A Study of the Standard of Costume life in the Chosen Dynasty Period -Focus on Literature-

조선시대의 의생활규범에 관한 연구 -문헌을 중심으로-

  • Hyun Jin Sook (Dept. of Home Economics, College of Education, Kook Min University) ;
  • Min Gil Ja (Dept. of Home Economics, College of Education, Kook Min University)
  • 현진숙 (국민대학교 사범대학 가정과) ;
  • 민길자 (국민대학교 사범대학 가정과)
  • Published : 1985.08.01

Abstract

According to the records that all the people in our country were taught the way of braiding the hair and hatting in the first year of 'Tangun' (the founding father of the Korean nation) and that the discipline between sovereign and subject, man and woman, and the standard of food, drink and dwelling were originated from that year, it seems that all the people in our country had lived with keeping a certain standard of food, clothing and shelter, and with maintaining the order in life from ancient times. So, our country have been called 'the Eastern Land of Courtesy' and also regarded as 'the country of the true gentle-man' which was characterized as the custom of a humane, and as the country that had the immortality since a benevolent person lived to a great age. Thus, all the people in our country have lived with keeping and maintaining a certain standard of all aspects in life, and the philosophy in life that we have today was established by the influences of our characteristic thought, Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity, especially the life style in the Chosun Dynasty Period have strong influence on our today life. Thus, the contents concerned with the standard of custume life among those of all life in the Chosun Dynasty Period was studied, and clothes itself is unable to give expression to its ends but when the relationship that is, the inter-harmony among clothes, the body which will be dressed in, and the inherent psyche in that body is formed, then the ends, the complete beauty will be expressed. Though there were many studies dealt with clothes itself, no one was concerned with the all kinds of standard in activities that the dresser should keep, so the purpose of this article is that as above. The literature search is used as the research method. The eight books, 'Noneo' (the Analects of Confucius), 'Yeogi' (the Book of Courtesy), 'Sohak' (the book of Precepts for child-ren), 'Yeosaseo'(the Women's Four Books), 'Sasojeol'(Korean Scholars' Minor Principles) 'Eonhaenaehoon' (Private Moral Instructions for Women), 'Woo-am seonsaeng kyenyeoseo' (Master Woo-am's Cautions for Girls) and 'Kyoobangkasa' (the Lyric Lines of the Boudoir) that had influenced the whole field of life in the Chosun Dynasty Period are analyzed, selected and finally arranged for studyilng the foundation of culture of the clothing and for helping to that culture in modern and future life. The results are as follows: 1. The standard of the clothing life in the Chosun Dynasty Period had deeply rooted in the teaching of confucianism, but also had been influenced by the custom which rooted in our people. 2. There is the emphasis upon the trinity among mind, clothes and activities in the clothing life. 3. The clothing and hat have to be dressed symmetrically in full of all required elements, 4. There is the harmony between the clothing with hat and environments or surroundings. 5. The true elegance in the clothing life will be realized not by the exterior outfit but by the interior outfit with the attitude of chastiny. In conclusion, as the material of clothing life in the Chosun Dynasty Period has the characteristics of the simplicity, the cleanliness, the elegance and the refinement, our clothing life is to be mastered with the simplicity, the cleanliness and the elegance in that life and with the harmony between the inside and the outside.

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