Clothing

In all cultures, national costume is an indicator of national character and values. The clothes that Koreans have worn over the millennia vividly reflect the values and social structure of the people who made and wore them. The hanbok, the traditional costume worn by Koreans of all ages, reflects the culture and climate of the Korean peninsula.The hanbok is characterized by simple lines and no pockets.

The women's hanbok comprises a wrap-around skirt and a bolero-like jacket. It is often called ch'ima-chogori, ch'ima being the Korean word for skirt and chogori the word for jacket. The men's hanbok consists of a short jacket and pants, called paji, that are roomy and bound at the ankles. Both ensembles may be topped by a long coat of a similar cut called turumagi.

The traditional-style hanbok of today began from the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D. 668). This is clearly evident in the paintings that adorn the walls of fourth to sixth century Koguryo tombs.

The murals feature men and women dressed in long, narrow-sleeved jackets with the left side lapped over the right, trousers and boot-like footwear. Such garments were probably inspired by the harsh northern climate and terrain and a nomadic lifestyle centered on horse riding. Also, owing to geopolitical factors, it is likely that they were influenced by Chinese styles of dress. Paekche and Shilla had similar costumes. Silk mandarin robes introduced from neighboring Tang China were adopted for wear by royalty and officials in 648 by Shilla, the kingdom that eventually unified the peninsula in 668.

In 935, Shilla was replaced by a new dynasty called Koryo, from which the name "Korea" is derived. During the Koryo Dynasty, the chima was shortened and it was hiked up above the waist and tied at the chest with a long, wide ribbon, which has remained the fashion ever since. The chogori was also shortened and its sleeves were curved slightly.

Hwalot, the ceremonial dress for the woman of palace, were luxuriously decorated with embroidered flowers and symbols of luck and longevity	The embroidery on the king's state ceremonial dress symbolizes his high social status and authority.

In 1392, the Choson Dynasty replaced Koryo. The early Choson Dynasty kings made Neo-Confucianism the ruling ideology and, with its emphasis on formality and etiquette, dictated the style of dress for the royal family and all the members of the court as well as for 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. 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 of closely woven ramie cloth or other high-grade, light-weight materials in warm weather.
	Jobok, official court attire

Men's hanbok changed very little but women's underwent many changes over the centuries. In the 15th century, women began to wear full, pleated skirts that completely concealed the lines of the body and long chogori. With time, however, the chogori was gradually shortened until it just covered the breasts, making it necessary to reduce the fullness of the ch'ima so that it could be extended almost to the armpits and this remains the fashion today.

Most chogori have a snap or small tie ribbons on the inside to hold it closed. The long ribbons of the jacket are tied to form the otkorum, a bow that is different from the butterfly-like bow of the West. The otkorum is very important for it is one of three things by which the beauty and quality of a hanbok is judged. The other two are the curve of the sleeves and the way the kit, a band of fabric that trims the collar and front of the chogori, is terminated. The ends of the kit are generally squared off. A removable white collar called tongjong is basted over the kit. As the hanbok have no pockets, women and men both carried all types of purses, or chumoni. These were basically of two major types: a round one and a pleated, somewhat triangular one, both closed with a drawstring. These were embellished with elaborate knots and tassels that varied according to the status and gender of the bearer.