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Korean Fashion
Introduction:
Contemporary South Korean fashion and makeup,sometimes referred to as K-Fashion or K-Style, has become immensely popular both within and outside of the home country in recent years. With the growing popularity of Korean pop music (K-Pop) and Korean dramas (K-dramas),Korean fashion and beauty has been readily consumed by young people worldwide, partly thanks to the rise of beauty bloggers and vloggers, other social media platforms, and the successful all-encompassing K-Pop festivals.
The South Korean fashion of today began in the late 1800s with an intertwining of western influences. Before that point, during the Joseon period (1392-1897),the Korean Hanboks were the typical fashion choice. Hanboks consisted of a blouse and loose-fitting pants or skirt. For women, they wore a Jeongi(blouse or jacket) and a Chima (skirt); and men wore Jeongi and Baji (pants). Hanboks were everyday wear with lavish versions worn by the elite. During this period, makeup was made from natural materials and traditionally simple. However, by the late 1800s with the arrival of westerners and Japanese influence, Korean fashion and makeup began to lose its traditional style and elements.
In the early 20th century, Koreans started to adopt western fashion powered by the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) where the Japanese colonial government promoted modernisation. This style evolution consisted of the cutting of traditional top-knots, men wearing suits, and women sporting new hairstyles, such as the ’Gibson Girl’. The ‘flapper’ style of the West also came into fashion during the 1920s, which gave young women who adopted the style the label of ‘new woman.’ Changes to fashion came along with changes in social and work lifestyles, with the emergence of new jobs for women such as phone operators and factory workers, and new emphasis on high literacy rates for the population.
During the Second World War, fashion took on a more militaristic-style that continued through the end of the war, the Korean liberation from Japan, and into the Korean War. Poverty and shortages in fabrics required clothing to be made simple and often in dark colors. Hanboks continued being worn by this time, mainly by women. Makeup, if worn, was kept light, almost natural. After the Korean War, the contemporary movement on fashion gained momentum in the 1950s with newer hairstyles like crimped hair, popularity of the swimsuit, and brighter makeup options influenced by the United States. The modern fashion industry was also born. In December 1954, the International Western Clothing Company opened in Seoul, providing the first fashion education in South Korea. Markets dedicated to fashion, such as Seoul’s Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market, thrived and produced their own clothing. November 1955, women’s magazine Yeowon offered a new column: ‘Fashion Mode’. In 1957, Korea’s first fashion show showcased a collection by Nora Noh, Korea’s first fashion designer, that also heralded fashion designing as a new career.
Continuing with an upward momentum, the 1960s marked a new wave of fashion—hello, miniskirts—and makeup. On one side, western musicians, like the Beatles, served as major influencers on Korean fashion. On the other side, the government promoted the use of practical natural materials, like wool, and focused on being economical, with its ban on the importation and sale of other countries’ products; thus, launching the Korean makeup industry. The industry also saw Korea’s first fashion magazine, Uisang, and the establishment of the first professional modeling school in 1964.
By the 1970s, a shift in the way fashion trends developed occurred when the average consumer became the new trendsetter and catalyst for fashion rather than designers. Urban modernisation pushed the development of off-the-rack clothing brands, brand-focused stores, and department stores offering new and accessible distribution channels.
The 1980s witnessed another youth-led fashion movement with casual wear. T-shirts, jumpers, and blue jeans became the typical fashion, along with western brands like Reebok. Meanwhile, women work-wear fashion got a boost from their increased presence in the workforce. Makeup styles offered bright colors with emphasis on eyeshadows and blush. Enter Korean Pop (K-Pop) in the 1990s to put its indelible stamp on K-Fashion and K-Beauty culture. The first K-Pop group, Seo Tae-ji and Boys led this era of Korean fashion with their rap and hip-hop style, a new music trend at the time. Other western music and fashion style mixes such as grunge were adopted by the youth named ‘resistance fashion’. Korean fashion designers were getting international recognition with Lee Cinu as the first to showcase in Paris.
Trends of Korean Fashion that’s defining 2022:
Modern Hanbok
Hanbok could never be called a newly emerged trend. However, this modernized Korean hanbok deserves a place on this list because traditional Korean clothing is making somewhat of a resurgence. It is also commonly worn at special events such as weddings.While hanbok is always beautiful, it’s often impractical to wear. It requires a long time to put on, is very heavy, and is also very large,the skirt is very poofy. Modern hanbok seeks to change this by making the traditional outfit more realistic to wear in day-to-day situations. It retains many of the traditional design elements but is also made to be lighter, smaller, and generally more subtle in coloring. These changes make it far more wearable in day-to-day situations. While it still isn’t exactly everyday clothing, the modern hanbok is an excellent choice for special occasions.From time to time, one will see contemporary takes on modern hanbok in Korea. Recently, there have been some office outfits that incorporate hanbok elements. Hanbok-inspired streetwear is also slowly picking up, and both can be adored as Korean fashion trends. Hanbok is considered to be immensely stunning which gets beautifully incorporated with the Korean culture as well.
Streetwear:
Streetwear has started to take off in Korean fashion culture for the past few years. Inspired by many celebrities who have taken up the style, it’s becoming more and more common to see on the streets of Seoul. Some popular streetwear styles in Korea are oversized shirts, baggy pants, and bucket hats.This kind of clothing is very different from the style that has been popular over the past years, and oversized clothing was only a very niche style up until recently. Now, there are many street-wear brands appearing, and the style is becoming more common to see on the streets.
Ankle Pants:
Another trend that has taken off in Korea is ankle-length pants. These pants end at the upper ankle and reveal your ankles, making them an excellent choice for the medium-warm seasons. They are prevalent in Korea during spring and fall. They can complement tight, and loose tops provided the colors match. They also go with many kinds of open shoes such as sandals. Ankle pants are very comfortable, making them a great choice for casual and semi-formal outfits. Perhaps the biggest benefit of such pants is that they can be purchased relatively cheap and are also readily available almost everywhere. If you want to add some Korean-style outfits to your wardrobe, pick some up.
Knitted Blouse:
Knitted clothing is really taking off in 2022. From full sweaters all the way to lighter cardigans and vests, knitted clothing is one of the defining Korean fashion trends of the year. While every piece of knitted clothing differs, they usually bring a light and cute feeling to an outfit. On top of this, they fit in very well with minimal outfits due to their often muted colors. They don’t overly stand out but add to an outfit. Knitted tops work well when paired with a variety of bottoms. A tennis skirt or other similarly light-coloured skirt works fantastically if you want to complete a cute outfit. Knitted tops can be combined with skinny jeans or ankle pants if you are just looking for a more casual and minimal outfit. Another aspect that makes knitwear so dynamic is that it can easily be worn alone or layered. This also means that this trend is popular for the majority of the year, rather than being limited to just one season as many of the outfits on this list are.
References
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