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 Wherever
you may travel to, you will notice that every culture has their own
traditional costume. These traditional costumes can be summed up as
an indicator of their national character and values. In South Korea,
their traditional clothing is called “hanbok”, which is an
abbrevuation of Han-guk boksik (Korean attire).
The change in its design throughout the ages is parallel to the
nation's cultural development. The forms, materials and designs in
hanbok represent the Korean lifestyle, while the colours indicate
the values of the Korean people. In its own way, the hanbok can be
summarised as a historical lesson for the enthusiast.
Hanbok has undergone many changes but still maintains the same
elements of pants, outer coat, skirt, and so on. During its
development, the hanbok acquired some elements from neighbouring
nations, while changing to suit the particular needs of the times.
The design of the hanbok can be classified as the Caftan type; a
style of attire commonly seen in Northeast Asia and Central Asia.
The outer top garment is loose-fitting and opens in the front. Its
single-piece coat mirrors other Asian designs. The design is
characterised by a two-piece outfit without pockets and buttons that
are closed with strings, belts or cords. In traditional ondol
houses, people sit on the warm floor, thus the legs of the lower
garment tend to be baggy.
Hanbok colors are based on natural hues which are interpreted
according to East Asian theories of eum-yang (yin-yang) and the five
elements. The female aspect is represented by yin and likewise, the
lower garment is given a yin color. Yang represents the male aspect
as well as upper and outer garments.
As mentioned, colours on the garments
are used symbolically. There are five main colours, white, red,
indigo, black and yellow. Each represents modesty, good fortune,
constancy, creativity and order, respectively. These five colours
are the main properties, established as symbols of the four
directions and the centre of the universe. There are also the
neutral colours which symbolise implicit virtues and usually used
for embroidery on garments worn below the waist.
 At
present, the Korean attire can be divided into Western-style dress,
which has become the common form of attire throughout the world, and
various forms of traditional dress. The hanbok presently can be
classified, according to use, as everyday attire, ritual attire and
special attire. Unlike most of the world's peoples, Koreans have
managed to preserve the basic design of their traditional attire up
through the modern period. Their ability to do so can be attributed
to their strong sense of national identity.
With a modernisation of countries all
over the world, it is expected that most traditions are lost through
increased globalisation. Westernisation is partly to blame, but it
all boils down to the individual. But the government such as in
Korea can be an example for other countries to retain their identity
while also moving forward in the world. As you may well know, a
country with their traditions intact makes for a more pleasurable
visit, such as demonstrated by Korea and its traditional clothes.
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