Korean Skirt and Jacket

The Korean skirt or Chima and jacket or Jogori are a unique national costume of the Korean women. They have been seasoned and developed in the course of creative labor of the Korean people for a long time in history.

Jacket is very short in comparison with long skirt. They present a unique charm as the specific form of the short jacket and fine long skirt are in good harmony.

The first thing that catches eyes in jacket is the white neckband decorating the collar part. It represents the favorite color of the Korean nation who likes brightness and cleanness. From ancient times, Korean women made it a rule in making dress to select different colors of material for jacket, but make the neckband only with white cloth. It drew people´s eyes and gave clean and pure impressions. Two long strings are also unique. They are mainly in the form of ribbon when knotted with each other, but according to the age, fancy and trend of the wearer, their lengths and materials are different, presenting different aesthetic effects. The round curves in the lower parts of the sleeves are also unique.

Pak Hye Yong at the Korean Costume Manufacturing Section of the Wolhyang Exhibition House says:

Korean skirt and jacket show unique beauty with asymmetric effect in disposal of specific parts. We can take strings as an instance. The left string of jacket disposed of in the form of ribbon gives three-dimensional impressions and the right one is disposed of in the form of knot and the asymmetric disposal is well-balanced. The long strings hang not along the central line of the skirt, but biased to one side, which clears tediousness and stresses the aesthetic effect of the whole costume. The upper lines of sleeves are straight, but the lower lines are curved, presenting good rhythmic and formative effects.

For such effects the Korean skirt and jacket are unique in the form and give graceful and secure impressions.

Today, too, the Korean skirt and jacket constitute an important component in the Korean women´s attire and becomes a proud symbol of the nation.