Traditional clothing

Traditional clothing

The women's hanbok is comprised of a wrap-around skirt and a jacket. It is often called chima-jeogori, 'chima' being the Korean word for skirt and 'jeogori' the word for jacket. The men's hanbok consists of a short jacket and pants, called 'baji', that are roomy and bound at the ankles. Both ensembles may be topped by a long coat of a similar cut called 'durumagi'.

The Hanbok, worn today are patterned after those worn during the Confucian-oriented Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The Yangban, a hereditary aristocratic class based on scholarship and official position rather than on wealth, wore brightly colored hanbok of plain and patterned silk in cold weather and closely woven ramie cloth or other high-grade, light weight materials in warm weather. Commoners, on the other hand, were restricted by law as well as finances to bleach hemp and cotton, and could only wear white, pale pink, light green, gray or charcoal colors.

Royal Clothes

The early Joseon Dynasty kings made neo-Confucianism the ruling ideology. Its emphasis on formality and etiquette dictated the style of dress for the royal family, aristocrats, and commoners for all types of occasions including weddings, and funerals. Integrity in men and chastity in women became the foremost social values and was reflected in the way people dressed.

The Beauty of the Hanbok

The beauty of hankbok lies in the harmony of its colors and its bold, simple lines.
Most 'jeogori' have snap tie ribbons on the inside to hold them closed. The long ribbons of the jacket are tied to form the otgoreum. The 'otgoreum' is very important because it is one of three things by which the beauty and quality of the hanbok is judged. The other two are the curve of the sleeves, 'baerae' and the way the 'git', a band of fabric that trims the collar and front of the jeogori, is snaped. The ends of the git are generally squared off and a removable white collar called the dongjeong is placed over the git.

The regular pleats of the 'chima' stretch downward from the high waist and increase in width as they reach the lower end of the traditional skirt, creating a sense of gracefulness.

Kinds of Hanbok
The various kinds of the hanbok are classified according to the social status, class, gender, and age of those who wear them. Today, the hanbok is worn mostly on special occasions, and is divided into categories based on its function. These include, but are not limited to, weddings, 61st birthdays, first birthdays and holidays.


Myeongeol Hanbok
Koreans traditionally show their respect to their parents early in the morning on the first day of the New Year by bowing deeply. Customarily, both parents and children wore hanbok. Children's hanbok usually consists of a rainbow-striped jeogori (jacket) and either a chima (girls' skirt) or a baji (boys' pants).


Dol Hanbok
The first birthday of a child, the dol, is traditionally celebrated with wishes for longevity and health. Children wear the dol-hanbok or dol-ot on this special day.
A boy usually wears a pinkish jeogori (jacket) with a long blue goreum (cloth strings). Girls usually wear a rainbow-striped jeogori for special occasions. Currently, the trend is for girls to war a dangui, a kind of ceremonial coat.



Hoegabyeon Hanbok
Hoegabyeon is when children throw a party to celebrate the 61st birthday of either parent and wish for their longevity. Men who turn 61 wear a geumgwanjobok, while women wear a dangui, a kind of ceremonial dress for special occasions.


Hollyebok (Wedding Hanbok)
Unlike hanboks for daily use, hanboks worn as a traditional wedding costume is marked by its bright appearance. The bridegroom wears the baji (pants), the jeogori (a jacket), the joggi (a vest), the magoja (an overcoat), and the durumagi (an overall coat). The bride wears a green chima (a skirt), a yellow jeogori (a short jacket), and a wonsam (a bride's long overcoat). Her hair is prepared using a jokduri (a special head ornament).

Saenghwal Hanbok
The use of rational hanboks follows complex rules, and requires meticulous attention. Because of this, a simplified version of the hanbok has been introduced for daily use which incorporates simplicity and convenience. An increasing number of people want to express their individuality by wearing something that combines traditional beauty and modern simplicity. The modern version comes in a wide variety of styles and fabrics.