I got no comment about this one either.... Except to say, that way, way back in my first college, we had a visiter from GE to the industrial methods class, who, looking at us conspiratorially, whispered- "What's the next big secret? 'Plastics' happened, it's here, the next big thing is micro-encapsulation...."
Then again, hunks don't drive Hyundai's....
Scented suits gain popularity among South Korean men
By Kyong-Hwa Seok, Associated Press, 02/26/99 13:28
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - As Lee Soo-bum nears home after an evening out with the guys, he shimmies, shakes and occasionally rubs his chest.
Then at his apartment door, the 39-year-old film company executive sniffs, smiles in satisfaction, and greets his wife.
Although he's been drinking with colleagues in a smoke-filled bar, Lee doesn't reek of booze and cigarettes. In fact, he smells downright sweet.
''This new suit helps keep peace at home,'' Lee says of his fashionable
beige wool suit. It smells like lavender - and the more he moves, the
stronger the scent becomes.
The suit is made with fabric soaked in a chemical that contains scented micro-capsules, which pop and release the odor when the wearer moves - or gets bumped on a crowded subway train.
Three local fashion houses - LG Fashion, Essess Heartist and Kolon International - began selling the scented suits in major department and retail stores earlier this month.
So far, Essess has sold 2,500 pine-scented suits, LG 1,000 lavender suits and Kolon 660 peppermint suits, without any television or print advertising.
All three makers say the scented suits are outselling their regular new suit lines. Together, they sell about 2 million suits a year.
''Many people come to buy regular suits and end up buying the scented
ones. They like the scent and the suits are not more expensive than
scentless suits,'' said Suh Young-ju, a spokeswoman for LG.
Encouraged by the initial success, LG plans to ship some of the suits to its retail shop in Los Angeles, while Kolon plans to launch a TV advertisement, dubbed ''a sweet encounter.''
Sweet or not, some men just don't like it.
''I don't want to smell like a hotel bathroom,'' said Kwon Hyong-il, 27,
a computer engineer.
Women's reactions are mixed.
''Maybe I will buy one for my husband. He often comes home smelling like
an ashtray,'' said Song Myong-hee, a 37-year-old housewife.
''I would feel sick if I had to smell the same scent for days or weeks,
no matter how nice it is,'' said Lee Jung-sook, 45, an insurance
saleswoman.
The suits come in various colors and styles and cost between $300 and $420. The scent is supposed to last about three years, or 20 dry cleanings.
According to industry officials, scented fabric has been used before in women's lingerie, umbrellas and scarves in Japan and a few other countries.
But for now, none of the three South Korean fashion houses plans to launch scented suits for women.
''Women already use a lot of perfume and cosmetic products that contain
scent. Besides, it would be hard to satisfy them because they are much
more picky about scent than men,'' Suh of LG said.