Be beach-ready this August, with a selection of summer must-haves hand-picked from Hongdae and Hapjeong

It’s that time of year again, when every spare minute is spent either holed up underneath somebody’s air con or gravitating toward large bodies of cold water whether they areoutdoor swimming pools, the ocean, or puddles.

Being prepared makes getting out and about in this heat a whole lot less stressful. Forget the “beach body” you meant to start slaving away for back in March, or the all-over tan you’d hoped to have miraculously developed by now. Make sure you’ve got a few of these main beach essentials sorted and head out for some sandy, sun-kissed, hassle-free summer fun.

The Flip Flops

Flip flops, thongs, jandals – whatever you call them, they are a necessity for any trip to the seaside or the pool. SneakSoul offers a wide range of flip flops from well-known international brand Reef. Tap into your inner surfer chick or dude with a pair from their collection, now on sale at the Hongdae store.

SNEAKSOUL
KRW 29,000

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The Beach Bag

Brighten up any day at the beach with this quintessential striped beach bag with rope strap from ACCSCENT. Available in four colors – red, orange, bright green or olive green – this tote bag is large enough to carry your swimsuit and a couple of beers while also sturdy enough to not have to worry about it flopping over in the sand.

ACCSCENT
KRW 29,000

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The Shorts

They’re not real beach shorts if they’re not covered in an offensively garish print of some kind. Take your pick from all the colors under the rainbow (and at discounted prices) at Hongdae’s TOP10. The matching shorts for both men and women mean you could even try out a “couple look” by the pool. We won’t judge, we promise.

TOP10
KRW 9,900

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The Bracelet

Remember the hair braids everyone used to get while on vacation, and that would go matted and moldy from the pool water after about three weeks? Embrace the nostalgia for the summers of your youth with these braided bracelets versions from Life Lab. Their brilliant colors also make them the perfect complement to a fledging Hangang River tan.

Life Lab
KRW 5,000

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The Sunglasses

Although these beautiful sunglasses from Gentle Monster are a little on the pricey side – the average pair costs between KRW 150,000 and 200,000 – they’re well worth the investment. Available at COOL OPTICAL, Gentle Monster sunglasses are both practical and unique, and will last for many summers to come.

Gentle Monster @ COOL OPTICAL
KRW 150,000

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The Beach Towel

Two Korean brothers made a name for themselves as The HiBrow Company in 2013 by designing contemporary furniture from wood and old crates. Their repertoire has since expanded to include street fashion items and other home and outdoor goods. Support local business with this HiBrow cotton beach towel, from Design Square at SangSangMaDang.

DESIGN SQUARE (SangSangMaDang, 1st floor)
KRW 69,000

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Written by Rhiannon Shepherd