For those in the K-pop industry, it’s not enough to just release good music. Many fans don’t just listen to their favorite albums but also enjoy K-pop as a visual medium, watching their favorite music videos and enjoying performances. K-pop has always emphasized visuals, but as its popularity grows, more companies have placed even more importance on crafting aesthetically pleasing visual elements.
It may seem obvious, but style is an important aspect of a K-pop artist’s image. Outfits can make or break entire promotional cycles and great outfits can inspire fans’ fashion choices for years to come. It comes as no surprise that a K-pop concert is one of the most important moments to have a memorable outfit in an artist’s career.
Most K-pop looks are good, but some are truly a cut above the others. It’s difficult to come up with something stylish, appropriate for the artist’s image, and comfortable to perform in, so when a look hits all that criteria, we can’t help but be in awe. We believe the best looks should be celebrated so we’ve compiled a list of our favorite K-pop concert outfits. We hope you can appreciate these artist’s stylists and hopefully, these outfits give you some helpful inspiration for your own concert-going looks.
BLACKPINK
One of our personal favorite K-pop concert looks are the outfits BLACKPINK wore during their 2019 Coachella performances. As the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella, the girls were surely feeling the pressure to perform well. Fortunately, their stylists pulled through and the girls looked and sounded amazing at this monumental show. Both their Weekend One and Two (pictured above) looks are fantastic, but we have a slight preference for the second looks. The use of different fabrics, textures, and signature jewel details suits the girls’ luxury image and they all look fantastic.
ATEEZ
During ATEEZ’ recent second world tour, the boy group impressed fans with their great performances and difficult dance moves. The eight-member boy group looked great throughout the whole concert, but the outfits they wore during performances of excellent b-side “Cyberpunk” worked perfectly for the concept. Their stylists combined techwear with elements of bondage gear for a truly memorable look. The outfits capture the dystopian vibe of the song and inspired many ATINY to craft their own “Cyberpunk” outfits for the tour.
GOT the Beat
GOT the Beat, a super group composed of entirely SM Entertainment artists, looked dazzling during this performance at SM Town. The girl group only debuted early last year but has a strong style identity. In the limited stage performances they’ve made over the past year, the girls wear lots of leather, body chains, and intricate cut-outs. The group’s overall style comes across as edgy and elegant and we think this particular concert appearance exemplifies that image. In all white outfits, the girls wear their signature chains and leather but its enhanced with some extra sparkle.
ITZY
JYP girl group ITZY is known for their hard-hitting choreography, so their stage outfits have to be both fashionable and functional. Though it’s a tall order, their stylists rarely disappoint and these royally elegant outfits from their recent Checkmate tour fit the bill. It’s difficult to coordinate every outfit to fit a cohesive theme without dressing the members in the exact same look, but each girl’s outfit is unique while still complementing the entire theme. These white and gold outfits feature prominent beading work and gorgeous gold elements. Importantly, the girls look comfortable and stylish while performing their hit singles.
SHINee
The SHINee members are no strangers to going on tour and always deliver some of the greatest performances in the K-pop industry, all while serving looks. This particular performance from their 2015 SHINee World IV Tour has the boys decked out in what are essentially elevated marching band outfits but they make them work. This particular style motif appears in a lot of artists’ stage outfits, but SHINee arguably wears this look best. The boys perform “Sherlock (Clue + Note)” in white suits complete with excellent embroidery and gold tassels and we love it.
Red Velvet
Red Velvet channel their inner 1920s’ flapper with these looks in this performance of “La Rouge (Shining).” Part of the opening for their third tour, “La Rouge,” the outfits were sure to help the SM girl group make a strong entrance. The dresses suit Red Velvet’s more mature and sensual “Velvet” side and are perfect for their tango remix of single “Ice Cream Cake.” Designer Seo Seung Yeon of the haute couture house Dénicheur is known for exquisite beading work and highly detailed, bejeweled designs, as well as frequent collaborates with Red Velvet. While Dénicheur has made even more custom stage outfits for other K-pop groups since (notably the ITZY outfits featured above), these are some of the fashion house’s best looks.
(G) I-DLE
(G) I-DLE had a breakout 2022 with single “Tomboy” and follow-up “Nxde” becoming massive hits. The self-produced Cube Entertainment girl group has always had a killer discography, but “Tomboy” marked a change in both their music and stage aesthetic. To fit the more pop punk sound they had achieved with “Tomboy,” the girls began wearing edgier pieces and accessorizing with early Avril-esque ties, spiked belts, and stacked necklaces. This new era has arguably been (G) I-DLE’s most stylish and this performance at Incheon National University is a perfect example of the girls’ edgier look.
Twice
Twice wore some of their personal best looks during their most recent world tour, but the outfits members Nayeon, Momo, and Chaeyoung wore while performing “Hello” are Y2K perfection. The girls embodied tabloid-era celebrity fashion in Juicy Couture-inspired pink velour outfits complete with a bedazzled “Hello” on the front of each member’s top. The cowboy hats add an element of camp to the all-pink ensemble and that self-awareness helps make this one of the best concert looks. These “Hello” outfits narrowly beat these western-inspired outfits worn during the same tour.
Girls’ Generation
Girls’ Generation has a multitude of concert looks to choose from but the outfits from their 2013 Dream Concert performance have inspired both fans and other artists, earning them a place on this list. The SM girl group is at their most stylish when they lean into a more elegant, royal aesthetic and here the girls’ stylists combined that with the sporty silhouettes they rocked during “I Got A Boy” promotions. It might intimidate some to pair sneakers with leather and gold floral patterns, but creative pairings paid off in this instance. These outfits might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we think they deserve some love.
BTS
This list wouldn’t be complete without some BTS outfits and the boys went all-out during their 2022 “Yet To Come” concert in Busan. At this point in their careers, we’ve come to expect BTS to look expensive and as usual, they did not disappoint. While there are a few outfit changes throughout the show, we love the looks the boys wore during their “Run BTS” performance the most. The all-black ensembles combined more athletic silhouettes with varied textures to add some excitement to the looks. The boys’ outfits in this performance were a combination of streetwear brands like MISBHV with pieces from luxury design houses like Yves Saint Laurent. It may be a while before we see all of BTS together again but we’re glad we can enjoy looks like this in the meantime.
It’s impossible to include every great concert outfit in one list, but we tried our best to include some varied looks in this one.
Published: Jan 11, 2023 11:09 am