Hanbok clothes leading fashion trends for generations

Clothing by nature is an extension of our self-images. It helps to define who we are.

Five colors of nature; blue, white, red, black, and yellow, are found in traditional Korean Hanbok and wedding garments.

For children, the colors in their clothes bring balance with nature. Blue for Spring, white for Autumn, red for Summer, black for Winter, and various shades of yellow representing the land.

By definition, life's necessities - clothing, food and shelter - are the cultural components that uniquely define who Koreans are.

Clothing allows us to conform to our societies’ standards while also offering opportunities to elevate our appearances.

Hanbok wearing Koreans definitely have been notable dressers even way back in history.

“In ancient history books, Koreans were said to have clean clothes, to wear silk clothes, and to revere white clothes.The Goguryeo murals and the drawings of the Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla envoys visiting the southern Yang dynasty in the 6th century in China, they definitely look sophisticated compared to diplomats from many other kingdoms,” according to Yi Ki-hoon, who studied the Chinese-Korean historical relationship as part of his graduate studies at the Beijing Language and Culture University in China.

Hanbok clothes have improved functions and developed into various looks throughout history. They derive from an ancient Korean garment design prototype, with the left flap of the upper garment always going over the right side of the flap. This feature has remained until today’s Hanbok.

For most Koreans, today’s Hanbok is worn on special occasions such as weddings, traditional holidays, and memorial anniversaries for ancestors.

Specialists and performers in traditional Korean art, music and orchestra wear Hanbok regularly today.

“Until about 10 years ago, Gisaeng, who wore Hanbok daily, were my primary customers.” recalls Kim Young-hee, 72, a Hanbokmaker who primarily makes Hanbok for the National Folk Music Center members. Kim has worked on Korean garments for 43 years.

Gisaeng were women who were trained to provide artistic entertainment, serve meals and converse with men at upscale restaurants.

“The Hanbok had several fashion changes for the Gisaeng market; the length of the Jeogori, the upper garment, constantly changed depending on what the trend was. Women no longer wear sok-jeogori, the upper undergarment.” Said Kim.

Gojangyi, the underpants, are forever gone in favor of the modern panties. “My mother Who was born in 1912, and had me when she was 38, used to wear Gojangyi, which was designed to let you go to the bathroom without pulling down your pants. It was designed with a split that opens up when you squat down,” said Kim.

Loosely worn Gojangyi made with hand-woven Korean moshi fabric, a ramie fiber linen, in modern standards, would be considered an ultimate natural clothing which provides ventilation and comfort.

During the Joseon period, the royal palace was the epitome of Korean fashion. Some 3000 people lived and worked in Joseon King's palace. What people wore defined their roles and identities. What you wore made you who you were.

A department called Sang-ui-won made all Hanbok garments for everyone who lived in the palace.

A Joseon Dynasty's burial chamber made with calcium carbonate, which is stronger than cement when hardened, preserved a large number of Hanbok garments from decaying.

A 16th century skirt from graves of two wives belonging to a Yangban family, located during construction in Osan, Gyeonggi province in May 2010, looks remarkably fashionable even today.

Several sets of garments were buried with the deceased wives next to their husband, for their journey to the next world. These survived centuries underground along with mummified remains of the two women. It was not uncommon for an elite Yangban man to have multiple wifes during the Joseon Dynasty.

Joseon Dynasty's upper class and royal burial chambers evolved into impenetrable burial vaults, a skill learned from historical desecrations and looting of ancestors' graves when earlier kingdoms fell.

Korean fashion trends in East Asia are nothing new.

"Before the Covid19 pandemic, Seoul's Dongdaemun clothing market was overflowing with Chinese merchants who fed China's online outlets, and on Chinese social media, you can see a lot of interest in young Koreans' fashion trends," said Yi, who is currently teaching Mandarin at the Myung-Duk Foreign Language High School in Seoul.

The decline of Hanbok wearing started with the introduction of western garments in the late 19th century when the Emperor Gohong ordered his ministers to wear western suits when entering the royal palace

During the Japanese colonial period, the colonial government had policies to discourage Koreans from wearing Hanbok with government directives no less than five times until the end of World War II in 1945.

Hanbok designer Lee Rhee Za (1935~2020) brought a significant impact to the Hanbok trend in the 20th century.

Modern Korea's first first-lady Francesca Donner Rhee had her Hanbok made by Lee Rhee Za. The first-lady Rhee was buried in the purple Hanbok which Lee made for her.

Lee introduced marketable Hanbok designs which have won many awards and set Hanbok standards and social trends for today's Hanbok. Hanbok is usually only worn on special occasions such as weddings.

The beauty of Hanbok is that it is so versatile. "You can custom make it to your likings. The Jeogori lengths can vary depending on preferences. The sleeve ends can have whatever color finish either matching or mismatching," said Kim the Hanbokmaker.

During the Goryeo Empire, sophisticated Goryeo fashion and food trends, called Goryeoyang, dominated Yuan Chinese Dynasty capital as the current Korean-style fashion trends are leading the Chinese fashion trend today," said Yi who researched Ancient Chinese-foreign cultural exchange in Beijing.

While Hanbok is no longer worn as everyday style, Seoul's royal palaces waive entrance fees for any visitors wearing a full set of Hanbok, which is quite popular among the younger generation who don rental Hanbok and get their pictures taken at Seoul's royal palaces.

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