A Study on the Design of Saenghwal Hanbok using the Traditional Collarless Baeja in the Joseon Dynasty

Abstract

With the introduction of Western culture in the late 1900s, attempts have continued to improve the inconvenience of traditional hanbok and transform it into a new design. Since then, Western clothes have become common, and people wear hanbok less frequently. The “Saenghwal Hanbok” concept emerged in the late 1980s. When the Saenghwal Hanbok brand was first created, it received little attention from young people. However, since the 2000s, Saenghwal Hanbok design, which drastically transforms the structure of traditional hanbok and utilizes various materials and patterns, has become a new category of the hanbok market. Recently, with the creation of new distribution channels through Internet shopping malls and social media, the area of activities for new designers of Saenghwal Hanbok brands is expanding. Attempts to combine elements of traditional hanbok with fashion trends are growing, attracting attention worldwide along with the Korean Wave. Therefore, in this study, we intend to design a Saenghwal Hanbok using the ’Baeja,’ one of the most utilized traditional hanboks. For this purpose, six Saenghwal Hanboks were designed using a collarless type of baeja, among the baeja styles of the Joseon Dynasty. The collarless style of baeja allows for various styles, depending on the inner layer beneath other garments. The primary materials used in Saenghwal Hanbok baeja were traditional materials such as ramie and organza, and linen and silk were also partially used. Additionally, some of the traditional materials were colored using natural dyeing methods, and the colors of the materials used together were selected to harmonize with each other. This study proposed a new Saenghwal Hanbok baeja design and a method of styling it with other clothes. Due to the nature of the material, it is challenging to wear in winter, and the partially matched natural dyeing material has a beautiful color. Still, it has yet to be used in a large area due to the scarcity of the fabric. Future follow-up studies will expand the design items and suggest various utilization methods.