Assignment 3: Fashion History (17th Century Joseon Dynasty)

 Assignment 3: Choose an era and research its fashion background and influences. 

Era: Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897)

Portrait of King Taejo, Founder of the Joseon Dynasty

The era chosen is the Joseon (sometimes known as Chosun) Dynasty, the longest and last dynasty in Korea’s history.

The daily clothing typically worn by Koreans historically is known as a Hanbok. To this day, it is still worn as traditional clothing during major holidays, birthdays and weddings.

Example of hanbok worn during Chuseok, Korea's Mid-Autumn festival

A hanbok would typically consist of jeogori (a short jacket) and chima (skirt) for women or baji (pants) for men. Men would also have various outer layers for different circumstances such as baeja and jokki.

Example of parts of women's hanbok (left) and men's hanbok (right) 

This basic shape of the hanbok had existed since the time of the Three Kingdoms, Baekje, Goguryeo and Silla. Goguryeo would later be known as Goryeo, from which the name Korea was derived. 

Examples of hanbok during the Three Kingdoms era

Focus will be placed on women’s clothing during the 17th century period from the more than 500 year long Joseon Era (1392–1897). This is due to the fact that the jeogori and baji worn by men did not change much throughout the Joseon era. 

 Traditionally, the jeogori would be worn over a jeoksam (blouse) and the chima would be worn over sokgot (underclothes).

Jeoksam (left) and sokgot (right) excavated from a Joseon era woman's tomb

During the 16th century, the jeogori was quite long and would reach the waist as well as being of a looser fit. 

Example of 16th century style hanbok

As the century passed, the jeogori worn in the 17th century started becoming more tight-fitting and shorter. The chima also became fuller by adding more layers beneath that gathered at the bottom to produce a more distinctive silhouette.  

Example of 17th century style hanbok

Additional accessories and layers would be added for ceremonies or according to social status. Colours were also typically used to indicate gender, age, marital status, social status and nobility. Commoners would typically wear white, with exceptions being made for special ceremonies. 

Some speculate that the Japanese invasions of Korea during the 16th century and the Manchu invasions during the early 17th century caused the changes to the hanbok as shown above. The need for practicality and ease of movement may have caused the shortening of the jeogori and raising the chima from the waist to the bust. During certain periods of time, the hemline of the chima was also shortened, presumably for ease of movement.

Socially, adjustments would be made to the hanbok according to their social status. Those of higher social standing would have clothes woven from silk while commoners would only have access to cotton, likely the cotton that was weaved by their own hand.

Outside of their own history, the Joseon Dynasty was also influenced by their neighbouring countries.

Korea has long been influenced by China and the Joseon dynasty was no different. King Taejo, who founded the Joseon dynasty after the Goryeo dynasty, was heavily influenced by Confucianism and its ideals. This in turn heavily influenced the culture of that era, including the clothing and arts which emphasised modesty.

After the Japanese and Manchu invasions, the kingdom heavily secluded itself from outside countries. While it healed from the devastation wreaked by the invasions, very little contact was had with neighbouring Japan and China, allowing for Korean culture to develop independent of too much foreign influence.  

The popular silhouette at the time tightened the chima at the waist to create a straight bell shape. 

A trend that was popular at the time was "true view" paintings. When Chinese influence decreased in the 17th century, the art of the era changed along with it. Korean painting began becoming more realistic, known as “true view”, moving away from the idealized painting styles common in China at the time. 

Use fashion terminology to identify details from the era

There are many reasons why it is important for designers to understand history in order to understand the industry development better. The past is always linked to the present and future. Fashion often repeats throughout time. Trends cycle in and out of favour with the public from decade to decade or even from century to century. 

Understanding the history behind fashion is crucial for designers, especially when it comes to trends that have a movement or cause behind them. An example of this would be the punk movement from the 1970s that rejected a conservative idea of society to create a whole new youth counterculture and fashion. When a designer is familiar with fashion history, they can have an easier time predicting and understanding changes in trends. This is important for any designer to keep up with the fast paced developments in the industry at large. 

A deep understanding of fashion history is also necessary to avoid coming off as unprepared and uninspired. There is no such thing as a truly original idea as everything must be inspired by something else. Therefore, to create a truly inspired work, designers must understand the history behind what they are inspired by, especially if it comes from a culture that is not their own. 

17th century hanbok as explained using fashion terminology

Self reflection:

Throughout my research on the Joseon Dynasty, I have learnt a lot about the history and culture of Korea, including and up to the modern day. It made me reflect on how stable and resilient Korea's culture must be to still maintain the basic shape and design of their traditional clothing throughout over 2000 years of history. This is very admirable of them and makes me want to take a look at my own culture's traditional clothing throughout the ages.

In addition, I also truly put those skimming and scanning skills I learnt from English 1 to use as I look for information through websites and scholarly articles. From the large timeline that encompasses the Joseon era, I chose the 17th century because it was a time of change for the society. From the changes happening to the kingdom, we can see how people changed as well.

Reference list:

1450-1750: Korea: The Choson (Yi) Dynasty | Central Themes and Key Points | Asia for Educators | Columbia University. (2019). Columbia.Edu. http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/main_pop/kpct/kp_choson.htm

Eva. (2020). A late 15th -early 16th century hanbok for Valeria. Blogspot.Com. https://evashistoricalcostumes.blogspot.com/p/late-15th-early-16th-century-korean-dres.html

Hee-Sook, H. (2004). Women’s Life during the Chosŏn Dynasty. International Journal of Korean History, 6. https://ijkh.khistory.org/upload/pdf/6_05.pdf

History of Korean hanbok. Evolution of hanbok during the last 2,000 years - Nationalclothing.org. (2018, September 27). Nationalclothing.Org. http://nationalclothing.org/asia/70-korea/361-history-of-korean-hanbok-evolution-of-hanbok-during-the-last-2,000-years.html

History of the Hanbok | 한복의 역사 - Korea Blog - Inspire Me Korea Blog. (2019, January 18). Korea Blog - Inspire Me Korea Blog. https://blog.inspiremekorea.com/history/history-of-the-hanbok/

Importance Of History In Fashion | JD Institute of Fashion Technology. (2020, January 27). JD Institute of Fashion Technology. https://jdinstitute.co/importance-of-history-in-fashion/

Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS. (2011). Joseon : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea. Korea.Net. http://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/History/Joseon

Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS. (2020). Shades of History : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea. Korea.Net. http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=183565

Mimsie Ladner. (2017, January 25). Hanbok: An Introduction to South Korea’s National Dress. Culture Trip; The Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/asia/south-korea/articles/hanbok-an-introduction-to-south-koreas-national-dress/

Neza, M. (2018, July 2). Evolution of South Korean Fashion and Makeup Culture. Asia House. https://asiahousearts.org/evolution-south-korean-fashion-makeup-culture/

The Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) (article) | Khan Academy. (2016). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/korea-japan/joseon-dynasty/a/the-joseon-dynasty-13921910

The Legacy of Joseon Korea (1392-1897): Exploring 500 Years of Art and Culture. (2017). Www.Roots.Sg. https://www.roots.gov.sg/learn/stories/the-legacy-of-joseon-korea/story

The Origins and History of Punk Fashion. (2018). UKEssays.Com. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/the-origins-of-punk-fashion-cultural-studies-essay.php

What is Hanbok: The Ultimate Guide to the Korean Traditional Dress – The Korean In Me. (2020). The Korean In Me. https://thekoreaninme.com/pages/what-is-hanbok

Women’s Fashion in the Joseon Dynasty -  Seok Juseon Memorial Museum, Dankook University - Google Arts & Culture. (2011). Google Arts & Culture; Google Arts & Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/women-s-fashion-in-the-joseon-dynasty-seok-juseon-memorial-museum-dankook-university/NALih42Rn6HjIg?hl=en

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