"Min Hee-jin Cardigan, Kim Ho-joong Sneakers for Sale?"... Why 'Blame Look' Is Selling Like Hotcakes

Min Hee-jin and Kim Ho-joong's Clothes Sold at High Prices
'Blame Look' Originates from Prison Escapee Shin Chang-won
Dual Psychology of Admiring Celebrities' Wealth and Social Recognition

Clothing and accessories worn by celebrities recently involved in social controversies at official events continue to experience a 'sold-out streak.'

According to a limited edition trading platform on the 4th, the lemon-colored cardigan worn by Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADORE, at the second press conference held on the 31st of last month to announce her position on the 'ADORE Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders' was confirmed to be traded at around 1.2 million KRW. This product is from a Japanese designer brand, with a retail price of about 500,000 KRW.

The cardigan quickly became a popular keyword mainly on some secondhand trading sites immediately after Min CEO finished the press conference, and the resale price surged to more than double. The green sweatshirt Min wore at the first press conference in April is also being sold at a price exceeding five times its retail price.

At the second press conference held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 31st of last month, CEO Min Hee-jin is speaking.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Recently, accessories worn by trot singer Kim Ho-joong, who was handed over to the prosecution for a 'hit-and-run drunk driving accident,' have also been a hot topic. The sneakers Kim wore when he appeared at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul on the 21st of last month were confirmed to be traded at around 1.9 million KRW on the same platform. These sneakers are from the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton, with a retail price in the mid-1.7 million KRW range. Not only the sneakers but also the flight jacket and glasses Kim wore that day sparked a flood of inquiries about the product names on social media and internet communities.

The phenomenon of clothing and accessories of celebrities who gained social attention due to negative incidents becoming popular is not new. In the late 1990s, the Italian luxury brand Missoni T-shirt worn by escaped convict Shin Chang-won at the time of his arrest sold out, giving birth to the new term 'blame look.' The blame look refers to a phenomenon or fashion where the fashion of socially controversial or criticized figures attracts public interest and popularity. Later, the luxury jacket worn by Shin Jeong-ah, who was under investigation for academic forgery and embezzlement allegations in 2007, sold out nationwide in department stores, and shoes worn by Choi Soon-sil, involved in the 'state affairs manipulation' scandal, also became a hot topic, continuing the popularity of the blame look.

Trot singer Kim Ho-jung is moving to a vehicle after completing an investigation at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul on the 21st of last month.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Experts analyze that the cause of this phenomenon is the double psychology of the public who criticize the immorality of celebrities but at the same time admire their high social recognition and wealth. The public places greater significance on the basic social background and conditions these celebrities possess rather than their current situations, and by imitating the clothing and accessories they wear, they try to identify themselves with them.

Culture critic Ha Jae-geun explained, "In a society with abundant choices, even if someone is involved in negative incidents, the fact that they are quite wealthy and socially recognized makes the clothes they wear a kind of guarantee for the public," adding, "There is also a psychological aspect where purchasing the same clothing as they wear allows people to share a similar story with them."

There is also a perspective that attributes this to humans' tendency to react more strongly to negative information than positive information. Professor Heo Kyung-ok of the Department of Consumer Studies at Sungshin Women's University said, "Humans tend to respond more sensitively to negative information than positive information, and in advertising, negative and dark content is often used to achieve greater effects," adding, "The public's greater interest in celebrities involved in negative incidents and their closer attention to the clothing these celebrities wear can also be explained by this psychology."