ITZY Are Not Only Trendsetters But Comfy Jetsetters During Born to Be World Tour

ITZY for Teen Vogue © 2024

ITZY are no strangers to the beauty and fashion worlds. Since their debut in 2019, the quintet have become ambassadors, modeled, and made fashion show appearances for some of the biggest brands in the world, from Adidas and Burberry to Maybelline New York. They also have their own collections with Charles & Keith and, most recently, G-Shock Casio. Now, as they embark on Born To Be, their most extensive tour to date, ITZY are taking their fashion expertise to all corners of the world.

Currently on the go and on the run, ITZY are pulling every lever for the success of their second world tour. In between the South American and European leg of the tour, the latter wrapping in Madrid on May 4, where pictures for this article were taken, the temporary quartet (as member Lia is on a hiatus) made a quick stop in New York for an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America, along with some other scheduled press, including a chat with Teen Vogue to discuss their style preferences and on-the-road essentials ahead of the last few legs of the tour.

When ITZY arrive at the Empire State Building's green room, it is almost lunchtime. According to one of their staff, they've been at it since the morning, making every minute count. Despite the nerves of prepping for such a momentous television appearance and their busy schedules, the members are buzzing with excitement. Upon entering the room, they are happy to see various snacks on the coffee table in front of them before they continue the busy afternoon ahead.

For the time being, the members have swapped their ornate onstage costumes for slightly more casual garbs. Ryujin is donning a sequined black cocktail dress covered by an oversized bedazzled light denim jacket; Yuna, on the other hand, is wrapped in an indigo denim dress; Chaeryeong opted for a black two-piece consisting of an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeve crop top and a matching mini skirt; while Yeji has gone the flashier route in a cropped hot pink tweed jacket and black pleated shorts with a high ponytail.

“[It’s] business!” Yeji proclaims with a laugh in the green room, pointing at her top. She's not describing the vibe of her outfit but indicating the reason why she's in hot pink. It's not her choice of color when it comes to her personal style, she admits while acknowledging that she's confidently pulled off neon on multiple occasions, especially during the heydays of their debut era when the group released "Dalla Dalla" and "ICY." As she slightly rocks back and gestures a 'no' with her hands, she adds: "[This is] a business occasion, not my [usual] style."

Personally, bold and vivid colors aren't Yeji's go-to's on an off day, but this is a press run. "Usually, I don't use yellow or green," she says. Her airport fashion and general off-duty looks consist of black, dark, or neutral undertones and oversized tops and bottoms. You'll catch her wearing a black hoodie and baggy pants most of the time, topped with a cap, on her way to all the concert venues. "I really like comfy style. All day!" the girl group leader confidently says with a smile.

The same can be said for ITZY's 2001 line, Ryujin and Chaeryeong, who pick a "comfy" over a stylish look in sync. "Totally," Ryujin, the elder of the two, says. Over the last year, color theory and analysis have been all over TikTok, especially in South Korea, and, of course, ITZY have done their research.

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Chaeryeong admits she believes she suits cool tones better, but despite that, she tends to go with white or black from head to toe no matter the occasion — just like what she's wearing now. "Navy, sky blue, white, black… [those are] my favorite color," she says, counting the colors with her fingers and ranking them by how well they match her skin tone. "I don't like khaki," she bursts out.

"I don't like colors," fellow 2001 liner Ryujin swoops in. "I used to wear mostly black clothes," she continues, “but nowadays I'm buying some [color pieces as well]. So there's no standard for me, but whenever I post on Instagram, or there's an article [about my wearing something that's not black], that's all new. [Just know] I bought it like two weeks ago.”

Yuna, the youngest of the group, is more focused on colors than motifs. "I'm not good at patterns and designs," she explains of her sartorial choices, "so I usually prefer solid colors." Which ones? Well, unlike her fellow members, she's much more open to options as long as they fit her vision. “I don't care about color as long as I'm in the mood to wear it.”

Fashion can say a lot about a person, and MIDZY, as ITZY fans are affectionately known, have been slowly peeling back the layers of the members' personal styles one by one. The opening of their individual Instagram accounts earlier this year, especially, has been of great help in reflecting each member's taste in fashion beyond what they wear onstage — but there is definitely some overlap.

Whether they're posting on their Stories or Feeds, the vibes are either the exact same or a toned-down version of who they are in their respective music videos from their most recent album, Born to Be, which serves as the principal conductor for the tour.

Ryujin leans heavily into edgy styles, like her rock-heavy track "Runaway," whereas Yuna shows off her "It girl" looks or "Hot girl style!" — Ryujin's words — reflective of her bubblegum solo "Yet, But." Like the sounds and glares in "Mine," Chaeryeong is sharp, chic, and preppy, while Yeji is a mix of cool, chic, and badass, like her rock-pop solo "Crown On My Head."

Of course, to be able to present the best version of themselves onstage every night in front of MIDZY, ITZY put on the work behind the scenes, and it all starts with skin care. Especially while on the road, taking care of their skins is a priority for the members who take a "less is more" approach. (Touring is not the time to get adventurous with new products, after all!)

For ITZY, simplicity and consistency are the keywords when it comes to skin care while on tour. "In the night, it's cleanser, toner, essence, and cream," Chaeryeong explains as she counts her steps with her fingers. "In the morning, just water and moisturizer. That's all." "Sometimes eye cream," Yeji, who has the same routine, adds. "Where is lotion!?" Yuna quickly asks, up in arms. "Cream!" Chaeryeong responds as Yuna mouths a muted "Ah." It all makes all the sense.

"For me, I really 공들여 [translation: work hard] on my skin care," Yuna begins to share in Konglish, causing a burst of laughter in the room, with voices repeating her words verbatim. "When I'm out in every city, it completely changes. It always makes me stressed!"

"So, in the morning, I bring my 비누, 비누 [soap]," Yuna continues, in the tone of a line from Korean R&B singer BIBI's single of the same name. “Then mist, and then essence, and then lotion. That's all. Then at night, [I do] cleanser, essence, acne treatment, lotion, and then cream, and then I look at my face in the 거울 [mirror], and then I get my 면봉s [cotton swabs], then I look at the mirror again. One hour [has passed].”

"[That's] too long," Chaeryeong comments, shaking her head while looking at the youngest. Everyone else laughs.

"I don't have any special skill for it," Ryujin cooly says afterward. "I just wash my face with water, skin, and essence and lather it with lotion." Her evening routine is the same as Chaeryeong and Yeji's, with the addition of an oil cleanser to remove any makeup. “Nowadays, we're traveling a lot. So I keep wearing a sheet mask after or during the flight.”

When we catch up, ITZY have been away from home for multiple weeks, with a handful more to follow as they head off to Europe, but they've come prepared. Aside from Ryujin's many sheet masks, full-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion are also packed in their suitcases. A highly recommended item all members also carry with them while on the road is a shower filter. Other than their beauty products, iPads to watch anime ("I like Nanami more," Ryujin says as she spots my phone cases featuring Jujutsu Kaisen characters Gojo and Nanami) and episodes of Queen of Tears, plus earphones, laptops, neck pillows, and tastes of home with packs of ramen, Korean snacks, and jellies are essentials.

Considering the group will continue their Born To Be tour around the world until August, including a 10-city North American tour starting on June 6 in Seattle's WaMu Theater, it's only natural to wonder if global superstars (and globetrotters) like them have tips or tricks to beat jet lag. "No tip!" Yeji confidently says, chuckling. "I still don't know. It's hard." After giving it some thought, Yuna comes up with the suggestion that makes all others agree: “Don't sleep before the flight!”

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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