Hanbok (Traditional Clothing)

Traditional Korean clothing has its roots extending back at least as far as the Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C. – 668 A.D.), as evidenced by wall paintings in tombs dating from this period. The Korean hanbok represents one of the most visable aspects of Korean culture. Because of this you will also see it in 9dragons in many forms.

More than three decades ago, hanbok, a traditional form of Korean clothing, was very much a part of every Korean’s wardrobe. Like all clothing, hanbok also changed over the years with fluctuating fashion trends. Hanbok designs underwent many changes throughout Korea’s turbulent history. The hanbok we wear today are reminiscent of the late Joseon Dynasty (early 20th century).

In traditional hanbok design, curved features are important. As they are not meant to be tight fitting, the inherent beauty of hanbok is apparent in its elegance and style created by the abundance of material. The curves and vibrant colours of hanbok have had a significant impact on the Korean fashion industry. By combining traditional dress with modern fashion, a series of fusion hanbok designs were introduced. Designs and patterns of hanbok have even been applied to architecture.

The top part called a jeogori is blouse-like with long sleeves with the men’s version being longer, stretching down to the waist. Women wear skirts (chima) while men wear baggy pants (paji). Commoners wore white, except during festivals and special occassions such as weddings. Clothes for the upper classes were made of bright colors and indicated the wearer’s social status. Various accessories such as foot gear, jewelry, and headdresses or hair pins completed the outfit.Many players  in game have no idea what these clothes are and I usually hear statements like : ‘OMG, is so ugly’, ‘They look gay’, ‘Indy21 has no fashion sense’, ‘ Another stupid outfit” and so on… In reality, if you look at history, you will understand why they look like this in game. And is true, many players don’t read books…, so what to do ?   Anyway, let’s take a look at them :

Samo – A hat worn together with dalleyong (a robe) by officials as everyday clothes.

Gat – A type of hat worn by men in the Joseon Dynasty. It was worn with po (a gown) by officials outside their homes.

[Nambawi] – A winter cap worn by both men and women to cover the forehead, upper neck, and ears. Also called pungdaengi.

[Bokgeon] – A type of hat worn by men in the Joseon Dynasty. It was worn with po by officials outside their homes.

[Hogeon] – Headgear worn by boys in the late Joseon Dynasty and the period of modernization. It is similar to bokgeon, but the crown of the head is open and patterns of ears, eyes, and beards are embroidered to show a tiger design. It was usually worn withobangjang durumagi, jeonbok, or sagyusam.

Jokduri – A type of crown worn by women to complete a ceremonial dress. It was usually worn together with wonsam (a bride’s long overcoat). Hard paper and cotton filling are covered with silk, and a cloisonne ornament is placed on the top.

[Hwagwan] – A crown worn by women to complete a ceremonial dress. Adorned with butterfly ornaments, five-colored beads, and gold thread, it is more lavish than jokduri and was mostly worn with hwarot or dangui .

[Jobawi] – A winter cap for women. It is open on the top, and its sides are rounded to fully cover the ears. It was generally made in black silk with tassels hanging on the front and back. Gems sometimes decorate the tassels. Gold gilt or beads were also used for decoration

[Gulle] – Decorative headgear to keep children warm. Mostly worn by both boys and girls aged one year to five years old. For winter use, it was made of black silk. For use in spring/fall, five-colored thin silk was used. Doturak daenggi (a hair ribbon) hangs on the back.

[Ayam] – A winter cap mostly worn by women. It does not cover the ears, and some are lined with fur. A long daenggi hangs on the back, which is called ayamdeurim , and is sometimes decorated with jade or amber

[Dwikkoji] – An accessory pinned on knotted hair by women in the Joseon Dynasty. It also had a practical use as it was used as an earpick and a stick to part hair

[Binyeo] – A rod-like hairpin used to fasten a crown or a wig and hold braided hair up. In addition to the practical use, binyeo had a decorative purpose and indicated the status of the wearer. They were referred to as yongjam, bongjam, jukjam, mokryeokjam, maejukjam , or jukjeoljam depending on the decoration on the top of binyeo . The materials, shapes, sizes, and patterns of binyeo vary greatly.

[Cheopji] – An ornament placed on the top of knotted hair when women wore ceremonial dresses. It was often made with silver in the shape of a frog. Long tails were attached on both sides and knotted together with the hair. Royal court ladies used it everyday, but commoners wore it only with ceremonial dress. It also functioned as a fastening for jokduri or hwagwan

[Daenggi] – A ribbon used to tie and decorate long hair. There are a great variety, including jebiburi daenggi, apdaenggi, doturak daenggi and goidaenggi .

[Norigae] -One of the major accessories for women. The norigae pendant was widely used by royal court ladies as well as commoners. It is tied to the outer goreum (a coat string) or the waist of a skirt and gives a luxurious look to the entire outfit. The two major types of pendants are samjak norigae (a pendant with three ornaments) and danjak norigae (a pendant with one ornament).Samjak norigae is again divided into daesamjak and sosamjak . There are many types of norigae , including jangdo, su, hyangnang, horibyeong, samcheonju, baneuljip, and soknorigae.