3 Responses for "Feetmanseoul In February Seoul Magazine!"

1. Philip February 4th, 2008 at 4:00 am 1

   Congrats on the article in Seoul magazine, which arrived on my doorstep in London a couple of days ago.

   So if I wanted to get a modern take on male hanbok, where would the best place be?

   Philip

2. Gomushin Girl February 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm 2

   WOW ~ London? Seoul Magazine gets delivered all the way in London?
   I don't know the best place to get modern hanbok for men in Europe, but if there's a Koreatown that's probably your most convenient bet. There are a few hanbok stores online:
   http://www.jilkyungyee.co.kr/
   is the homepage of the store where the pictures for the article were taken, and where I've personally shopped for a few years. My favorite item from there is a heavy winter coat, but I also have a number of blouses, skirts, and pants I've picked up there over the years. Other online options for modern hanbok include:
   http://mokagold.com/
   http://www.udammall.com/
   I can't guarantee that any of these will ship overseas, but it's worth a phone call to find out. Your best bet really is to actually shop here in Korea, where you can try them on for size and fit first, and can take advantage of sales and promotions. I find that the best time to do your shopping is around the major holidays, like Seollal and Chuseok, when many stores are looking to switch seasons. Chuseok (Sept/Oct) is a great time to pick up a lighterweight linen or cotton outfit, while at Seol (late Jan/early Feb) there are some decent discounts on heavier winter weight fabrics and quilted pieces. There are stores all over town, and most cities outside of Seoul will have at least one or two stores, but probably the biggest concentration of stores that specialize in modern versions are around Insadong. Temple supply stores, especially those around Chogye-sa usually have very simple modern hanbok as well. Expect a set to cost around 50,000 - 100,000\ for a man's set (usually pants, shirt, and vest), and slightly more expensive for women. That said, I've wrangled some for 20,000 won during sales. Just keep your eyes peeled and you can find some really great deals on some really good quality clothes.
   Another big bonus for the hanbok is that they're cut more generously than other clothes in Korea, so foreigners who have trouble shopping for western style clothes can often fit into hanbok with less trouble. Also, the quality of material and construction tends to be high, so they'll last a good long while. The only thing to be wary of is that many places use all natural dyes which are not as colorfast as most other dyes, and so they should be handwashed or washed seperately at first.

3. Philip February 7th, 2008 at 4:53 am 3

   Cool, thanks. Yes, I was talking about Seoul, not London. I know there are no hanbok shops in London, because it's a question I'm always asked myself. I'll check out those online stores though.

   But as I'm in Seoul for a long weekend just after Seollal I thought I might try looking for something, preferably a contemporary take on the hanbok. I'll be staying around Insadong so I'll have a browse - but if you have a particular recommendation I'd be interested to hear it.
   Thanks