Before Byeon Woo-seok became the nation’s first love in Lovely Runner, he was walking runways at Seoul Fashion Week. That modeling DNA now runs through every frame of Perfect Crown, where his character — Grand Prince Yi An — wears 28 custom-made outfits across just the first two episodes alone. However, the story behind his wardrobe goes far deeper than costume changes. From his earliest runway days to his current reign as K-drama’s best-dressed prince, here is a full breakdown of Byeon Woo-seok’s fashion evolution.
The Runway Years (2010–2017): Where It All Began
Byeon debuted as a professional model in 2010 after signing with YG KPlus. He originally enrolled in Cheongju University’s Department of Theatre and Film to become an actor. Instead, an agency scouted him for modeling, and he left school to pursue the opportunity full-time.
From 2014 to 2017, he became a regular on the Seoul Fashion Week circuit. He walked for Korean designers across multiple S/S and F/W seasons, earning a reputation for effortless presence on the catwalk. In 2015, he made his international debut at the F/W Men’s Fashion Show, standing on seven runways alongside top global models. Meanwhile, editorial work followed in magazines like Arena, Cosmopolitan, W, and Elle.
This foundation matters because it explains why Byeon moves differently in costume. He understands fabric, proportion, and how to make a camera fall in love with a silhouette. As a result, every drama role since has carried that quiet confidence — a model’s awareness of how clothing tells a story before a single line is delivered.
Record of Youth (2020): The Aspiring Model on Screen
In his breakout supporting role as Won Hae-Hyo, Byeon essentially played a version of his younger self — a model chasing fame in Seoul’s fashion world. The wardrobe reflected that ambition with a mix of accessible Korean brands and occasional luxury pieces.
Key looks included a magenta vintage logo hoodie from Ordinary People, a colour-blocked blazer with logo-belt trousers from Fendi, and a relaxed gown coat over pajama pants from NOHANT. The styling was polished but never ostentatious. In contrast to the character’s wealthy background, the outfits leaned toward “creative-industry casual” — oversized sweaters, denim shirts, and clean white pullovers from GOAL Studio.
For instance, one standout moment featured a Vivastudio black blazer layered over a plain white tee and jeans. The simplicity was the point. Won Hae-Hyo was a man trying to project effortless success, and the wardrobe sold that illusion perfectly. This role established Byeon as an actor whose styling enhanced rather than distracted from his performance.
Lovely Runner (2024): The Idol Next Door
As Ryu Sun-Jae, a fictional K-pop idol turned time-travel love interest, Byeon’s wardrobe shifted toward youthful, athletic streetwear. The drama became a global phenomenon, ranking number one in viewership across 130 regions. Naturally, fans dissected every outfit.
The styling team leaned heavily on Korean independent brands. LMood provided a black lambskin rider jacket for the opening episodes. Andersson Bell contributed a wax-coated denim motorcycle jacket. Urban Players dominated the casual rotation with windbreakers, track jackets, and anorak pieces. Meanwhile, Heute supplied a zipped black tweed jacket for the more polished scenes.
What made Sun-Jae’s wardrobe work was its restraint. Despite playing an idol, the character rarely wore anything flashy. A sky-blue paper cotton shirt from Drawfit for a part-time restaurant scene. Classic blue jeans from Plac paired with a simple Oxford shirt from Yeseyesee. The message was clear: Sun-Jae was an idol, but first, he was the boy next door. As a result, the fashion felt aspirational rather than untouchable — fans could actually recreate the looks.
Perfect Crown (2026): The Royal Reinvention
Everything changed with Perfect Crown. Byeon plays Grand Prince Yi An (이안대군) — a member of a fictional modern Korean royal family living under a constitutional monarchy. The wardrobe had to answer a question no K-drama had asked before: what would a 21st-century Korean prince actually wear?
Byeon took the question seriously. He personally participated in costume production, working closely with the design team to refine every detail. The result is a wardrobe that blends traditional Korean hanbok elements with Western tailoring in ways that feel neither costume-like nor gimmicky. In total, he changed 28 outfits across just the first two episodes — all custom-made to his individual measurements.
The Modern Hanbok Mix
The signature look of Grand Prince Yi An is what fans have called the “traditional-modern mix suit.” At first glance, it resembles a Western blazer and shirt combination. However, closer inspection reveals Korean details woven throughout. Silk fabrics replace standard wool. Otgoreum (traditional cloth ties) appear at the collar or cuffs. Dongjeong (white collar lining from hanbok) edges the neckline. The cheollik robe — a Joseon-era garment — has been reimagined as a structured long jacket.
The colour palette stays restrained: deep navy, slate grey, ivory, and muted forest green. This is deliberate. Yi An is a prince with no real power, a man defined by protocol and suppression. His wardrobe whispers authority rather than shouting it. In contrast, IU’s character Seong Hui-ju explodes with bold colours, red sneakers, and CEO power suits — the visual tension between the two leads drives the drama’s fashion narrative.
The Military Uniform
The most discussed piece so far is Yi An’s navy military dress uniform, first revealed in Episode 5’s Naejinyeon banquet and worn fully in Episode 6’s waltz scene. The uniform features gold epaulettes, a standing collar, and a fitted silhouette that echoes European royal military tradition while maintaining Korean proportions.
Fans compared the look to The King: Eternal Monarch‘s Lee Min-ho, but the consensus on Reddit was that Byeon’s version feels more grounded. The uniform is not a fantasy costume. Instead, it looks like something a real modern prince might wear to a state dinner. This authenticity comes from Byeon’s direct involvement in the design process, ensuring the proportions suited his 187cm frame without theatrical exaggeration.
The Yacht Scene: Stripped Down
Episode 6 introduced a dramatically different look. On the royal yacht Haerang, Yi An appears in a white linen shirt with rolled sleeves, paired with relaxed cream trousers. No silk, no embroidery, no traditional elements. For the first time, the prince is dressed as simply a man.
This parallels IU’s character arc in the same scene — she also strips down to her most casual outfit. The matching simplicity signals a shift from contract to genuine connection. The styling team used the yacht scene as a visual reset, removing every layer of formality that defines both characters in palace scenes. As a result, the first kiss on the yacht feels earned not just emotionally, but sartorially.
The Durumagi Overcoat
For formal palace scenes outside of military events, Yi An wears a modernised durumagi — the traditional Korean overcoat. The drama’s version uses heavier silk weaves in charcoal and midnight blue, cut longer than a standard suit coat but shorter than a traditional full-length durumagi. Embroidery details are minimal, typically confined to the inner lining or collar.
This piece has generated the most discussion among Korean fashion commentators. Costume reviewer accounts on Threads have compared the construction to work by designer Lee Sun-young, noting that the hand-finished details distinguish it from mass-produced stage hanboks used in typical sageuk dramas. The fit is modern — structured shoulders, tapered waist — but the movement of the fabric retains the flowing elegance of traditional Korean dress.
Brand Universe & Styling Philosophy
Unlike IU’s character, who wears identifiable luxury brands (Self-Portrait, Balmain, Prada), Yi An’s wardrobe is almost entirely custom-made. This is a conscious choice. A real prince would not wear off-the-rack designer clothing. Every piece is tailored specifically, which makes brand identification nearly impossible for most items.
However, Byeon’s off-screen partnerships tell a different story. Following Lovely Runner‘s success in 2024, he became a brand ambassador for Prada, Cartier, Discovery Expedition, Clinique, and roughly 20 other brands. His advertising contracts reportedly range from 1 billion to 1.5 billion won per year per brand. Therefore, while Yi An’s on-screen wardrobe avoids logos, Byeon’s real-world fashion influence is deeply tied to luxury houses.
His styling philosophy across all roles follows a consistent thread: let the clothes serve the character, never the reverse. In Record of Youth, that meant aspirational Korean streetwear. In Lovely Runner, it meant accessible idol-next-door aesthetics. In Perfect Crown, it means a wardrobe that could plausibly exist in a constitutional monarchy — one where tradition and modernity coexist in every stitch.
Fashion Evolution at a Glance
Byeon Woo-seok’s career traces a clear arc from runway to royalty. His modeling years (2010–2017) built technical understanding of fabric, fit, and camera presence. Record of Youth (2020) let him play a fictionalized version of that model life with Korean brand-heavy casual wear. Lovely Runner (2024) proved he could anchor a global hit while wearing windbreakers and Oxford shirts. Perfect Crown (2026) represents the summit — a role where the actor’s fashion instincts directly shaped the costume design.
What separates Byeon from other K-drama leading men is participation. He does not simply wear what the costume department provides. He collaborates, suggests, and refines. The 28 custom outfits in two episodes are not a stylist’s achievement alone. They are the product of a former professional model who understands that in visual storytelling, what a character wears is never accidental.
Author’s Take
I have covered K-drama fashion for years, and Byeon Woo-seok’s Perfect Crown wardrobe is genuinely unprecedented. The modern-hanbok hybrid works because it respects both traditions without mocking either. Meanwhile, the contrast with IU’s wardrobe creates a visual dialogue that carries emotional weight scene after scene. If the next six episodes maintain this level of costume detail, Perfect Crown will set the new benchmark for K-drama fashion design. The yacht scene alone — two characters, stripped of every costume layer, finally seeing each other as people — is worth an entire essay on how wardrobe shapes narrative.
What to Expect: Episodes 7–12
Based on the trailer and production stills, Yi An’s wardrobe will shift toward more formal royal attire as the political stakes escalate. Expect heavier embroidery, darker colour palettes, and possibly a full ceremonial hanbok for a wedding sequence. The military uniform is likely to return for at least one more state event. In contrast, his casual looks may grow even simpler — signalling the character’s desire to escape the palace constraints that define him.
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