University Names Become Fashion... The 'Glorious Revival' of Gwajam and Gwati [Song Seung-yoon's Pa.Al.Bot]

'Hoodies and Jumpers with "Yale" and "Harvard"
Clothing Named After Universities Popular Among MZ
Beyond Affiliation, Becoming Fashion Brands'

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] So-called ‘Gwajam’ (jumpers with university and department logos or names) and ‘Gwati’ are no longer exclusive to university students. Since last year, as neat and tidy styles like 'Ivy League look' or 'Preppy look,' which are mainly worn by Ivy League students, have become trendy, clothing with university names has also become a part of fashion.

Recently, among the MZ (Millennial + Generation Z) generation, clothing with university names has gained tremendous popularity. This phenomenon is similar to the trend a few years ago when so-called 'ROKA (ROK Army)' fashion, featuring military unit names or logos, became popular among teenagers.

Originally, Gwajam or Gwati strongly expressed a sense of belonging and unity with one's school and department. They were also noted as comfortable training wear that matched well with any outfit on campus. For this reason, wearing Gwajam or Gwati without belonging to the respective school often drew strange looks. However, now this has transformed into a fashion genre. The phenomenon of university names becoming brands has emerged. Especially among young people, wearing jumpers or hoodies with overseas university names has become considered 'hot' fashion.

A representative brand is 'Yale.' Yale is a clothing brand based on the logo of the prestigious American Ivy League university, Yale University, and it has gained tremendous popularity in Korea. The fashion startup Words Corporation acquired the license and began introducing it domestically, achieving a huge hit. Hoodies, sweatshirts, and hats featuring the Yale logo have been regarded as 'must-have items' among teenagers. Subsequently, brands named after Harvard University, UCLA, Cornell University, Columbia University, and other universities have launched one after another.

Recently, APR’s famous street brand 'NERDY' also released products in collaboration with Yonsei University. The collection consists of six items: three hoodies, two sweatshirts, and one short-sleeve T-shirt featuring Yonsei’s symbolic 'Y' logo. Although each university has had its own 'goods' or Gwajam produced by individual colleges, this is a rare case of officially partnering with a clothing brand to create products.

An industry insider said, "In the past, there was resistance to people not belonging to the school wearing clothes with the logo, but recently this has naturally been accepted as fashion. Since university brands or clothing borrowing their logos have long been loved overseas, it is expected that this trend will maintain its popularity domestically for some time."

Nerdy X Yonsei University Collaboration Apparel. Photo by APR