British Gardening Show Meets Fashion Police in North Korea
a no-go: something that is not acceptable or allowed
Alan Titchmarsh’s British gardening show has made it to North Korean TV. Being a show about gardens, it’s pretty tame stuff, but one aspect is so racy that it has been censored. It’s his blue jeans, which TV censors blur.
Although North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il enjoys foreign cars and luxury European goods and is even a super fan of the NBA, these things are a no-go to most of the population. In 2022, tight jeans, t-shirts with foreign writing, and dyed hair were banned. The crackdown mainly focused on young people. Patrols detained any fashion rule breakers. Offenders were forced to write confession letters while they waited for family members to bring them acceptable clothes.
Tourists who plan to visit the reclusive country need not fear the fashion police. In stark contrast to the control of North Korean citizens, foreigners are free to wear whatever they like.
Sample sentences
1. Wearing a t-shirt to the office was a no-go for Svetlana; her boss asked her to wear business attire.
2. Eating dessert before dinner is a no-go in our house, said Mom.
3. Swimming after eating a big meal is a no-go for me.
Read More:
Alan Titchmarsh’s jeans blurred by North Korean TV censors
Tight jeans, dyed hair forbidden as North Korea cracks down on ‘capitalist’ fashion