"Man from the Stars" Fashion: Cheon Song Yi's Best Outfits

“Man from the Stars” has just ended, and the unlikely but heartbreaking love story between Hallyu actress Cheon Song Yi and almost-immortal alien Do Min Joon still lingers in our minds. However, we trust that everyone is replaying the story in their minds or on their screens, and we are rereading the excellent recap from rarapop to put the contemplation to an end. Our modest (but no less interesting) assignment is to cover the fashion angle. Cheon Song Yi’s outfits have been covered in meticulous detail by keen-eyed netizens and the ever-present Korean media, and many of the items worn by Jun Ji Hyun in the drama sold out immediately.

Portraying one of Korea’s top stars, Jun Ji Hyun wore an endless array of designer dresses and jewelry, but she also mixed it up with quite a few mid-priced domestic labels, such as a trench coat from She’s Miss (pictured) and sunglasses from Gentle Monster. Because her character went through a great deal of upheaval (falling in popularity, falling sick with appendicitis, falling in love, and finally rising back to the top in high style), we get to see Jun Ji Hyun in many different moods and modes, and her stylists did a wonderful job of making sure that her outfits reflected the situation. There was absolutely no way we could cover every single item worn during the show, but we picked out some notable outfits, as well as a few of our favorites. Let’s take a look now!

(Very spoiler-y, but we’ll proceed in chronological order, so you can stop when the need suits you.)

Episode 4: Dolce and Gabbana strapless lace gown, 21 Defaye clutch, Jimmy Choo “Abel” pumps

This is Cheon Song Yi at the top of her game, right before the murder mystery starts. She’s wearing the exclusive shoes that she had flown in, as well as a serious designer gown, and she looks fantastic. Still, she’s definitely not above turning the bridal picture into a petty (but hilarious) photoshoot battle against rival Yura.

Episode 5: Balmain double-breasted long coat, Giuseppe Zanotti suede boots, Cartier Marcello de Cartier shoulder strap handbag, Gentle Monster “La Rouge GD1” sunglasses

Plot-wise, there’s not much going on here, except perhaps that it marks the beginning of Cheon Song Yi’s fall in popularity. We picked this look purely because Jun Ji Hyun looks amazing in it. The long coat over a mini and knee-high boots is a risky but effective combo, and we don’t think it’s a coincidence that we saw variations of this look on the streets of Seoul afterward.

Episode 5: Chanel Fall 2013 RTW

When you’ve just discovered that there’s a chance that you’re being written out of your own show, what do you do? Many K-Drama heroines might weep and mope, but if you’re Cheon Song Yi, you hold your head high and suit yourself up in shocking pink Chanel and loads of pearls, dismissing your stylist’s worried concerns about projecting a frivolous-rich-girl image. Then you announce that you’re dropping the drama (so no one can let it be said that you were rejected).

Episode 6: Chanel Spring 2014 RTW, Vintage Hollywood headband

This is a surprisingly tame outfit, but it serves its purpose. Usually, even her pajamas manage to make a loud statement that Cheon Song Yi is a Certified Hallyu Star. But here, our heroine is alone in her apartment at night when she’s visited by the sinister Jaekyung. Standing alone in a plain peach shirt with barely any adornment or makeup, she looks particularly (and peculiarly) vulnerable, making the scene all the more anxiety-inducing. Thank goodness Hwikyung came to the rescue!

Episode 10: Tod’s Spring 2014 RTW 

Hallyu star in housewife mode — except of course even this pink shirtdress undoubtedly costs at least a couple thousand dollars. In this scene, Cheon Song Yi begins to suspect that Do Min Joon isn’t just an ordinary individual, and she confronts him with her evidence. This outfit didn’t get a lot of netizen coverage, but it happened to be one of our favorites.

Episode 10: Ralph Lauren jacket, earrings, and boots; Dolce and Gabbana blouse and pants

Cheon Song Yi has just been informed that not only does she not have enough money in her bank account to pay rent, she also can’t even sell her handbags using her celebrity status, because she’s no longer considered a desirable name. It’s a low point in her life, and we can’t help but feel sympathy as she’s left standing outside the consignment shop with her bags strewn around her.

But have no pity for our plucky star. In a rehash of the pink Chanel suit scene, she dresses up again — this time in heavy-hitting Dolce and Gabbana — and does the haughtiest hair-flip in history as she storms into her agency to give back some of the fees they’ve taken from her. Love it, and her!

Episode 12: Chloe Fall 2013 RTW cape, shirt, and dress; Chloe Bernie ankle boots; Chloe Clare handbag; Chloe Babeth ring, Gentle Monster “Roman Holiday G8” sunglasses

Basically, Cheon Song Yi tries to divert an interested buyer from snapping up Do Min Joon’s apartment by suggesting that the place is bad luck and that her status dive and sudden “ill health” (cough, cough) coincided with her arrival next door. It’s a pity that this outfit wasn’t saved for a more noteworthy scene, but we can understand the choice. While she looks truly dramatic here, with the exaggerated cape and (awesome!) round sunglasses, she also comes across as a little eccentric and loopy. Not exactly the kind of person you’d want as your neighbor. Mission accomplished — we hear no more from that buyer again!

Episode 13: Thomas Wylde Spring 2014 leather jacket, Delvaux Tempete GM Satchel, Giuseppe Zanotti open-toe ankle boots, SIWY pants, Balmain sunglasses

We’ve seen Cheon Song Yi wearing quite a bit of the structured over-the-shoulder jacket over a slim silhouette. Of course it’s not incidental; the padded shoulders really project an image of power. This time it’s a hot-pink leather jacket paired with leopard print ankle boots.

We just wanted to point out that very few people look as good in skinny jeans as Jun Ji Hyun. Envy, we feel it.

Episode 13: She’s Miss trench coat, suecommabonnie boots

A couple people mentioned on our SNS that this was their favorite outfit of the drama, so we’re including it to show that you don’t need expensive labels to look good! Okay, actually those boots are almost $600 USD, so maybe this isn’t the best example to illustrate the point. But the trench coat cost less than $200 USD, and seeing that people chose this over all the high-end labels as their favorite really proves that you don’t need money to look great. (Maybe you just need to look like Jun Ji Hyun.)

All kidding aside, how awesome is Hwikyung? We hope he finally gets a happy ending.

Episode 16: Fay Spring 2014 RTW

How do you deal with the realization that you’re dating a guy who has not aged in 400 years? While Cheon Song Yi has had more than her share of natural good looks during her lifetime, even she knows that this is an uphill battle to fight. Still, it doesn’t stop her from trying. She dives frenetically into anti-aging face masks and workout routines, and then steps out in a ridiculously juvenile ensemble. Luckily, the perplexed looks of Do Min Joon and her brother quickly make her regain her senses.

Episode 18: Celine Spring 2014 RTW cotton poplin coat, Dsquared skirt, Giuseppe Zanotti boots, H. Stern “Moonlight” earrings

This is the scene where Cheon Song Yi gets whisked off to a fancy dinner atop Namsan Tower, and she’s giddy with anticipation, wondering whether her beloved Do Min Joon will propose to her. Befitting the traditionally feminine setup of the scene, this is Cheon Song Yi in pure girly-girl mode, with the high ponytail, full A-line skirt, pastel coat, and even opera gloves. Super cute, and the excitement on her face is equally adorable.

Episode 20: Dolce and Gabbana Sicilia Print boxy top and lace macrame skirt

The flip side of the coin: The scene where Cheon Song Yi proposes to Do Min Joon. It’s impossible not to note that this outfit is a lot more mature in style than the one she wore when she was waiting for a proposal from Do Min Joon. We would never have thought to choose the top for Jun Ji Hyun, but the vibrant colors make her look even more beautiful.

Episode 20: Valentino Spring 2014 RTW

Do Min Joon’s first dinner with his new family… actually, his first dinner with any family. We love Cheon Song Yi’s opera-inspired ensemble with its eye-catching headband, but the real story here is how tied in Do Min Joon looks with the family. All the men are a united front in shades of gray, and although there’s always some bickering between Cheon Song Yi and her mother, they no longer seem so fractured as a family. (We see another example of this play in color later on when Cheon Song Yi has a weeping fit. Her parents show up to support her, matching her in shades of royal blue, and when you see them together, you know that they’re all on the same side. Finally!)

Episode 21: Carolina Herrera Spring 2014 RTW gown, Giuseppi Zanotti shoes, H.Stern earrings and ring

Three years later, Cheon Song Yi is back at the top of her game. She’s attending an awards ceremony, and the fans go crazy at the sight of her on the red carpet. The gown is absolutely perfect in its simplicity… but one could argue that it needs a little extra touch. Like maybe… a coat?

Episode 21: Unknown

Throughout the series, Cheon Song Yi has worn a number of extreme and frivolous outfits, most of them more eye-catching than this one, but now, she looks peaceful and calm. She finally has her answers, and although her situation isn’t perfect, she’s happy.

There were so many great clothes that we’re sorry we couldn’t cover everything, but we added a few more in the photo here. That’s it for now, but you tell us — which outfit was your favorite? (Doesn’t have to be one covered in this article.)