Asian dress? Must be a kimono, says Elle magazine
Elle magazine was forced to run a correction in its December issue after referring to a traditional Korean dress as a "kimono" in its November edition, according to a South Korean newspaper. Korean? Japanese? Aw, same thing. Fashion is universal, darling.
We don’t have the correction on hand (a little help?), but Chosun Ilbo, which claims to be the largest newspaper in South Korea, took note and has an article up about the mistake. The newspaper also has an image of the offending cutline, which we pasted below.
The U.S. edition of the women’s fashion magazine Elle in November
committed the faux pas of describing traditional Korean dress or hanbok
as "Korean kimono," the word for the better-known costume worn in
former colonial power Japan.
A Korean-American discovered the howler in an article titled "LA Story" and wrote an irate letter demanding a correction.
Janet Kim, who lives in New York, pointed out that Korea has its own language, clothing, customs and unique culture.
Elle ran a correction in its December edition.
Another Korean-American commented Kim’s short complaint was written
with dignity and said her attempt to correct such misunderstandings
sets a good precedent for other Korean residents in the U,S. to follow.
The original error (click for larger view):
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