Durumagi | aaarticle.com

The durumagi is the long overcoat of the Korean hanbok, a straight robe worn over the jacket and trousers as the outermost layer. By the late nineteenth century it had become the proper outdoor dress for men.

Overview

A durumagi is a full-length coat closed left over right and tied with a ribbon like the jeogori, with set-in sleeves and side gores that let it fall smoothly. Plain and unadorned, it gave warmth and, for men, the finish that completed formal dress.

How it is worn

It is put on over the whole hanbok when going out, tied at the breast, its length reaching below the knee. Once several kinds of outer robe existed, but reforms in the 1880s simplified men’s outerwear to the single durumagi.

History

The durumagi grew from the long robes worn over the hanbok for centuries and was fixed as the standard men’s overcoat by the dress reforms of the late Joseon and Korean Empire. It is still worn today as the outer layer of formal hanbok.