CHEON SEOJIN: WHY THE PANTSUIT?

 

Who is Cheon Seojin?

Well, a little bit of introduction for the girlies in the back who have yet to see The Penthouse (yes we are judging you).

Cheon Seojin is an essential character in the drama The Penthouse, some might declare her a villain but to me she's a misunderstood character, ok?!

People have dissenting views regarding Cheon Seojin but what everyone agrees on is her position as the Fashion Queen.  And she established said position in her grand entrance in a striking blue pantsuit cinched with a black belt and a black coat.

But it's just a Pant Suit?

Oh, no you don't. 

Ushering Cheon Seojin in a pantsuit is a move that lends a bit of knowledge about her character to the audience who is dying to ask the question: friend or foe? 

The Blue Pantsuit puts into perspective two things: her character and her standing in society?

Why the pantsuit?

See if you're familiar with the korean drama scene especially ones relating to the upperclass and the elites, you will notice a constant event: upperclass korean women rarely wear trousers. 

L-R, Anna (Anna) Park Yeon-Jin (The Glory) and Suryeon(The Penthouse) are all upperclass women, wealthy in their own right and choose to be housewives in their various homes.

This might not correlate with reality at all but the material we're working with is mainly fictional so let's adhere to that. 

The women portrayed in these dramas are usually housewives or women who schemed their way to the top and try to assimilate to their social standing however not Cheon Seojin.

CS is the eldest daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Korea;  she is  the Director of the most elite school in Korea and is next in line to her father's inheritance. 

Cheon Seojin is not a woman to pander to the ego of a man nor is she willing to sacrifice her ambitions and money for domesticity - the pantsuit tells us that. 

The pantsuit which is rarely worn by women of her standing in society evinces her dominant mindset and how she views herself within her family hierarchy. As we later see in the drama (please go watch it), CS deems herself the head and doesn't pay much respect to her significant other so much so that she looks outside.

WHY THE COLOUR?

Now blue is not a colour associated with villainy so I actually wondered why the colour. I turned to Google and it told me one thing: Royalty.

Historically speaking blue is a colour associated with royalty. In the Joseon dynasty, a blue hanbok was a garb adorned by the Crown Prince. 

(It goes without saying that this outfit was to be worn by the prince and the prince alone.)

Now, Cheon Seo jin is considered royalty since her family is one of the wealthiest in the entire country and she lives in the Hera Palace (location reserved for the one of ones). 

She's treated like an emperor, fawned over constantly by her peers - she holds the key to their children education and like all emperor do, has a turbulent relationship with their crown prince (her only daughter and heir to all she owns). Also, she has concubines which is very emperor-like.

However royalty is not inherently good. 

And Cheon Seojin evinces this phrase till the every end. 

Conclusion: Cheon Seojin is one of my favourite characters OAT because she portrays the idea that women are not always good people and should not be relegated to the spot of subservient persons with no ambition or desire for power. And as a fashion icon, CS encapsulates this desires, wants and needs into her clothes.