First, I Wanna Talk About Those Pants...

Like everyone else, I recently watched KPop Demon Hunters. But—while everyone else was busy raving about the music or the animation or the childhood trauma or whatever—I was honed in on the most important thing of all: the clothes.

Not the elaborate HUNTR/X stage costumes—those are fine. But, no, the real star of the show is the street clothes. Rumi, Mira, Zoey, and Jinu all have some great off-duty fits. The people designing and animating these outfits clearly have an appreciation for the art of damn cool clothes.

You can imagine how intrigued I was to discover that the KPop Demon Hunter section of Netflix’s online store is full of hoodies, shirts, and sweaters—all purportedly pulled right out of the film.

But, as I explored this ostensible consumerist paradise, I began to realize that all was not as the breathless product descriptions claimed. These “replica” pieces were not the garments I had admired on Rumi, Zoey and the others. They were something far more sinister: misbegotten creatures of cashgrabery.

Let me show you what I mean.

That’s right, it’s time to rate some KPop Demon Hunters merch!

Item 1 - KPop Demon Hunters Derpy Tiger Hoodie

I don’t think you’re ready for the takedown

In the last scene of the movie, we see Zoey wearing an oversized yellow hoodie bearing the visage of the show-stealing blue tiger demon.

When I saw this I immediately wanted to know if there was a version I could buy. It was a cool hoodie, for one thing. Plus, I like this kind of branding. If you’ve seen the movie, you can nod knowingly to me from across the subway. But if you haven’t, you don’t even need to know that it’s a tiger from something; it stands on its own as a neat stylized tiger. Alas, my google search set me straight into the arms of the Netflix shop, and this is what I found there:

So, okay, the graphic is pretty close to the one Zoey wears in the film. It’s not identical, but it’s much better than the knock-offs you can find on Etsy. Still, even if we declare the graphic satisfactory, there is so much wrong with this hoodie!

I mean, look at the yellow. Zoey’s hoodie comes in a surprisingly subtle shade. Netflix’s hoodie, meanwhile, looks like a wearable block of cheddar cheese. It’s the difference between grace and garishness, between custard and mustard, between high fashion and high visibility. The Netflix hue is not the color we deserve.

Since we’re scrutinizing the fabric, take a minute to notice how skimpy Netflix’s hoodie is! Zoey’s hoodie has some heft to it; you can see from the way it hangs on her body. The Netflix hoodie looks anemic by comparison.

The weight of a fabric is often measured in grams per square meter or gsm. Basically, this number tells you how much material there is in a certain length of fabric. High gsm fabrics are dense—they have a lot of material in a small space—so they’re heavy. Low gsm fabrics are less dense so they’re lighter.

Now, high gsm isn’t inherently better. It depends on what you want out of a garment. But I think a big part of what makes Zoey’s hoodie so charming is the feeling of weight and chunkiness. If I had to guess from the look of it, Zoey’s hoodie is about 450gsm, like this hoodie from US West Coast -based brand Bare Knuckles.

Bare Knuckles is a small brand offering hoodies in the $150 range with a brand identity built around “creating lifetime pieces.” For a company like this, a hefty, high gsm fabric makes a lot of sense. It improves both actual durability and the look of durability, both of which reinforce the story of the brand.

The Netflix shop’s hoodie, meanwhile, is produced by a Canadian manufacturer called Gildan. Gildan’s business model focuses on providing garments at a low price per unit (perhaps too much). It doesn’t make business sense for a company like this to manufacture heavy garments; more material means more cost. So the heaviest hoodie Gildan offers clocks in at 10.5 oz/yd², or roughly 356gsm.

But Netflix didn’t even opt to purchase the heaviest option Gildan offers. They went for Gildan’s 8 oz/yd² model—about 271gsm. Unfortunately, the difference in weight is very visible when you compare pictures of Zoey to the pictures from the Netflix online store.

As you can see, the Netflix hoodie hangs on the body completely differently. It looks (to be generous) sleeker or (to be ungenerous) flimsier. Personally, I think this sleekness or flimsiness robs the garment of both of its charm as a piece of apparel and of its authenticity as a recreation of Zoey’s fit.

We should also mention the ribbing. Zoey’s hoodie has thick, beautiful ribbing around the wrists and the bottom hem.

But the Netflix hoodie doesn’t have ribbing at all. There’s a separate piece of fabric at the hem, but it’s flat. Its just another way that Netflix has chosen to offer something more generic, losing the unique features that made the screen-worn original special.

Finally, there’s the material composition. The fabric of the Netflix hoodie is a 50-50 cotton-polyester mix. Manufacturers offering knockabout clothes at a low price point will often mix some polyester in for durability. Cheap cotton tends to have a short staple length—meaning each individual fiber is pretty short so there are lots of places for the fabric to come apart. Polyester helps to compensate for this and make the fabric tougher. But this 50-50 mix is pretty far on the cost-cutting side. Even Gildan offers hoodies with a 75-25 mix.

Given Zoey’s work as a world-famous superstar, I’m pretty sure she can afford 100% cotton.

Final Rating: 3/10 - Completely loses the magic; tiger is ok.

Item 2 - KPop Demon Hunters Rumi’s Pink Embroidered Hoodie

Break you into pieces in a world of pain, ‘cause you’re all the same

Remember the pink hoodie Rumi wears when HUNTR/X first meets the Saja Boys?

Well, Netflix apparently doesn’t!

The problems here are the same as with the Netflix store’s adaptation of Zoey’s hoodie: the hue is too saturated, the fabric is too light, the ribbing is too nonexistent, the polyester is too polyestery. I won’t bore you by rehashing all the same things again.

But this time there are more problems—and no smiling tiger to distract us from them.

First, Rumi’s hoodie has thumbholes. Now it’s possible she cut those herself, but it looks like pretty clean work, so I suspect her hoodie came like that. If you buy the Netflix version, though, you’re definitely going to have to cut you’re own.

Second, Rumi’s hoodie has contrasting metal eyelets.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like the Netflix version has eyelets at all. But zooming in on the picture from Gilden’s website, I think I can just barely make out a pair of pick plastic ones.

Still, it’s big difference from what we see on Rumi’s hoodie.

And look, I’m not just giving the Netflix shop a hard time for not offering something 100% screen accurate. I realize that thumbholes and eyelets seem like pretty insignificant details. But I’m convinced that the little details make all the difference. We may not even consciously notice that Rumi’s sweater is a heavy fabric, that it has contrasting hardware, or that it has thumbholes—but all these things still come together and leave us with the impression that Rumi’s hoodie is a pretty cool hoodie. Maybe we can’t put our finger on it exactly, but we can still feel that it’s special somehow. And maybe if you take away just the thumbhole or just the grommets it doesn’t make a difference, but as you remove more and more of the details that make the garment compelling, you eventually wind up with something that “looks the same” in a superficial way, but feels generic and boring.

Now, the weirdest choice of all here is this HUNTR/X logo embroidery.

I like this! I think the HUNTR/X logo looks cool, I like the pink-on-pink tonal logo, I like that it’s embroidered rather than printed.

But Rumi’s hoodie doesn’t have a logo! (Of course it doesn’t—this is her incognito outfit.)

And look, there’s nothing wrong with breaking away from the source material. Obviously, they wanted something copyrightable on this garment. Maybe it’s more a hoodie “inspired by” Rumi’s onscreen fit than an attempt to recreate it—

A replica? A replica?? A replica???

—this is not a replica!

Final Rating: 4/10 - Lack of interesting details; cool HUNTR/X logo.

(As a replica: 0/10 - This is not a replica.)

Item 3 - KPop Demon Hunters Zoey’s Tropical Bomber Jacket

When your patterns start to show it makes the hatred wanna grow outta my veins

Zoey might have the most iconic looks of anyone in this movie, and her incognito ensemble is no exception. She goes on the hunt for back-alley tonics in a yellow bucket hat and a bomber jacket with a tropical print. Netflix offers versions of both of these pieces. We’ll start with the bomber jacket.

What I didn’t realize until I was researching to make sure I didn’t say anything too stupid in this article is that tropical (or floral) bomber jackets are actually A Thing. They seem to have first popped up in the 70s, and most of the vintage ones I’m finding online are from the 90s or the early 20-teens. Luxury brands like Dries Van Noten and Balenciaga produce versions from time to time. Here are a few I found on the internet:

I actually like the print on Zoey’s shirt better than any of these. Look at the asymmetrical design where the left sleeve and right body have a dark background and the right sleeve and left body have a lighter background.

This, combined with the huge print and the colors give the jacket this really fun energy. It’s not really the sort of thing I’d wear, but on Zoey it looks great. (See how the yellow edges of the palm fronds pick up on the yellow from her hat? So good.)

So what does Netflix have to offer us?

Ok…they do still have the asymmetrical design. That’s good. But…um...why is the print different? Like, it also has palm fronds and flowers…but they’re different palm fronds and flowers for some reason? Your mileage my vary, but I like Zoey’s print better. Either way, changing the print is an odd choice. Won’t someone think of the cosplayers!

This one is 100% polyester, and I’m actually kind of okay with that for this piece. Not that polyester is ever good, but it seems to be in keeping with the real world equivalents which are often polyester, nylon, rayon or a combination thereof. Can superstar idol Zoey afford a designer piece that’s real silk? Yes. Is real silk the way to go for a merch store item? No. Do I wish it were a nylon-cotton blend? Yes. But I won’t judge it too harshly for being poly.

I’ll judge it harshly for everything else!

We saw with the hoodies Netflix’s tendency to remove interesting details when translating these pieces from the screen to the store, but here they’ve actually added a bit of visual interest by adding strips of fabric along the edges of the pockets, increasing their visual footprint.

I think this a mistake. The pattern so loud already that highlighting the pockets make things look too busy. It’s better for the pocket to sort of hide under the graphic when there’s a loud print like this; both Zoey’s screen-worn bomber and the vintage examples above handle it this way, and I think it’s a much stronger look.

A bigger crime comes with the changes Netflix made to the ribbing. Zoey’s jacket has a chunky rib on the collar, the sleeves, and the hem. But you saw what happened with the hoodies; you know what’s coming. The Netflix version isn’t just less chunky—it’s not even ribbed! Even more so than with the hoodies, this looks cheap and dumb. (Because it is cheap and dumb.)

You can also see that Netflix made the “ribbing” extend all the way around the bottom of the jacket, whereas Zoey’s, like our vintage examples, has a gap between the ribbing and the zipper.

As with so many of the details Netflix removes from these items, this is a small thing but it adds a lot of personality.

The most egregious problem with Netflix’s version is the fit, though.

The screen-worn jacket is oversized. The sleeves especially are huge—something you often see with bomber jackets. The Netflix version, meanwhile, feels almost like a jumpsuit.

Look at how skinny those sleeves are! Abominable. (Also, Zoey’s version has a dramatic dropped shoulder and the Netflix one doesn’t.)

Oh, and they slapped an obtrusive HUNTR/X logo on the back.

Don’t worry, though. This one too is a “replica” of its screen-worn counterpart.

Final Rating: 1/10 - Bad

(As a replica: 1/10 - Cosplayers might be able to get away with it by sizing up and standing in a dark room.)

Item 4 - KPop Demon Hunters Zoey’s Reversible Bucket Hat

So sweet, so easy on the eyes, but hideous on the inside

Zoey’s yellow bucket hat is great.

As you can see, it has a unique and fluffy texture. I would guess that this is a wool melton, a fabric similar to craft felt (do kids still use craft felt?). It’s a dense and fuzzy material—and you can definitely find bucket hats made out of this stuff.

But here’s what’s in the Netflix store:

Let’s just ignore that HUNTR/X logo. (It’s hard to do because the black-on-yellow looks like caution tape, but use your willpower.) As you can see, this isn’t fuzzy at all. It’s flat.

Pieces of clothing are three-dimensional objects, but a lot of people don’t think of them that way. It’s understandable: with our phones and tablets and laptops, we live in a a very two-dimensional world. But KPop Demon Hunters is rendered in beautiful 3D, and that means that, just like in real life, you can’t just copy the vague outline and the color of a garment and expect to get the same result. It’s about how the thing fills space. And this floppy, fuzzless little hat simply does not have the same presence as the dense, nappy piece Zoey wears in the movie!

Now, those of you who have been reading the product names in my headings know there’s a twist coming up. Here it is!

Yes, the Netflix hat is reversable.

But, like, why? The original isn’t reversable. And the busy pattern from the bomber jacket doesn’t work well on a hat at all. Typically, you want an outfit to draw the eye to the face; a busy pattern right next to the face can work against that.

I’m truly mystified by this. Most of what Netflix is doing seems to be cost-cutting or throwing logos on because they want branding. But why, why, why did this bucket hat need to be reversable?

By the way, this hat is 100% polyester. Polyester is oleophilic, meaning it readily absorbs oil. So, I wouldn’t advise using this as a popcorn bucket.

Final Rating: 2/10 - Wear it with the yellow side out.

(As a popcorn bucket: 1/10 - Not dishwashable.)

Item 5 - KPop Demon Hunters Mira’s Polar Bear Sweatshirt

How can you sleep or live with yourself?

We see Mira’s most iconic piece when she’s hanging around the penthouse. She wears this super long, fluffy polar bear sweatshirt thing.

I’d guess this is made of a pretty normal poly-cotton fleece like many a quarter-zip. What sets it apart is the fun three-dimensional details. The nonplussed polar bear is embossed from the main fabric of the garment, and its little bow looks like a separate piece sewn on. It’s like a cross between a sweatshirt and stuffed animal.

So, naturally, the Netflix rendition is a completely flat print.

I don’t even like the original piece very much; that kitschy loungewear aesthetic doesn’t speak to me. But I can still see that Netflix is very much doing this polar bear dirty. It’s supposed to be fluffy!

And it’s supposed to be long! Mira’s the tallest of the group and this sweatshirt comes down her thighs. Given the volume of the sleeves, I think it’s safe to say this is supposed to be an oversized fit in general. Let’s compare to the Netflix version.

No. Wrong.

Think about this in the context of that kitschy loungewear aesthetic I was saying I didn’t like. The goal of this aesthetic is to emphasize comfort. It’s a visual language that screams COUCH, COUCH, COUCH, COUCH. So you have a very childish art motif, because who’s going to see you when you’re sitting at home relaxing? You have soft, fuzzy materials because you want to be comfy. And the exaggerated oversized fit is a part of this aesthetic: you have a very loose fit because you’re not dressing to look put-together, you’re dressing to be cozy.

The Netflix version confuses this aesthetic language. It tries to adapt Mira’s loungewear into something a bit more put-together—but put-together is not what this should look like.

On the plus side, they don’t claim this one is a replica. It’s just “inspired by the warmhearted charm of Mira.”

Final Rating: 2/10 - The polar bear knows the score.

Item 6 - KPop Demon Hunters Baby Saja’s Argyle Crewneck Sweatshirt

Whole life spreading lies, but you can’t hide, baby, nice try

Jinu is the only one of the Saja Boys who doesn’t dress like bubblegum packaging—but the other Saja Boys still manage a couple of interesting style moves. I especially like Baby Saja’s argyle sweater.

The pink is a lot, but I love the oversized fit and how beautifully worn-in the fabric is. It reminds me of the mohair cardigan Kurt Cobain wore for MTV’s “Unplugged” (dubbed “the world’s most expensive cardigan” by Rolling Stone shortly before it sold for $334,000 at auction in 2019).

There’s just a huge power in wearing something that looks loved to death like this. It looks confident and bespeaks a deep connection between you and the garment.

I’m guessing Baby Saja just conjured his using demon magic, but it still looks cool.

So this was never going to be a good piece to adapt to the Netflix shop. The thing that makes it cool is that it looks like a vintage pickup. I knew the Netflix version was going to be bad. But it was so, so much worse than I was prepared for. You see, the Netflix version of this sweater isn’t a sweater at all. It’s a sweatshirt.

It’s just...not even the same piece of clothing. Sweaters are knits; sweatshirts are wovens. It’s like ordering a ham sandwich and getting a hamburger—sure they both start with “ham” and have a vaguely similar shape, but they aren't the same thing! And waiter has to audacity to tell you that this hamburger is a “replica” of the ham sandwich pictured on the menu.

Final Rating: 1/10 - Does anyone really want a pint sweatshirt with an argyle print on it?

(As a replica: 0/10 - It’s a replica of the screen-worn version the way that this post is a replica of War and Peace.)

Item 7 - KPop Demon Hunters Mystery Saja’s Knitted V-Neck Vest

나를 속이려 하지 마

Let’s review what we learned in preschool, everyone. This is a triangle...

...and this is a rectangle.

Triangle...

...rectangle.

Triangle...

...rectangle.

Final Rating: 2/10 - Rectangle.

“Why the hell does any of this matter?” someone jumps in to ask. Someone who takes the world as they find it, who doesn’t suffer fools, who remembers that time is money. “Collars and ribbing and whatever-the-hell-else? Get real. Who cares about that stuff?”

Well, think of it like this. KPop Demon Hunters is an absolutely gorgeous film, a treat for the eyes. Visually, it is an achievement. That’s because people cared. Dozens of people—you can go read their names in the credits—wanted to create a beautiful film. They didn’t have to. They could have worked quickly and sloppily, with a skeleton crew of animators using the cheapest animation tools available to churn out something passable and forgettable, a minimum viable product. They would have saved money that way. But, instead, they chose to care.

The world is a slightly better place thanks to that.

Clothing—and everything we make, really—is the same way. When the people who make it take time to care—to make something more than that minimal viable product—the results are more beautiful, more useful, more sustainable, more fun. And the world winds up being just a little bit better.

That’s why it’s sad to see the mismatch between the KPop Demon Hunters film, so marked by signs of care, and the KPop Demon Hunters merch line, which seems to have been designed without care for anything beyond the bottom line.

Now someone else jumps in; the sort of person who’s working on a master’s degree, who thinks about the structural and systemic sides of every issue, who takes a cynicism supplement twice daily. “What did you expect?” they say. “Netflix is a big faceless corporation bent on profit. They’re going to act accordingly. It’s silly to imagine some sky castle world where they do otherwise.”

Look, I understand all that, believe me. I have my own pointless master’s degree. Everywhere I look I see structural and systemic problems. My body naturally converts blue light into cynicism via a special kind of photosynthesis.

Even so, big faceless corporations managed to make this artisanally animated movie about KPop idols fighting demons. In spite of how bad the structures and systems truly are, people are doing good work. We have to fix the structural problems—we have to fix the structural problems. But, while we’re figuring out how to do that, it doesn’t hurt to pour a little praise on the products produced with care or to shower a little shame on thoughtless corporate merchandising.

I don’t have the power to fix capitalism, the fashion industry, or even the KPop Demon Hunters merch store. But I do have the power to gripe, by golly.

In the interest of not entirely disregarding the title of this post, let’s talk about those pants.

Bonus - KPop Demon Hunters Rumi Choo Choo Pajama Pants

Teddy bears and choo-choo trains? Really? Choo-choo!

I must side with Jinu when it comes to these pants. Again—the kitschy loungewear vibes isn’t for me.

Nonetheless, Netflix actually gets these pretty much right!

The graphic aren’t perfect—look at the wheels on the traincars and you’ll see a slight difference, for example—but they’re really close. The fit pretty much matches too, loose but not baggy.

The hem is higher on Rumi’s, but take the Netflix version to your alterations tailor and you’ll be wearing the authentic article in no time!

The material is a polyester-elastane blend. I wouldn’t recommend that fabric to you, because I care about you and about the planet, but it’s probably pretty close to what Rumi’s choo-choo pants would be made of in-universe.

Bizarrely enough, although this one could be a replica, the description is only willing to say that it “[features] playful, comfy vibes straight from Rumi’s signature style.” I guess this Netflix product description writer has high standards for replicas!

Final Rating: 2/10 - Choo choo!

(As a replica: 9/10 - Must-purchase for cosplayers.)