Korea

daenggi avaMany folk cultures around the planet have some traditional ways of showing the marital status of a man or a woman. In the past, people not always wore wedding rings and it was sometimes hard to understand if a person you liked from first sight was available. Korean females used a red ribbon tied to a long braid of hair to indicate that they were single and ready to get married.

Blackpink avaAny traditional attire can be re-designed and stylized to look super-modern and super-trendy. Skilled fashion designers make wonders using folk motifs, just like Korean designer Hong Ki-Young, who created the stage costumes for Blackpink official video “How You Like That”. She took Korean national apparel hanbok and re-designed it to look more contemporary, youthful, and alluring. Some people would even call it provocative and criticize such a great altering of the traditional costume. But nevertheless, the outfits of Blackpink girls in “How You Like That” look striking.

Korean modern hanbokModern Korean hanbok is very fashionable attire. It is one of the rare traditional outfits that change constantly and is modernized like no other. Most national costumes remain practically the same since the late 19th – early 20th century, but not the Korean hanbok. It even adopted a row of features and innovations from Western-style clothing throughout the last century. For example, originally, Korean folk clothes didn’t have pockets, buttons, or zippers, but today, most modern folk garments are equipped with them. All this makes Korean national attire unique and worth studying because the history of a hanbok teaches us how to modernize the traditional clothes to suit our today’s needs.

Infographic avaA lot of people around the world consider Korean traditional costume called “hanbok” to be very elegant and good-looking. Its design is unique and never gets old-fashioned. But what do we really know about the national attire of Korea? Here are some infographics to help you learn a little more about these beautiful outfits and their history. How old is hanbok? What was the difference between high-class and low-class hanbok designs? Was women’s hanbok really invented for comfortable breastfeeding? Is a modern hanbok much different from an authentic one?

Korean hanbok avaA lot of countries and ethnic groups around the world work hard to preserve their clothing traditions. In the latest years, it has become fashionable to make modern replicas of authentic garments, very close to the original look. But Koreans chose another path – they modify their traditions to the modern fashion, add contemporary accents and features to the authentic garments. So, Korean folk dress didn’t freeze in time but continued to develop and change year after year. It helped Korean national costume to remain in use, while many other ethnic garments are left only in museum collections.

Umbrella avaKorean folk fashion has one particular accessory that can easily catch your attention. It is a delicate women’s parasol made from bamboo and paper. Who would have believed that a paper umbrella can protect you from the rain?! But Koreans learned how to make these umbrellas functional and pretty at the same time. These so-called “jiusan” parasols even turned into status and ceremonial accessories, beautiful in their sophistication.

Hanji avaThe hanji paper is a very common material in Korean traditional clothing culture. They make a lot of things out of it – clothes, shoes, handbags, parasols, jewelry, toys, hand fans, décor and household items, etc. This material is natural, easy to work with, and rather durable (at least for paper). It even has some water-resistant properties. Korean folk outfits and accessories made from hanji look exotic and cute. Besides, it’s hard to tell that they consist of paper.

hanbok avaIt is said that the national costume of Korea – the hanbok – appeared during the famous Three Kingdoms period. But, of course, every dynasty had their own fashion trends, tastes, and clothing traditions. So the hanbok was changing profoundly during the last 2,000 years. Let’s find out what changes did it undergo and what fashion tendencies were there during the Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla Kingdoms of Korea.

hanbok avaKorean traditional attire, the hanbok, have been used in Korea for about 2,000 years. It has changed, of course, during these centuries. But even today, the hanbok looks gorgeous and delicate. All those years ago, this costume was just a day-to-day outfit for local tribes. Several years ago, a hanbok became the latest fad in the world’s fashion industry – many designers still try to use the airiness and sophistication of hanbok’s shapes in their modern creations.

Korean embroidery avaThe traditional Korean embroidery is extraordinary. Let’s look at these beautiful patterns and designs with Korean Master Embroider Lee Jung-sook. She is a well-known craftswoman, who organizes exhibitions of her works in Korea and abroad. And she made it her global goal to preserve and multiply Korean cultural heritage. This woman can be an example for everybody how to love the culture and tradition of your country and how to popularize folk crafts in the modern world.

binyeo avaIntricate Korean folk hair accessories catch your eye at once. The most beautiful and delicate of them were used by the royalty and wealthy noblewomen from Korean royal court. And what’s interesting and exciting about them is that each of Korean traditional hair accessories had a special meaning – they weren’t just pretty baubles. But you should see them for yourself to understand the real value and beauty of those accessories.

Korean hanbok avaKorean traditional costume called “hanbok” is pretty simple to put on. But some people face difficulties regarding the bow in the front of the garment. And sure, native Koreans know some tips that help them look perfect in hanbok. We would really like to share this knowledge with you. Also, you’ll see what to wear with hanbok in winter to feel warm and cozy.

A ZTraditional pieces of the male and female national costumes in Korea: ayam, ayngsam, baji, beoseon, binyeo, bokgeon, cheupji, cheolick, chima, chima jeogori, danghye, dangui, dansokgot, darisokgot, deot jeogori, dongjeong, durumagi, gache, gat, gil, git, gojengi, gongbok, goreum, gulle, gun, gunbok, gwanbok, hanbok, heoritti, hogeon, hwal-ot, hwangpo, jebok, jeogori, jeokui, jeonbok, jobok, jokduri, jokki, joseon-oth, juchaui, jumagui, jungchimak, juui, kkachi durumagi, kunghye, magoja, magwae, myeonbok, norigae, obangjang durumagi, onhye, po, ramie, sang, sangbok, sangtu, seolbim, sokchima, soksokgot, sonjjang, wonsam, and yungbok.

ramie avaTraditional Korean summer clothing is often made from ramie cloth. It is similar to linen by its qualities and fits perfectly in warm and humid climates. Many Asian countries (Japan, China, Indonesia, India, Korea, etc.) used ramie for centuries to make ordinary and luxury outfits. But the craft of producing this “live textile” requires large amounts of time and hard labor. You should definitely see for yourself.

Korean dress avaLearn how to wear the Korean female winter clothing step by step. The outfit includes underwear, the main garment, outerwear, and accessories. You’ll find here all the tricks you need to know. How to look striking in Korean folk dress? Easy, just follow the instructions below.