A history of modern Korean fashion

Western suits began arriving in Korea in the late 19th century after the country opened its ports. The Korean Empire adopted Western dress for diplomats in 1899, and in 1900 regulations on civil officials' attire changed their official dress to Western style. Suits then gradually spread, especially in cities.

The edict, issued in 1895 as part of the Eulmi Reforms, ordered adult men to cut off their topknots. Because the topknot symbolized adulthood and filial piety, resistance was fierce. After political changes the following year it was effectively left to personal choice, but it helped spread short hair and Western-style hats.

From the late 19th to early 20th century, more practical clothing spread, led by students at new modern schools for girls. Shorter skirts and longer jeogori jackets are said to have appeared, and the sseugae-chima, a cloak women once used to cover their faces outdoors, began to disappear, starting at girls' schools. These changes came as women took a larger part in public life.

Both hanbok and Western clothes were worn, with Western dress growing in cities. In the 1920s and 1930s, young people dubbed 'modern boys' and 'modern girls' displayed new trends with Western outfits and bobbed hair. In rural areas and among ordinary people, however, hanbok remained everyday wear.

Momppe were loose work trousers that women were pressured to wear under the wartime system at the end of Japanese colonial rule. After liberation they stayed popular for farm and house work because they were comfortable and practical. Today's floral work pants can be seen as descendants of this garment.

Rubber shoes arrived in the early 20th century and began to be produced in Korea in the 1920s. Sturdier and more water-resistant than straw sandals and relatively affordable, they spread quickly. Rubber shoes made by a Korean company in 1922 are often cited as one of the earliest domestic products.

After the Korean War fabric is said to have been very scarce, so many people altered military uniforms or remade clothing that arrived as foreign relief aid. Mending and handing down clothes was simply normal. As the economy recovered, clothing gradually became more varied.

Ready-to-wear spread widely during Korea's industrialization as the apparel industry grew. Before that, many people sewed clothes at home or had them made at dressmakers and tailors. The rise of textiles and apparel as major export industries also helped make ready-made clothing common.

A yangjangjeom was a dressmaker's shop that made Western-style women's clothing to order. Before ready-to-wear became common, women often chose fabric, had measurements taken and ordered dresses or two-piece suits there. Far fewer remain today, but some still offer made-to-measure work along with alterations.

In the 1970s the government had police crack down on long hair for men and similar styles, citing public order. Officers sometimes checked hair length or made people cut it on the street, and the crackdowns stopped in the 1980s. Today it is remembered as an example of excessive limits on personal freedom.

With economic growth, sportswear and casual clothing expanded greatly in the 1980s. Around the 1988 Seoul Olympics, tracksuits and sneakers became everyday wear, and as overseas travel became more open, people had more contact with foreign trends. Global looks of the time, such as broad-shouldered jackets, also arrived.

In the 1990s, pop music and youth culture strongly drove fashion. Hip-hop style with wide trousers and oversized T-shirts, along with casual brands that let young people show individuality, became popular. Styles from this decade have resurfaced in recent retro trends.

In the 2000s, online clothing stores multiplied and buying clothes on the internet became common. Global fast-fashion brands entered Korea, making trend-driven clothing easy to find. As the Korean Wave began to spread, Korean celebrities' fashion also started drawing attention abroad.

As K-pop and Korean dramas spread worldwide, interest grew in what Korean stars wear and in Seoul street style. Social media shares trends instantly, and buying Korean clothing online from abroad has become easier. A production system that turns trends around quickly is also often cited as a factor.

A 1956 show held in Seoul by designer Nora Noh is often described as Korea's first fashion show. Designer presentations followed, and a fashion show culture took shape. Today that tradition continues through regular events such as Seoul Fashion Week.

Museums of everyday life show clothing from Korea's modern era. Places like the National Folk Museum of Korea and the Seoul Museum of History present past lifestyles and clothes through permanent and special exhibitions, and some university museums hold costume collections. Exhibits change, so check official websites before visiting.

'New women' was a term used around the 1920s for women who received modern education and pursued new ways of living. Short hair, Western dresses and leather shoes came to symbolize them. Newspapers and magazines of the time often discussed their clothing, sometimes sparking debate.

Over the course of the 20th century, Western clothing gradually replaced hanbok as everyday dress, as industrialization and city life called for more practical clothes. Today hanbok is mainly worn on holidays and at weddings, though some people enjoy modern everyday hanbok in daily life.

A gyoryeonbok was the camouflage uniform students wore for gyoryeon, military-style drill classes in high schools and universities. Gyoryeon became a required high school subject in the late 1960s and was phased out in stages, ending at universities in the late 1980s. Today the outfit mostly appears in retro photo shoots and nostalgia events.

Remember that clothing in old photos does not show how everyone dressed at the time. Many surviving images are studio portraits, advertisements or pictures of particular urban groups. Looking at a range of sources gives a more balanced picture of everyday life in the past.