Every country in this world has its own traditional cultures and clothes. Have you ever heard of the two treasures in Asia, which are very valuable and beautiful? They are the traditional clothing in Korea and Japan. The traditional clothing in Korea is called the ‘hanbok’; where else the traditional clothing in Japan is the ‘kimono’. Both of them are very delicate and have their own long histories. As Japan and Korea are closely located in Asia, it is no wonder that they share certain similarities in the characteristics of their traditional costume but at the same time, there are also some differences that could be seen here.
Firstly, we could all have a look at the similarities and differences at the origins of the hanbok and kimono wear. How exactly did the hanbok and the kimono come about? During the Han dynasty in China, the ancient Chinese dress which is called the ‘hanfu’, was the origin of the Korean hanbok and the Japanese kimono. The hanfu dress was one of the most prominent ancient Chinese dresses. This clothing was worn by the common folk of the Han ethnic group of China. It was cited that “The Hanfu laid the base for the development of the Japanese kimono, Vietnamese ao dai and the Korean hanbok.” (Ancient Chinese Dress, n.d.).
Like any other clothing, the hanbok and the kimono have undergone many changes over the years with fluctuating fashion trends and undergoing many transformations. In order to appeal to the modern age and the international eye, some individuals have come up with fresh designs but still retaining the essence of the traditional clothing. Korean designer Bae Yong Jin said that although she is famous with designing traditional Korean garments, “I don’t want to simply make typical traditional clothes. I want to change and evolve traditional Korean garments so they can appeal to this age in time.” Thus, when designing clothes, she sticks to simple styles and simple