‘Wearing It Again?’ SM Artists’ Reused Costumes at SMTOWN LIVE 2025 Spark Debate
On January 11 and 12, the “SMTOWN LIVE 2025” concert was held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. The event celebrated SM Entertainment’s 30th anniversary, with a packed venue of fans cheering for their favorite SM artists. The concert was also livestreamed on global platforms Beyond LIVE and Weverse, amplifying the excitement.
Costume Reuse: Déjà Vu on Stage
However, fans noticed a sense of déjà vu during the performances. Many of the artists wore outfits that were strikingly similar to those seen in previous performances. While they couldn’t pinpoint the exact dates, fans recognized the “familiar” costumes.
One notable example was NCT Dream, who wore their black-and-white outfits from the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour in the U.S. last December. They also reused the costumes from their promotions for the remake of H.O.T’s “Candy.” Similarly, RIIZE donned outfits from their “Boom Boom Bass” showcase, while NCT 127 wore the white padded vests seen during their year-end stage at SBS’s Gayo Daejeon last year.
This sparked mixed reactions among fans. Some welcomed the return of the outfits they had admired before, expressing gratitude for the “reused costumes.” However, others were disappointed, expecting new and special stage attire for the 30th-anniversary concert. Comments like, “Reusing again?,” “It’s the 30th anniversary, couldn’t they have prepared new outfits?” and “I wanted to see sparkling new clothes” reflected their discontent.
Practical Reasons and Environmental Considerations
But the stylists had their reasons. As “costume reuse” trended online, Super Junior’s Leeteuk addressed the issue during a live broadcast on January 12. He explained that the concert had a limited budget, and creating new costumes would be expensive, with costs deducted from the artists’ activity fees. To save resources, they opted to reuse previous outfits. Leeteuk also clarified that while constant reuse can feel inappropriate even to the artists, it prevents waste and avoids unfair criticism of the stylists. Fans who heard Leeteuk’s explanation showed understanding.
One netizen highlighted not only the high cost of costume production but also the importance of considering environmental impact. They referred to SM Entertainment’s massive 3,540-square-meter costume warehouse, revealed in KBS2’s “Boss in the Mirror” last October. The episode showcased Kim So-yeon, CEO of ESteem Entertainment, visiting the storage facility, which houses over 110,000 outfits worn by idols like BoA and aespa. Reflecting on this, a fan commented, “After seeing the collection, I think reusing outfits sensibly is okay and environmentally conscious. But please avoid reusing ones that didn’t get a good response.”
Meanwhile, the “SMTOWN LIVE 2025” concert, which attracted 40,000 fans over two days, will continue its global tour starting in May, spreading its enthusiasm worldwide.
