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 the wearer's body.

Etymology

The has been worn since ancient times and went by a variety of names such as (), (), and () in the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC – 668 AD).

Although it is unknown when the term began to be used to refer to the garment, it is assumed to have appeared in the late Goryeo period around King Chungnyeol's reign. The first historical document to mention the ' is in the () of Queen Wongyeong, which was a funeral ceremony for carrying the coffin out of the palace. The document written in 1420 during the second reign of Sejong the Great records () and (). However, it is not clear whether the record is a hanja (Chinese character) transliteration of a Korean word or Mongolian influence. Before the Goryeo period, such an upper garment was referred to as (; ) in Silla. As the was a transliteration of the Silla language, dialect forms such as and still remain to present.

Composition

Traditionally, a is made out of leather, woolen fabrics, silk, hemp or ramie. Modern Korean designers sometimes use other materials such as lace. There are several types of ' according to fabric, sewing technique, and shape.

The basic form of a consists of (), ''(')'', ''(')'', () and sleeves : the is the large section of the garment in both front and back side and ' is a band of fabric that trims the collar. The is a removable white collar placed over the end of the ''git'' and is generally squared off. The are coat strings attached to the breast part to tie the '. Women's may have (), a different coloured cuff placed on the end of the sleeves. The form of ' has been changed as time goes by.

History

Previously in Korea, were worn over bottom garments. The earliest known depictions of the are on Goguryeo murals.

The original silhouette for Hanbok shared similarities with the clothing of the ancient nomadic people of Eurasia due to the cultural exchanges that ancient Koreans had with the Scythians. The ancient had an open form, a collar which crossed to the left (), narrow sleeves, and was hip-length which were similar features found in the Scythian clothing-style. Some ancient also had a front central closure similar to a kaftan; this form of with a central closure is mostly found during the Goguryeo period and was worn by people of lower status. The initially closed with the front, central closure; it then changed to left closure before changing again to right closure (). The change in collars direction from right-to-left (i.e. left closure) to left-over-right (i.e. right closure), along with the use of wide sleeves, which are found in many jackets and coats were due ancient Chinese influences; these Chinese influences on the are reflected and depicted in Goguryeo paintings. The closure of the on the right side is an imitation of the Chinese jackets. The closure to the right became an accepted standard since the sixth century AD.

The of the Ruling class of Silla was influenced from Chinese fashions of Tang influence in the Silla Dynasty by Kim Chun-Chu (648CE). But the most commoners wore only a style of indigenous distinct from that of the Ruling class of Silla.

During the Goryeo Period (918–1392), became shorter, with slimmer sleeves.

Joseon

In the Joseon Period, lengths and style fluctuated depending on current fashion and social standing.

In the 16th century, women's were long, wide, and covered the waist. The length of women's gradually shortened. A () or () was worn to cover the chest. This was to fit in style with a large wig and skirt.

Modern styles

In contemporary Korea, the sumptuary laws within different social classes were lifted and colours, decorations, and fabrics that were exclusive to the upper classes were open to all classes. This allowed for the growth of diverse traditional design elements in styles. However, in the 20th and 21st centuries, the traditional Korean clothing has not been worn every day by most people. The became more reserved for special events, such as ceremonial or bridal wear, which carries onto current time. During their own engagement celebrations, women may wear pink . After they are married, women may wear indigo . Additionally, modern silhouettes are commonly slimmer and more simplified then historical styles.''Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion.'' Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 1. Detroit, MI:Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. p82-85. Web.

Gallery

File:Hanbok-female clothing-01.jpg, ''Jeogori'' for women
File:Girl's Blouse, Korea, mid-20th century, Honolulu Museum of Art, 13783.1a.jpg
File:Korea-Seoul-Insadong-Festival parade in 2006-01.jpg
File:Korea-History-1910-1920-Korean.mother.child-Carpenter.Collection.jpg
File:Korean.music-Pansori-01.jpg

See also

*Chima jeogori
*Dangui
* Dopo
*Durumagi
*Hanbok
*Jeonbok
* Po
*Sagyusam

References

*

External links

{{Commons category

Korean clothing
Tops (clothing)