S. Korean Clothiers Smell New Trend: Scented Business Suits

As Lee Soo-bum nears home after an evening out with the guys, he shimmies, shakes and occasionally rubs his chest.

Then at his apartment door, the 39-year-old film company executive sniffs, smiles in satisfaction and greets his wife.

Although he’s been drinking with colleagues in a smoke-filled bar, Lee doesn’t reek of booze and cigarettes. In fact, he smells downright sweet.

“This new suit helps keep peace at home,” Lee says of his fashionable beige wool suit. It smells like lavender--and the more he moves, the stronger the scent becomes.

The suit is made with fabric soaked in a chemical that contains scented micro-capsules, which pop and release the odor when the wearer moves--or gets bumped on a crowded subway train.

Three local fashion houses--LG Fashion, Essess Heartist and Kolon International--began selling the scented suits in major department and retail stores earlier this month.

So far, Essess has sold 2,500 pine-scented suits, LG 1,000 lavender suits and Kolon 660 peppermint suits, without any television or print advertising.

All three makers say the scented suits are outselling their regular new suit lines. Together, they sell about 2 million suits a year.

Encouraged by the initial success, LG plans to ship some of the suits to its retail shop in Los Angeles.

The suits come in various colors and styles and cost between $300 and $420. The scent is supposed to last about three years, or 20 dry cleanings.