The Korean Hanbok is as formal as you make it! The traditional form of dress can be seen at formal events such as weddings and ancestral rites, but also used for every-day activities such as meeting friends or going to a festival.
A woman’s hanbok components are the jeogori; a form of blouse shirt or a jacket, and the chima; the typical wrap-around skirt. For men, the chima is replaced with baggy baji trousers. Although these combinations date back as early as the fifteenth century, the styles of the clothes had changed considerably since then. For example, the chima has seen a variety of levels of fullness; in the eighteenth century, it was at its peak, with the flowing fabric starting above the waist.
The traditional use of colours has also changed since the Hanbok’s inception; while the use of colours historically depicted a variety of different social classes, these days, people are encouraged to select a style they like the look of; tourists visiting the royal palaces in Seoul are able to gain entry for free if they wear a Hanbok! While you might not be able to dress up in a Hanbok at the moment, you can design yourself one. Print off the image below, or copy and paste it into a piece of editing software and enjoy creating your own custom Korean clothing. Bonus points for those who add a background!
