How hanbok's rising popularity is fusing tradition with modern fashion trends

Hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, is gaining global momentum via the influence of K-pop and the Korean Wave.

A model walks the runway during a hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, fashion show for the 2023 Jongno Hanbok Festival in central Seoul on Oct. 21, 2023. [YONHAP]

Hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, is gaining global momentum via the influence of K-pop and the Korean Wave. From its historical roots to modern designer brands, hanbok is making a comeback as a fashionable and cultural icon.

When singer and actor Suzy promoted hanbok on the electronic billboards of New York City’s Times Square last December, passersby were stunned. Heads turned, and comments on social media were quick to praise Suzy for looking "elegant" and "timelessly beautiful" as she showcased six different designer brands.

Even a decade ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that hanbok would take center stage at one of the most iconic cultural hubs in the world — especially in the West.

Singer and actor Suzy wears hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, in six different designer labels, which was showcased in through the billboards in New York City’s Time Square late last year. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

This can be attributed to how over the years, hanbok has become more accessible to the world. BTS wore it in the music video for “Idol” (2018) and Blackpink for “How You Like That” (2020). Stage outfits worn by Ateez were exhibited at London’s V&A Museum from 2022 to 2023.

Whether you’re a fan of one of the above, or even just familiar with anything related to K-pop, it’s hard to skip past hanbok.

For thousands of years, the garment may have been the normal day-to-day outfit for all Koreans, but it is now regarded as something one would wear only for special occasions, such as weddings. While its popularity has plummeted in present day Korea, it’s the opposite case for foreign tourists.

A look from Leesle’s 2023 Spring/Summer collection during Milan Fashion Week in September 2022. [LEESLE]

“We first started exporting overseas in 2011, and even then, we had a lot of foreign customers sending us screenshots from television shows like ‘Daejanggeum’ [2003-04], asking what the outfit was and if they could buy it,” Hwang Yi-seul, CEO of modern hanbok brand Leesle, told the Korea JoongAng Daily.

“I was amazed by the power of our pop culture. Over the years, I have felt that hanbok is getting more and more popular as Hallyu [Korean Wave] continues to exert more power in the world.”

The following is the A to Z of hanbok, from the different types to how to purchase them.

An example of traditional hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, shown here in a scene from MBC’s historical drama television series “Daejanggeum” (2003-04). [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Traditional vs. modernized The best-known traditional form of hanbok can be traced back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The typical look would have two pieces: Women wore jeogori, or long-sleeved jackets tied with a knot at the front, and chima, a long voluminous skirt. Men would opt for baji, or pants with wide legs.

Depending on social status, wealth or occasion, hanbok would become more colorful, ornamental and of higher fabric quality.

Nowadays, the style has shifted to modern hanbok, appealing more to the general public. Traditional hanbok had a much longer dress length that would cover the wearer’s feet and was made from natural fabrics like silk, ramie or hemp cloth. Modernized versions tend to be shorter and more casual and made from cotton, which is machine washable. The former tended to focus on the beauty of the garment itself, while the latter is more about practicality.

Hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, made by popular hanbok shop Bidanbim in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, which are usually worn in wedding ceremonies. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The perfect K-wedding It’s not to say that traditional hanbok has completely been discarded in the present day. Nowadays, it is usually worn for weddings, by the bride and groom and each of their mothers, or by babies for their first birthdays.

Soon-to-be married couples can either choose between purchasing or renting hanbok for a couple of days. Most couples decide to rent, according to popular hanbok shops Bidanbim in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, and Keumjudan in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, as hanbok isn’t often worn and is tricky to store.

After fitting checks, couples then choose among a range of hanbok available on the racks that come in different sizes and types of material. Bidanbim has prices that begin at 500,000 won ($373) for rental and 800,000 won for tailored-to-fit hanbok to purchase.

Keumjudan has rentable hanbok that goes as low as 150,000 won and up to 600,000 won, and when tailored, they start at 550,000 won and can go up to 2 million won.

Numerous factors determine the price of hanbok, but it usually depends on the type of fabric and dyeing method. Natural fibers including silk tend to be more expensive while the cheaper hanbok options are made from synthetic fibers like polyester.

Foreign tourists wear hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, in Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on Dec. 30, 2023. [NEWS1]

Affordable options Insa-dong in central Seoul is the neighborhood for those who prefer to rent hanbok to wear them more casually and for a shorter time. The entire area is packed with hanbok rental shops that you can wear to the nearby Gyeongbok Palace.

Regardless of the freezing or scorching weather, Insa-dong is a major tourist attraction bustling with tourists busily capturing their versions of a K-culture fantasy to post on Instagram.

Hanbok rental, for a couple of hours, ranges from 25,000 won to just under 100,000 won.

Hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, is made by planning in advance, and then cutting the fabrics and backstitching the linings and outer fabric together, as shown here. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A precise craft The traditional hanbok requires precise planning before the designer starts snipping and snapping. The designer marks the patterns and measurements on the fabric, during which accuracy is crucial because hanbok needs to have a sufficiently looser fit for a thermal effect.

They then start cutting the fabrics, which are divided into the linings and outer fabric. The designer continues to place the fabrics together to check if their shapes match, as they will subsequently be backstitched together.

After the needlework is completed, the designer turns the fabric inside out to bring out the outer fabric. Then a goreum — a ribbon used to tie a hanbok — is attached to the jeogori to complete the look.

A modern hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, look from designer brand Rieul [RIEUL]

Singer and rapper Zico dons a blue hanbok, traditional Korean dress, suit by Rieul during his Pepsi commercial in 2020. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Hanbok meets fashion While modern design brands will deviate from the traditional look, fashion designers have been rolling out labels of their own that ensure that the style is updated and trendier. The most famous examples are Hwang Yi-seul of Leesle, Kim Young-jin of Tchai Kim and Kim Jong-won of Rieul.

These brands cater better to the global audience as worldwide shipping is available and have been worn by popular Korean celebrities.

Leesle offers hanbok that is fused with street casual, such as denim jackets, hoodies, slacks and even cardigans. Despite Hwang designing the products herself, the price range isn’t that high either — it’s only around 200,000 won apiece.

Tchai Kim focuses on ready-to-wear options and is known for patterned dresses, coats and dresses that give a nod to past hanbok styles. The designs are more suitable for formal wear, with prices ranging up to several hundred thousand won, and some even skyrocketing to more than 1 million won. Tchai Kim’s sister company, Tchai Kimyoungjin, specializes in custom-made hanbok, all made by hand.

Rieul has risen to become one of Korea’s most prominent hanbok designers with hanbok suits, a style invented by CEO Kim, that are adorned with traditional Korean patterns. Kim has said that it takes at least 1.5 million won to create one whole set. Singer and rapper Zico famously wore a Rieul-made hanbok suit for his Pepsi commercial in 2020.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]