Baeja (; ) is a type of traditional Korean vest which is worn over the
jeogori
(; ) is a basic upper garment of the , a traditional Korean garment, which has been worn by both men and women. Men usually wear the with a '' baji'' or pants while women wear the with '' chima'', or skirts. It covers the arms and upper part of ...
by both men and women. It is generally sleeveless; however some baeja may have short sleeves.
It was worn during the
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
period and continues to be worn in present days.
During the Joseon period, some forms of baeja (such as the ones used in the
jeokui) were also introduced from China's
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
as bestowed clothing to the royal family.
Construction and design
Baeja came be square collared or round collared and has a frontal closure, called habim, instead of having a overlapping closure. It also has a detachable collar band called ''dongjeong''. It is closed with a round or knotted button at the bottom of the collar band. The front and back shoulders are sewn together; however the sides are completely open or there is a long side-slit below the armpit. During the mid-Joseon, baeja with short sleeves were worn but were eventually replaced by the sleeveless style in the late 18th century.
Usage
Baeja was used in winter by both men and women to stay warm; baeja made of thinner fabric were also used in spring and fall by women. In the late Joseon, the baeja was generally considered as a form of overgarment.
In the Pyongyang region, a fur lined baeja called ''teoldeunggeori'' or ''teolbaeja'', widely worn by women in winter after the 1945's liberation from Japan; and it continues to be worn in present day.
Similar-looking items
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Banbi
(), also known as () and sometimes referred as () or half-beizi (i.e. short-sleeved beizi) before the term beizi eventually came to refer to a long-sleeved beizi in the Song dynasty, and referred as in the Yuan dynasty, is an upper garment ite ...
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Bijia
Bijia () is a long, sleeveless jacket of Mongol origins which has opened side slits. The bijia started to be worn in the Yuan dynasty when it was designed by Empress Chabi. The ''bijia'' eventually became one of the most typical form of women's ...
See also
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Hanbok
The (; term used in South Korean standard language, South Korea), also called ()
n North Korean standard language, North Korea and China, is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term which is used to refer to traditional ethnic Koreans, Korean ...
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Jeogori
(; ) is a basic upper garment of the , a traditional Korean garment, which has been worn by both men and women. Men usually wear the with a '' baji'' or pants while women wear the with '' chima'', or skirts. It covers the arms and upper part of ...
References
External links
Korean clothing
{{fashion-stub