There aren't any leather tops on the list right now. Perhaps all the leather went into outerwear, as not a single piece remains on the top shelf. Instead of cold leather, I picked three tops—soft long-sleeve tops that feel gentle against the skin and a warm zip-up top. RECTO's CASHMERE BLEND LONG-SLEEVE TOP comes in two colors, MELANGE GREY and CREAM, flexibly hugging the body, and LOW CLASSIC's Fleece Half Zip-Up Top_Grey comes in a grey tone that's easy to throw on lightly. These days, rather than wearing leather as a top, pairing a fine-textured, warm inner layer with a leather outer layer over it stands out much more.
Hearing the words 'leather top' reminds me of the 'Perfecto' jacket created in 1928 by Irving Schott in New York. When cold wind blew through the button gaps while riding a motorcycle, he boldly attached zippers—then only used on bags—to the front of the garment and added an asymmetrical diagonal design inspired by cavalry uniforms to block the wind. Named after his favorite Cuban cigar and launched at 5 dollars and 50 cents, that leather garment became the prototype for all biker jackets today.
Even if they aren't wind-blocking leather, the tops selected here will comfortably wrap around you with warmth and softness. Where should we take our next step? Shall we look for suede color-blocking, pick sleeveless tops, or keep it under KRW 100,000?
↳ With suede color-blocking
Since you were looking for suede color-blocking, I chose LOW CLASSIC's Fleece Half Zip-Up Top_Grey. By wrapping a contrasting suede texture around a cozy fleece body, it gives a calm, neat impression despite its sporty zip-up style. These days, the zip-up tops filling the list tend to anchor everyday wear by placing completely different textures along collars or zipper lines like this.
LOW CLASSIC, who crafted this piece, is a brand started in 2009 by designer Lee Myung-sin with friends in a small space in Sindang-dong, Dongdaemun. Stripping away unnecessary decoration, their restrained minimalism capturing the daily lives of Seoul women expanded all the way to Paris Fashion Week presentations. The way they preserve a sense of time by renovating an old building in Sindang-dong—their longtime home—into company headquarters also connects with the neat aesthetic of their garments.
Thanks to its neat grey tone, it will be easy to throw on casually anywhere. Would you like to look for more color-blocked tops with a different feel, or narrow it down to options under KRW 100,000 or ones that are easy to hand-wash?
↳ View other color-blocked tops
I picked three color-blocked tops that feature contrasting colors. There's AMOMENTO's sheer color block top, light grey layering subtly translucent fabric, Low Tide's textured CREASE SNAP TOP [CHARCOAL] - Low Tide, and LOW CLASSIC's Multi Stripe Pique Knit Top_Navy with collar color-blocking. Color-blocked tops create visual depth as if layered with just a single piece, making them especially handy when dressing lighter.
In medieval Europe, stripes were a mark of stigma placed on prisoners or outcasts for being visually disruptive. In 1858, they were reborn as practical attire when the French Navy set 21 stripes as the official uniform standard to easily spot sailors at sea. In the early 20th century, Coco Chanel brought this sailor shirt into everyday wear, and as cultural icons and artists wore it often, it settled into today's symbol of freedom and classic style.
We can also narrow down the list a bit more. Shall we fit it under a KRW 100,000 budget, or gather pieces focusing on sleeveless cuts or knit fabrics?
Final Selected Products
