Hanbok (South Korea) or
Joseon-ot (North Korea) is the traditional Korean dress. It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means "Korean clothing", hanbok today often refers specifically to clothing of the
Joseon period and is worn as semi-formal or formal wear during traditional festivals and celebrations.
Throughout history, Korea had a dual clothing tradition, in which rulers and aristocrats adopted different kinds of mixed foreign-influenced indigenous styles while commoners continued to use a distinct style of indigenous clothing that today is known as Hanbok.
[1][2]
In 1996, the
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism made "Hanbok day" to encourage people to wear Hanbok.
[3]
Basic Composition and Design[edit]
Traditional women's hanbok consists of
jeogori, a blouse shirt or a jacket and
chima, a wrap-around skirt, which is usually worn full. The ensemble is often called
chima jeogori. Men's hanbok consists of
jeogori and
baji which means pants in Korea. The
baji[4] were baggy pants in traditional men's hanbok.
Jeogori[edit]
Jeogori is the basic upper garment of the hanbok, which has been worn by both men and women. It covers the arms and upper part of the wearer's body.
[5][6][7] The basic form of a
jeogori consists of
gil,
git,
dongjeong,
goreum and sleeves.
Gil (길) is the large section of the garment in both front and back side and
git (깃) is a band of fabric that trims the collar.
Dongjeong (동정) is a removable white collar placed over the end of the
git and is generally squared off. The
goreum (고름) are coat-strings that tie the
jeogori.
[4] Women's
jeogori may have
kkeutdong (끝동), a different colored
cuff placed at the end of the sleeves. There are two jeogori that may be the earliest surviving archaeological finds. One from a Yangcheon Heo Clan tomb is dated 1400-1450,
[8] while the other was discovered inside a statue of Buddha at Sangwonsa Temple (presumably left as an offering) that has been dated to the 1460s.
[9]
The form of
Jeogori has changed over time.
[7] While men's
jeogori remained relatively unchanged, women's
jeogori dramatically shortened during the Joseon dynasty, reaching its shortest length at the late 19th century. However, due to reformation efforts and practical reasons, modern
jeogori for women is longer than its earlier counterpart. Nonetheless the length is still above the waist line. Traditionally,
goreum were short and narrow, however modern
goreum are rather long and wide. There are several types of
jeogori according to fabric, sewing technique, and shape.
[7][8]
Chima refers to "skirt" which is also called
sang (
裳) or
gun (
裙) in
hanja.
[5][6][7] The underskirt, or
petticoat layer is called
sokchima. According to remaining murals of
Goguryeo, and an earthen toy excavated from the neighborhood of
Hwangnam-dong,
Gyeongju, Goguryeo women wore a
chima with
jeogori over it, covering the belt.
[10][11]
Although striped, patchwork and
gored skirts are known from the Goguryeo
[6] and Jeoson periods,
chima were typically made from rectangular cloth that was
pleated or
gathered into a skirt band.
[12] This waistband extended past the skirt fabric itself and formed ties so that the skirt could be fastened around the trunk of the body.
[13]
Sokchima was largely made in a similar way to the overskirts until the early 20th century when straps were added,
[14] later developing into a sleeveless bodice or 'reformed' petticoat.
[15] By the mid-20th century, some outer
chima had also gained a sleeveless bodice, that was then covered by the
jeogori.
[16][16]
Baji refers to the bottom part of the men's hanbok. It is the formal term for 'pants' in Korean. Compared to western style pants, it does not fit tightly. The roomy nature of the cloth is due to a design aimed at making the cloth ideal for sitting on the floor.
[17] It performs similar role today for modern trousers, but Baji is commonly used in Korea for any kinds of pants. There are two in front of baji, and a person can tighten up whenever needed.
Baji are classified as unlined trousers, leather trousers, silk pants, cotton pants according to dress, sewing way, embroidery and so on.
Po is a generic term referring to an outer
robe or
overcoat, which was a common style since the
Three Kingdoms of Korea period until the late Joseon period.
[18][6] A belt was used until it was replaced by a ribbon during late Joseon dynasty.
Durumagi is a variety of
po that was worn to protect the cold. It had been widely worn as an outer robe over
jeogori and
baji. It is also called
jumagui,
juchaui, or
juui.
[5][6][7]
A different style of overcoat derived from
Tang dynasty was adopted among the elites of
Unified Silla, which eventually evolved into
Gwanbok.
[18][need quotation to verify]
Jokki and magoja[edit]
Jokki (
Hangul: ) is a type of vest while
magoja is an outer jacket. Although
jokki and
magoja were created at the end of the Joseon dynasty in which the Western culture began to affect Korea, the garments have been considered parts of traditional clothing. Each is additionally worn over
jeogori for warmth and style.
Magoja was an originally Manchu style clothing, but was introduced to Korea after
Heungseon Daewongun, father of
King Gojong, returned from his political exile in
Manchuria in 1887.
[7][19] Magoja derived from
magwae that he wore at that time to protect cold weather of the region. It was good to keep warmth and easy to wear, so that magoja became popular in Korea. It is also called
"deot jeogori" (literally "an outer jeogori") or
magwae.
[7]
Magoja does not have
git, band of fabric that trims the collar,
[4] goreum (tying strings) unlike
jeogori and
durumagi (overcoat).
Magoja was originally a male garment, but later became a unisex clothing. The magoja for men has
seop (
Hangul:
섶, overlapped column on the front) and its length is longer than women's magoja, so that its both sides of the bottom are open. A magoja is made of a silk and is adorned with one or two buttons which are usually made from amber. In a male magoja, buttons are attached to the right side on contrary to women's magoja.
[7]
At first, women wore the magoja for style rather than as a daily outfit and especially
Kaesong people used to wear it a lot. It is made of a silk and the color for women tends to be a neutral color to harmonize with other garments such as
jeogori and
chima which are worn together. In spring and autumn, a pastel tone is used for the women's magoja, so that wearers could wear it over a jeogori for style. As for men's magoja worn during spring and summer, jade, green, gray, dark grey were used.
[7]
Children's hanbok[edit]
In old days,
Kkachi durumagi (literally "a magpie's overcoat") were worn as
seolbim (설빔), new clothing and shoes worn on
Korean New Year, while at present, it is worn as a ceremonial garment for
dol, celebration for a baby's first birthday.
[20][21] It is a children's colorful overcoat.
[22] It was worn mostly by young boys.
[23] The clothes is also called
obangjang durumagi which means "an overcoat of five directions".
[20] It was worn over
jeogori (a jacket) and
jokki (a vest) while the wearer could put
jeonbok (a long vest) over it.
Kkachi durumagi was also worn along with
headgear such as
bokgeon (a peaked cloth hat),
[24][25] hogeon (peaked cloth hat with a tiger pattern) for young boys or
gulle (decorative headgear) for young girls.
[6][need quotation to verify], [26]
Occasions[edit]
Hanbok is classified according to its purposes: everyday dress, ceremonial dress and special dress. Ceremonial dresses are worn on formal occasions, including a child's first birthday, a wedding or a funeral. Special dresses are made for shamans and officials.
[17]
History[edit]
Antiquity[edit]
The hanbok can trace its origin to nomadic clothing in the
Scytho-
Siberian cultural sphere of northern Asia, widespread in ancient times.
[27][28] The earliest evidence of this common style of northern Asia can be found in the
Xiongnu burial site of Noin Ula in northern Mongolia,
[29] and earliest evidence of hanbok's basic design features can be traced to ancient wall murals of Goguryeo before the 3rd century BCE.
[30][31]
Reflecting its
nomadic origins in northern Asia, hanbok was designed to facilitate ease of movement and also incorporated many
shamanistic motifs. From this time, the basic structure of hanbok, namely the
jeogori jacket,
baji pants, and the
chima skirt, was established. Short, tight trousers and tight, waist-length jackets were worn by both men and women during the early years of the Three Kingdoms of Korea period. The basic structure and these basic design features of hanbok remains relatively unchanged to this day.
[32]
Toward the end of the Three Kingdoms period, noblewomen began to wear full-length skirts and hip-length jackets belted at the waist and noblemen began to wear roomy trousers bound in at the ankles and a narrow,
tunic-style jacket cuffed at the wrists and belted at the waist.
Although most foreign influence on Hanbok didn't last or was superficial, Mongolian clothing is an exception as the only foreign influence that made significant visible changes to Hanbok. After
Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) signed peace treaty with the
Mongol Empire in the 13th century, Mongolian princesses who married into Korean royal house brought with them Mongolian fashion which began to prevail in both formal and private life.
[28][33][34] As a result of this influence, the
chima skirt was shortened, and
jeogori was hiked up above the waist and tied at the chest with a long, wide ribbon, the
goruem (instead of being belted) and the sleeves were curved slightly. Cultural exchange was not one way however. Goryeo had significant cultural influence on the
Mongols court of
Yuan dynasty, the most visible of which was adoption of women's hanbok by the aristocrats, queens and concubines of the Mongol court.
[35][36][37]
-
Goguryeo king and queen's attire.
Silla king and queen's attire.
Gold Waist Belt used by Royalty of Silla
A woman's attire during the
Goryeo dynasty.
Joseon dynasty[edit]
The early Joseon appeared to continue the women's fashion for baggy, loose clothing, such as those seen on the mural from the tomb of Bak Ik (1332–1398).
[38] However, by the 16th century, the jeogori had shortened to the waist, and appears to have become closer fitting, although not to the extremes of the bell-shaped silhouette of the 18th and 19th centuries.
[39][40][41]
Today's hanbok is the direct descendant of hanbok as worn in the Joseon period, specifically the late 19th century. Hanbok had gone through various changes and "fashion fads" during the five hundred years under the reigns of Joseon kings and eventually evolved to what we now mostly relate to as a typical hanbok.
Everyday wear[edit]
During the Joseon dynasty, the chima or skirt adopted fuller volume while the jeogori or blouse took more tightened and shortened form, which are features quite distinct from the hanbok of previous centuries, when
chima was rather slim and
jeogori baggy and long, reaching well below the waist level. After the
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) or
Imjin War, economic hardship on the peninsula may have influenced the closer-fitting styles that would use less fabric.
[41] However, this explanation doesn't take into account the ever expanding voluminous size of the dress which must have increased the use of fabric despite the disastrous effects of the war.
In the eighteenth century, the short length of
jeogori reached extremity as to scarcely cover the breasts. Therefore women of respectable social backgrounds began to wear a piece of long cloth called
heoritti around the breast.
Heoritti was originally worn as an undergarment beneath the
jeogori, but was now worn as an outwear. The common and lowborn classes, however, often eschewed the
heoritti altogether, as a way of indicating that they had given birth to a son.
[42] This also may have assisted with breastfeeding.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the fullness of the skirt was concentratrated around the hips, thus forming a silhouette similar to Western bustles. The fullness of the skirt reached its extreme around 1800. During the nineteenth century fullness of the skirt was achieved around the knees and ankles thus giving
chima a triangular or an A-shaped silhouette, which is still the preferred style to this day. Many undergarments such as
darisokgot, soksokgot, dansokgot, and
gojengi were worn underneath to achieve desired forms.
A clothes reformation movement, which aimed to lengthen
jeogori, experienced quite a success in the early twentieth century and has continued to influence the shaping of modern hanbok. Modern
jeogori are longer, although still halfway between the waistline and the breasts.
Heoritti are sometimes exposed for aesthetic reasons. At the end of nineteenth century, Heungseon Daewongun introduced
magoja, a Manchu-style jacket, which is often worn over
jeogori to this day.
Women's hanbok consists of chima skirt and jeogori shirt.
Full skirt and tight jeogori were considered fashionable. 18th century.
A rare painting of
yangban women.
Yangban ladies were sensitive to "fashion fads" which worried
Seonbi scholars. 18th century.
Soksokgot, similar to
petticoat is shown under the woman's skirt. 18th century.
Male aristocrat dress; a
gat (a
horsehair hat) on the head and yellow
dopo (an overcoat).
Men's hanbok saw little change compared to women's hanbok. The form and design of
jeogori and
baji hardly changed.
However, men's lengthy outwear, equivalent of modern overcoat went through quite a dramatic change. Before the late 19th century,
yangban men almost always wore
jungchimak when going abroad.
Jungchimak had very lengthy sleeves and its lower part had splits on both sides and occasionally on the back so as to create fluttering effect when walking. To some this was considered fashionable, and to some, namely stoic scholars, it was nothing but pure vanity. Daewon-gun successfully banned
jungchimak as a part of his clothes reformation program and
jungchimak eventually disappeared.
Durumagi, which was previously worn underneath
jungchimak and basically a house dress substituted
jungchimak as the formal outwear for
yangban men.
Durumagi differs from its predecessor in that it has tighter sleeves and does not have splits on either sides and the back. It is also slightly shorter in length. Men's hanbok has remained relatively the same since the adoption of
durumagi.
A man wearing jungchimak. 18th century.
The "fluttering" effect. 18th century.
Waryonggwan and hakchangui in 1863.
-
-
Bokgeon and simui in 1880.
Black bokgeon and blue dopo in 1880.
-
Hanbok for formal occasions[edit]
Dragon robe (or ikseongwanpo): business attire for king
Hongryongpo: everyday clothes for king
Hwangryongpo: everyday clothes for emperor. Gojong began to wear the clothes.
Tongcheongwan and Gangsapo
Hwangwonsam: everyday clothes for queen/empress
Heuk dallyeongpo in the late 18th century
Gwanbok is a Korean term which refers to all formal attires of government officials. It began to be worn from the
Silla until the Joseon. During the Silla, the official robe systems of Central Asia was imported and put into practice.
[10] There were several types of
gwanbok which differs in color and design according to the wearer's status, rank, and occasion such as
jobok,
jebok,
sangbok,
gongbok,
yungbok, and
gunbok.
Jobok was the
gwanbok worn for special occasions such as national festivals, or announcement of royal decrees.
Jebok was the
gwanbok worn while a ritual for
veneration of the dead called
jesa was held.
Sangbok was worn as a daily official clothing while
gongbok was worn when officers had an audience with the king at the palace.
Yungbok was related to military affairs.
However, as the term in a narrow scope only denote the
gongbok and
sangbok, it means
dallyeong, robe with a round collar.
[43][44]
Material and Color[edit]
The upper classes wore hanbok of closely woven
ramie cloth or other high-grade lightweight materials in warm weather and of plain and patterned silks the rest of the year. Commoners were restricted by law as well as resources to cotton at best.
The upper classes wore a variety of colors, though bright colors were generally worn by children and girls and subdued colors by middle-aged men and women. Commoners were restricted by law to everyday clothes of white, but for special occasions they wore dull shades of pale pink, light green, gray, and charcoal. The color of
chima showed the wearer's social position and statement. For example, a navy color indicated that a woman had son(s). Only the royal family could wear clothing with
geumbak-printed patterns (gold leaf) on the bottom of chima.
Head dresses[edit]
A woman wearing a wig, or
gache.
Both male and female wore their hair in a long
braid until they were married, at which time the hair was knotted; man's hair was knotted in a topknot called
sangtu (상투) on the top of the head and the woman’s hair was rolled into a ball shaped form and was set just above the nape of the neck.
A long pin, or
binyeo (비녀), was thrust through the knotted hair of the woman as both a fastener and a decoration. The material and length of the
binyeo varied according to the wearer’s class and status. Women wore a
jokduri on their wedding day, and wore an
ayam for protection from the cold. Men wore a
gat, which varied according to class and status.
Before 19th century women of high social backgrounds and
gisaeng wore wigs (
gache). Like their Western counterparts, Koreans considered bigger and heavier wigs to be more desirable and aesthetic. Such was the women's frenzy for the
gache that in 1788
King Jeongjo prohibited and banned, by royal decree, the use of
gache, as they were deemed contrary to
Korean Confucian values of reserve and restraint
[45]
In the 19th century
yangban women began to wear
jokduri, a small hat that substituted
gache. However
gache enjoyed vast popularity in
gisaeng circles well into the end of the century.
Foreign influence[edit]
Some foreign-styled clothing was adopted by the upper class, but its use was always separate from the tradition of hanbok and foreign style clothing never replaced the traditional hanbok. With increasing cultural ties between Korea and China since the latter half of the Three Kingdoms period, the aristocratic class incorporated some minor foreign influence.
[2]
As Silla unified the Three Kingdoms of Korea, various silks, linens, and fashions were imported from Tang China. In the process, the latest fashion trend of
Luoyang, the capital of Tang, were also introduced to Korea where it transformed into a uniquely Korean silhouette similar to the Western
Empire silhouette. After the Korean unification by the Silla, Korean women started wearing the new style, which was popular not only in China but also in all countries influenced by the
Silk Road. The style was, however, discontinued during the Goryeo, the next ruling state of Korea.
[10][11] Dallyeong, a style of clothing from nomadic cultures of Western Asia, was introduced via the silk road and was adopted as the official robe system, Gwanbok, in the 4th century until the 17th century.
[46]
Beginning in the late 19th century, use of hanbok was largely replaced by new Western imports such as the Western
suit and dress. Today, formal and casual wears are usually based on Western styles. However, Hanbok is still used for traditional purposes and reserved for auspicious occasions such as weddings, the Lunar New Year, annual ancestral rites, the birth of a child, etc.
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