Hanbok

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the article of clothing as a symbol of the Korean history and culture. It follows the development of this traditional dress through the history of Korea and shows how it evolved. It links the hanbok with beauty, respect and tradition. It is also compared to other traditional forms of dress in the region - the sari from India and the kimono from Japan.

From the Paper:

""Clothes make the man. Pretty feathers make pretty birds. The tailor makes the man." So proclaims a Korean proverb (Holt, 1999). One of the cultural distinctions among Asian countries is the style of clothes - unique and completely different from Western attire with which we are often surrounded. Millennia of civilization caused the evolution of costumes to reflect: the cultural mores of the times, the climactic conditions, the physical geography of the region, and the occupation of the populace. Each country has its own costume: In India, the sari for women and dhoti for men, the dazzling and delicate Kimono of Japan, the curvilinear Chipao of China, and the Aojai of Vietnam. Each of the country's costumes portrays its characteristics and tradition. (Kahlenberg, 2001)"

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