When any SONE well-versed in the vault of classic Soshi variety shows thinks about Hyoyeon’s personal sense of style, one of the words that might just pop into your head—along with a barely suppressed giggle—is “fashion terrorist.” Coined by Sooyoung in Intimate Note in 2009, this nickname was used to highlight the loving exasperation Sooyoung and many of the other members had with Hyoyeon’s unique choice of clothes. Even Sunny invoked the title just as playfully when Hyoyeon drew attention to her vibrant, hot pink stockings in episode 20 of Hello Baby. Not unkindly, maknae Seohyun suggested a simple solution of wearing what everyone else was wearing. Undaunted, Hyoyeon quipped: “Wearing what other people wear lacks personality!”

As time went on however, the style referred to as Hyoyeon’s “fashion terrorism” lost its teasing tone and emerged as a very unique, self-named hashtag on Instagram: #HyoStyle. She refined her sense of style through years of experience; she never deviated from the ethos of that plucky reply and strove to choose clothing and styles that best suited her personality. Ranging from exotic, bright patterns to comfortable, ripped denim jeans, one may have a difficult time fitting Hyo Style into a neat little box. What is Hyo Style, then?

“마음 가는 대로, 생각 가는 대로, 자연스럽게! 그게 바로 Hyo Style 이니까!”
“Following your heart, following your mind, naturally! That’s Hyo Style!”

– Prologue from Hyo Style

And what better resource should we consult other than Hyoyeon’s own book titled Hyo Style? Here she opens her heart and gives her fans not just a peek into her sense of style, but into the life of 27-year-old Hyoyeon.

“Style is a difficult theme to talk about, isn’t it? To describe my style, I had to think a lot, set concepts and took photos, and arrange the words I want to say for the book. Everything was hard. However, I tried to grab following 2 words: ‘Honesty‘ and ‘Kim Hyoyeon‘. ‘Showing Kim Hyoyeon’s honest reflection as of now.'”

– Hyoyeon’s letter to herself in Hyo Style

One of the many admirable qualities Hyoyeon possesses is her enduring honesty—a quality that is exceedingly rare in the entertainment industry where celebrities are often forced to pander to the whims of the public and their zealous fans. Being “true to yourself” can often have negative, seemingly unwanted consequences on one’s reputation, something Hyoyeon was profoundly aware of early into her career as a member of Girls’ Generation.

“The most important thing is your sense of self and confidence. Truthfully, before debuting, my confidence level shot through the sky and my sense of self was strong. I liked that I always smiled brightly and worked hard. But after my debut, I didn’t think I looked that pretty through the screen. I lost my confidence. I didn’t like how I looked so I didn’t even watch TV for a while. But I couldn’t stay in that spot. So I diligently monitored myself and changed. Expressions when I laugh, tone of speaking and gesture, gaze—I was able to show my pretty side through the screen.”

– Hyoyeon’s Interview in Beauty+, April 2016

Confronted by the slights and insults thrown at her for failing to meet the standards of beauty as touted by ruthless netizens, Hyoyeon’s self-confidence had faltered. But she picked herself up and chose to work hard at showing a new side of herself. Hyoyeon lovingly cites her fellow members as the source of her inspiration. In her “Paradise in Phuket” self-talk, she says, “I learned a lot from our members since our debut: How to say things word by word, what gestures are needed on stage, what kind of facial expressions we need to have.” Thanks to the girls’ loving advice, she began to regain that self-same confidence and spark, and with it came not only a healthy, honest perspective of herself as a public figure, but also as Kim Hyoyeon.

It comes with the territory, all this fashion and makeup nonsense, but Hyoyeon took to it and worked at it with a passion—to be worthy of her position as an idol in the Korean entertainment industry. But all this time, while Hyoyeon was diligently working towards improving herself by studying different makeup styles and current trends, she discovered that she was also walking down a path to self-discovery.

“I worked hard at self-transformation. I let go of stage makeup with a thick base makeup and lash extensions for eyelashes and I changed to a natural look with thin base makeup that lets my skin tone show. I think my natural appearance is prettier than trying hard to become pretty and putting on makeup excessively. It was a new revelation for me. That ‘I need to love myself‘.”

– Beauty+

Because Hyoyeon is exactly the type of woman who doesn’t just wear her heart on her sleeve, she wears her heart in every aspect of her style and fashion: Hyo Style is the embodiment of all that she is—and who of us can describe Kim Hyoyeon in a single sentence? Every outfit, every makeup style, every accessory is just one aspect of the multi-faceted jewel that is Kim Hyoyeon.

“Have interest in your positive aspects. A lot of people are only interested in their shortcomings and spend a lot of time overcoming them. But I actually think it should be the opposite. It’s better to foster and improve on your positive features and hide your complexes. If you amplify your positive features, your negative features could become invisible. Before any of that, learn to love yourself.”

– Beauty+

Those who know and love Hyoyeon know exactly what Hyo Style is—it is the expression of her heart in all its beauty and splendor: love and laughter given form in bold, vibrant splashes of color; sincerity and kindness in her simple t-shirt and jeans.

“I feel that the prettiest ladies are those who are beautiful on the inside. If you are beautiful on the inside, then your beauty from within will be expressed outwards.”

– Hyoyeon in Marie Claire W Style, September 2016

Written by: anye@soshified