Hanbok, the traditional Korean dress

The hanbok is a traditional Korean dress with ancient roots. The style belongs to the Joseon Dynasty era, in the late 1300s, but some researchers argue that it is of Mongolian or Siberian origin.

Having falle

in into disuse in the 1960s, the hanbok is now used as a formal dress or during particularly formal occasions. Let's find out what it is.

How hanbok is made

There are two versions of hanbok: a male and a female.

The female version is mainly composed of two parts: a wide skirt that reaches up to the foot tied below the breast by a band, and a short jacket. Both parts are embroidered and are of different colors. Usually, the models used by the nobles were in silk or cotton, while the poorest used hemp fabrics. Together with the hanbok, decorative accessories were often used, such as clips called bingo, traditional long hairpins used to pin the chignon, and cheopji , or decorations for the front part of the hairstyle.

The male version is instead made up jacket and pants (baji), all usually it covered by a long coat called durumagi . In addition, a black hat in bamboo or horsehair called gat is added to complete the outfit.

The colors of the hanbok also symbolized the social position and marital status of the wearer: the brighter colors for example were usually used by young people, while middle-aged men and women mainly used more muted shades.

The hanbok today

After the use of the traditional dress was replaced by Western-influenced clothing, the hanbok did not disappear, however. It is in fact used for special occasions and ceremonies such as weddings (if you choose to celebrate it in a traditional style), Lunar New Year (Seollal ), ancestral rites such as the famous Chuseok, the Korean thanksgiving during which some commemorative rites are held of the dead) and a child's first birthday, called doujinshi or, more simply, dol.

Even today, the shops specializing in the sale of hanbok are numerous and a single item can even cost millions of won. The most renowned shops of this traditional dress are located in Seoul in the areas of Apgujeong, Sinsa, and Cheongdam.

Where you can wear it

If you are in Korea, you absolutely cannot miss the experience of trying hanbok. In fact, it is possible to rent one for a few hours at a moderate cost (about 10,000 won for the cheapest ones) and wander around the buildings wearing the traditional Korean dress. There are also places where you can try hanbok for free and take photos. These include K-Style Hub and Seoul Global Cultural Center.

The K-Style Hub is a tourist information center where there are also small exhibitions as well as some areas to try local experiences. Among these experiences, it is possible to try the traditional dress or try your hand at cooking some typical Korean dish.

Also at the Seoul Global Cultural Center, located in Myeong-dong, one of the main shopping areas of the city, you can get tourist information and try the hanbok. In addition, crafts, dance, and cooking activities are often offered.

In our opinion, the best hanbok experience you can have is at Gyeongbokgung, Seoul's main royal palace. The surrounding area is teeming with shops that rent clothes for a few hours. You will then be able to walk around the palace in traditional dress and immerse yourself completely in the past. Not only will your cultural experience be enhanced by wearing the hanbok, but in this way, you will also be able to enjoy free admission.

In the surroundings of the palace is also the Bukchon Hanok Village. It is a small area where the houses have not changed from the past, but have remained traditional in style. Many are therefore the tourists who wander around those streets wearing the hanbok, so as to feel transported to the Korea of ​​the past.