Jin Ki-ju's Crochet Vest Ease: From IT Consultant to Leading Actress in 3 Years
The woman who quit a corporate job to compete against 2,600 others now dresses with the ease of someone who's already won
- Black-and-white granny-square crochet vest over white tee with statement ring and film camera
- White striped shirt with rolled sleeves, dark jeans, and check-pattern tartan rain boots
- Grey cable-knit sweater over black tiered mini skirt with black sneakers, perfect for on-camera settings
In 2014, Jin Ki-ju won an SBS supermodel competition against 2,600 competitors. Before that? She was working at Samsung SDS as an IT consultant. Before that, she was chasing her original dream of becoming a journalist and even did a stint as a trainee broadcaster at Gangwon MBC. That's a genuinely unusual path: corporate tech, then beauty competition, then acting. But debut came with 'Little Forest', where she nabbed Best Newcomer at the Chunsa International Film Festival. Now, on Netflix's 'Tutoring' opposite a former special forces commander, she's anchoring global productions and proving that late, unorthodox starts don't predict careers—conviction does.
Her current styling reflects someone comfortable in her own strange timeline. Textured pieces feel natural on her. She's not fussing. She's built.
**Café Moment in Granny-Square Crochet**
A black-and-white crochet vest in that classic granny-square pattern is the foundation. Under it, a white tee for contrast. What catches me is the ease—crochet vests can read costume or grandma-chic, but here it's neither. Just a piece that has visual interest without apology. Her hand sports a statement ring. The orange trumpet vine flowers frame her completely, which makes the pattern-on-pattern moment (granny squares against floral background) somehow read as contemporary rather than retro. A striped film camera adds to the vintage mood, but it's curated vintage, not accidental thrift-store vintage.
**Checking Pattern Rain Boots on the Street**
White shirt, rolled sleeves for that 'not trying' energy. Dark jeans. And here's where the detail matters: check-pattern rain boots in what looks like Burberry-tartan territory (classic pattern, not logo-screaming). She's folded the jeans slightly into the boots rather than blousing them, which tidies the silhouette. A square-face watch is the only accessory. The shot captures her on a bench, phone in hand—genuinely unstudied. This is the energy everyone wants: good pieces, worn without performance.
**Radio Booth in Layered Neutrals**
Grey knit with a distinctive cable pattern over a black tiered mini skirt. That's it. Black sneakers ground the broadcast-studio vibe. The lighting in the booth (those neon signs in the background) makes everything glow warm, which works in the outfit's favor. The length reads broadcast-appropriate without feeling conservative. Short enough to move in, styled by confidence rather than showing off. This is the look that works for on-camera or interview situations where you need to read polished without appearing overdressed.
Her language: textured topwear (crochet, cable knit) paired with simpler bottoms (solid jeans, solid skirt) to balance. Minimal jewelry—maybe a ring, maybe a watch, never a full suite of accessories. Patterns mixed with solids in a ratio that reads intentional, not cluttered. And always, always, this sense that the outfit is secondary to her presence. She's not asking the clothes to do the personality work. That's the sign of someone who's already secure.
"And always, always, this sense that the outfit is secondary to her presence. She's not asking the clothes to do the personality work."
