A North Korean woman crossing the street in high heels carrying a knock off designer handbag might not seem jaw dropping to an outsider, but these eye catching accessories indicate how quickly Western fashion has made inroads in the isolated communist state.
For decades, North Korean women have been made to wear ill-fitting state sanctioned clothing with strict rules about skirt length, color, and style. But now, select North Koreans have the means to buy smuggled clothing and accessories (formerly from China, but now more so from Japan), according to a report in London-based culture magazine Dazed. And they can also often afford to bribe police that might penalize them for violating the state dress code.
A modernly dressed North Korean woman walks past a traffic officer in uniform in the Changgwang street during the two Korea summit in the capital Pyongyang, North Korea, 03 October 2007. STR/AFP/Getty Images
