During the 1950s and 1960s, Myeongdong was known as the place to encounter Western-style clothing, hairstyles, shoes, and accessories first. Before mass-produced ready-to-wear clothing became common, dressmakers and tailors measured individual bodies and made garments to fit. Beauty salons, photography studios, and shoe stores clustered nearby, together producing the image of a modern urban customer.
Fashion emerged from skilled labor, not only shop windows
One garment required measurement, pattern-making, cutting, sewing, and fittings. Behind the names of celebrated designers and boutiques worked seamstresses, apprentices, sales staff, and delivery workers. Remembering Myeongdong only through stars and fashion shows leaves out the hands that turned trends into real goods.
Ready-to-wear clothing, department stores, and Gangnam dispersed the market
As factory-made clothing and department stores expanded, Myeongdong's custom-clothing economy changed. From the 1970s, new business and consumer centers such as Gangnam and Yeouido drew away some corporations, financial institutions, and luxury spending. Myeongdong did not decline and revive only once. Different industries and customer groups experienced several distinct cycles.
International visitors changed the street's merchandise again
From the 2000s, cosmetics road shops, fashion brands, currency exchanges, and multilingual services proliferated. The collapse in tourist arrivals during the pandemic left many vacancies, and the recovery of international travel brought another round of adjustment. Instead of saying simply that “the old Myeongdong is back,” observe which customers from which countries the district is being rebuilt to serve.