Former K-Pop Idol Reveals Some Groups Have To Wear Hand-Me-Down Clothes

Idols really are raiding each other’s closets.

If you’re a fan of multiple K-Pop groups, you know how satisfying it can be to see two of your favorite idols wearing the same clothing. Fans often joke that the stars “raided each other’s closets”—but just how true is that? According to idol-turned-YouTuber Christine Park, formerly known as Blady‘s Tina, some groups actually do have to wear hand-me-downs.

Soobin explained that agencies often give stylists a set budget to buy idols’ clothes with. Of course, good styling can be expensive—and that’s where hand-me-down outfits come in.

| soobeanie_/YouTube

In Soobin’s case, Blady shared a clothing stylist with both MAMAMOO and SISTAR. And, inevitably, there were times when that stylist used the same outfits for members of multiple groups.

MAMAMOO’s Solar (left) and SISTAR’s Bora (right) wearing the same t-shirt in 2015. | SBS (left)

According to the former Blady star, it’s all about budgeting constraints. While each group has its own budget for clothing, those budgets may not necessarily cover the cost of great outfits.

“Rotating” some of the clothing pieces between groups allows the stylists to keep all their clients looking fabulous without breaking the bank.

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Thankfully, Soobin confirmed that the clothes were washed before being passed down to other groups. However, she didn’t elaborate on whether senior or more popular groups got the wear the outfits first.

MAMAMOO (Wheein, right, 2019) has also shared a stylist with Girls’ Generation (Taeyeon, left, 2020).

Alongside clothing, Soobin shared that accessories were the most frequently shared between idols.

| soobeanie_/YouTube

So, next time you joke that your favorite idols borrowed each other’s clothes, you may be hitting closer to home than you originally thought.

The same stylist for MAMAMOO (Moonbyul, left, 2018) also worked with SEVENTEEN (Hoshi, right, 2018).

That is the reason why you might see certain styles or certain clothing pieces that a lot of different idols wear; it’s because they might have the same stylist.

— Soobin