Hanbok (skirt and jacket)

The basic Korean costume (hanbok) for women consists of the skirt (chima) and the blouse (jeogori) as in this set. The skirt is gathered at the top making it appear full. The blouse has long sleeves and a short bodice. The skirt and jacket shown here are made of red and white silk damask, respectively, with matching floral, longevity character, and medallion designs. Extant paintings show Korean women's clothing style changed noticeably throughout the centuries. For instance, the skirt worn by the women of the Goguryeo kingdom (37 BCE-668 CE) was neatly pleated, while that of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) was gathered at the top much like this skirt. Also, the bodice of the blouse was long during the Goguryeo kingdom, while the women of the Joseon dynasty preferred the blouse with a shorter bodice. The ribbons, neck, and sleeve ends of the blouse have been embellished with multicolored silk (saekdong) suggesting that this costume was made for a young woman for a festive occasion.