What is the Korean Hanbok?
Korean culture is rich in traditions and customs that span back through history. The hanbok is traditional attire and the national dress of Korean culture that has been a staple of Korean fashion worn for centuries. The word hanbok translates to "Korean clothing," but it is now generally used to describe traditional clothing of Korea. What is the hanbok, and how did it become an important part of Korean culture?
What is a Korean Hanbok?
Korean Hanbok is graceful, colorful, formal attire once worn as a part of everyday life. Today, the hanbok is a ceremonial dress worn on special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, holidays, and any special event. The earliest hanbok has been traced back to the Three Kingdoms Period, around 57 BCE. The origin can be traced back to what was once the kingdom Goguryeo which made up much of Manchuria and North Korea.
The hanbok was created to improve and facilitate the ease of movement with two separate parts, a jeogori (jacket) and chima (skirt) for women and a jeogori and baji (trousers) for men. The top of the hanbok accentuates the shape of the upper body, while the wide flexible bottom enhances the wearer's gracefulness by hiding the movements of the lower body to illustrate the elegance of traditional Korean aesthetics.
The Hanbok and Social Classes
During the Joseon dynasty, the hanbok became important in determining classes. A significant feature of the traditional hanbok is the use of bright and vivid colors and material types to help define social statuses through colors, materials, and characteristics of the design. For example, a farmer could only wear cotton hanboks and was restricted from wearing colors. In contrast, the upper class could wear high-grade materials such as silk. Bright colors were allowed in the upper classes, but they were primarily worn by children.
The chima or the skirt was what was used to show the wearer's social status and statement. One great example is a woman wearing a navy chima would indicate to people that she had a son. Another example of social status is that only royalty could wear any clothing with gold leaf on the chima.
Patterns were integrated into the hanbok and were used to represent the wishes of the wearer. There were several symbols used in hanbok designs. Lotus flowers were a symbol of the hope of nobility. Cranes, dragons, and phoenixes were only used in designs for high-ranking officials or royalty.
The Modern Hanbok
Overtime the fundamental design of the hanbok has remained the same, but as cultural changes were introduced, the overall colors, patterns, and materials of the hanbok evolved. Designers will still integrate patterns and structures used in traditional hanbok designs, but there are endless possibilities and customizations that Korean people often choose for their formal hanbok.
Today, the hanbok is only worn as formal or ceremonial attire during Korean special occasions. It is no longer used as a way to determine social status as it was before. The hanbok remains a beautiful part of Korean culture and heritage today and is the perfect attire for any special occasion.