
How to Dress Like Im Sol from Lovely Runner: The Sporty Chic Formula
Im Sol’s outfits follow a consistent four-part formula: oversized graphic tee or hoodie + wide-leg track pants or straight-leg jeans + retro sneakers + mini shoulder bag or tote. That’s it. Every outfit in the drama is a variation of this structure.
Her color palette is what makes it feel cohesive: faded whites, sky blue, soft grey, and the occasional pop of cherry red — all muted and lived-in, never stiff or just-out-of-the-bag. Naver fashion boards flagged her beige crinkle knit blouse paired with light blue slim-cut denim as a standout combination, along with a delicate blue crochet cropped cardigan for a softer register. Even her more elevated pieces read as relaxed.
She also pulled an Adidas Originals color block 70s knit vest for a retro moment — and that piece alone captures the y2k-adjacent energy running through her whole wardrobe.
The Korean Brands Doing Im Sol Best
- MLB Korea (엠엘비) oversized cap — ₩49,000 (~$37). MLB Korea is massive on Korean campuses right now and deeply underexplained in English blogs. It’s not Major League Baseball merch repurposed — it’s a full Korean streetwear brand with serious cultural cachet. The NY-logo cap is the exact silhouette Im Sol wears.
- Matin Kim tote bag — ₩89,000 (~$67). The aesthetic-accurate Korean choice for her bag energy. Clean lines, muted colorways, the right amount of structure without being corporate.
- Musinsa Standard (무신사 스탠다드) wide-leg joggers — ₩29,900 (~$22). The honest budget pick. Musinsa Standard is Korea’s answer to Uniqlo basics but with better silhouettes for the current market. International readers: YesStyle carries near-equivalent wide-leg jogger styles for ~$18–25.
- Adidas Korea retro sneakers — ₩89,000–119,000 (~$67–89). Her on-screen footwear leans consistently retro Adidas. The Adidas Originals Gazelle or Campus styles match her energy without being a fashion-week flex.
The Im Sol Closet Remix
If you already own an oversized hoodie and a pair of straight-leg jeans, you’re 70% there. The remaining 30% is accessory and shoe choice. Add a retro cap (MLB Korea or any neutral-toned cap you own), swap your sneakers to the cleanest white pair in your rotation, and carry a small tote or crossbody instead of a backpack. That’s the Im Sol formula on zero new spend.
One styling note that Korean Naver fashion boards consistently flag: the fit proportion matters more than the specific pieces. Im Sol’s look works because the top and bottom are both relaxed — mixing a fitted top with the wide-leg pants loses the ease that makes the whole thing feel intentional rather than sloppy. Keep both silhouettes soft and you’re locked in.
For a deeper look at specific Im Sol outfit ideas across the whole drama, check out our full Im Sol outfit breakdown guide.
How to Dress Like Ryu Sun-Jae from Lovely Runner: The Soft Boy Formula English Blogs Get Wrong
Most English-language content about Sun-Jae’s style describes it as “minimalist” and leaves it there. That’s not wrong, but it’s not useful either. What Korean men’s fashion communities actually identified — and what Naver Café’s ‘남자 패션’ boards specifically praised — was that his styling felt ‘깔끔하면서 자연스럽다’ (clean without trying too hard). That nuance is everything.
Sun-Jae isn’t wearing fashion. He’s wearing clothes that happen to look good because the proportions are right and the palette is controlled. That’s a harder thing to copy than a specific product — but once you understand the formula, it’s actually very accessible.
The Ryu Sun-Jae Formula
Four components, consistently: cream or warm-white knit + slim straight trousers or dark straight-leg jeans + clean white or off-white sneakers + zero statement accessories. The last point is the one most people miss. Sun-Jae’s outfits work precisely because nothing competes — no layered chains, no oversized watch, no branded cap. The restraint is the style.
His palette runs almost entirely in warm neutrals: cream, oatmeal, soft camel, dusty white, occasionally a muted olive or navy. No black as a base. Korean men’s fashion forums noted specifically that the warm undertones in his knits are what separate his look from generic “clean boy” aesthetics — it reads softer and more approachable than a cool-grey minimalist wardrobe would.
The knit itself — that cream crewneck that became the single most-screenshotted piece in the drama — is the anchor of the whole look. Everything else serves it.
The Korean Brands Doing Sun-Jae Best
- Polo Ralph Lauren Korea crewneck knit — ₩129,000–179,000 (~$97–134). The cut and warmth of Polo Ralph Lauren’s basic crewneck sweaters sit almost exactly in Sun-Jae’s register: not fashion-forward, not boring, just right. Available at major department stores and the Ralph Lauren Korea flagship.
- Musinsa Standard (무신사 스탠다드) slim straight knit — ₩39,900 (~$30). The honest budget version. Musinsa Standard’s knit line in cream and oatmeal colorways hits the proportions correctly without the department store price tag. Ships internationally via Musinsa Global.
- Covernat (커버낫) slim straight trousers — ₩59,000–79,000 (~$44–59). Covernat is one of the most respected Korean streetwear-adjacent brands for clean, well-cut basics. Their slim straight trouser silhouette pairs well with the knit-on-top formula without reading as overly formal. Available on Musinsa and Covernat’s own site.
- New Balance 550 or Adidas Stan Smith (Korea colorways) — ₩99,000–129,000 (~$74–97). Sun-Jae’s sneaker palette stays strictly clean: white, off-white, minimal branding visible. The NB 550 in white/cream or the Stan Smith in classic white are the two closest matches Korean fashion editors consistently point to for this aesthetic.
The Sun-Jae Closet Remix
The most important swap: pull the warmest, softest sweater you own (not grey, not black — cream, oatmeal, or camel if possible), pair it with your most straight-cut non-distressed trousers or dark jeans, and put on the cleanest sneakers you own. Remove one accessory from whatever you were planning to wear. That last step is the one that actually moves the needle.
Korean men’s fashion Naver boards note that the Sun-Jae look fails most often when people add too much — a beanie, a necklace, a patterned outer layer. The formula only works when it stays quiet. Think of it as dressed, not styled.
Im Sol vs. Ryu Sun-Jae: The Side-by-Side Formula
If you want to understand why these two aesthetics work so well together on screen — and why both translate so well to real wardrobes — the contrast is the point.
| Im Sol | Ryu Sun-Jae | |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetic tag | Sporty chic / 캐주얼 스포티 | Soft smart casual / 부드러운 단정함 |
| Core palette | Faded white, sky blue, soft grey, cherry red | Cream, oatmeal, camel, dusty white, muted navy |
| Key silhouette | Oversized top + wide-leg bottom | Fitted knit + slim straight bottom |
| Footwear | Retro Adidas (Gazelle / Campus) | Clean white NB 550 or Stan Smith |
| Accessories | Retro cap + tote or mini crossbody | Nothing, or minimal watch only |
| Best budget brand | Musinsa Standard (₩29,900~) | Musinsa Standard knits (₩39,900~) |
| Zero-spend remix rule | Both top AND bottom must be relaxed | Remove one accessory; warm tone over cool |
The two formulas are designed to complement each other, but they’re also independently wearable. You don’t have to commit to the full aesthetic — one anchor piece from either column, worn with what you already own, is enough to read as intentional.
Where to Shop These Looks From Outside Korea
The honest answer is that most of these pieces are easier to get than English-language blogs suggest. Here’s the access breakdown:
- Musinsa Global (en.musinsa.com) — ships internationally, KRW prices still apply with a conversion markup. Musinsa Standard, Covernat, and dozens of relevant Korean brands are all available here directly.
- YesStyle — reliable for Musinsa Standard-equivalent basics and MLB Korea accessories at roughly comparable price points. Slower shipping but no Korean card required.
- Adidas and New Balance global sites — the Gazelle, Campus, NB 550, and Stan Smith are globally available. Korean colorways occasionally differ, but the core silhouettes are universal.
- Polo Ralph Lauren international — the crewneck knit is a flagship product globally. No Korea-specific sourcing needed; the cream/oatmeal colorways are standard catalogue items.
For Matin Kim specifically, international orders go through their own site (matinkim.com) or select stockists. Pieces sell out fast around drama air dates — the brand saw noticeable traffic spikes during Lovely Runner‘s run, per Korean retail reporting.
The short version: you don’t need a Korean address or a forwarding service to build either of these wardrobes. The pieces are out there. The formula is the part that most shopping guides skip — and now you have both.