A Comparison of the Use of Multicolored Stripes in Tibetan Folk Costumes and the Traditional Korean Saekdong

Tibet has a long history and many traditions that feature colorful costumes. This study analyzes the similarities and differences in the use of multicolored stripes in the Korean Saekdong (색동: stripes of many colors) and Tibetan folk costumes. The analyses were done within the framework of Tibet's cultural and religious background and the characteristics of the region's traditional costumes. For this study, literature and photographs from books and the Internet that record the history of Tibet's traditional costumes were analyzed. The results show that the use of various colorful stripes was common in the Bangjeon (帮典) apron, one of the greatest costumes in Tibetan history. A Bangjeon is made of wool of multiple colors and has horizontal lines as compared with the silk Saekdong's vertical lines. In addition, they have a multicolored striped band on the sleeves which reminds one of the traditional Korean jacket with its Saekdong sleeves. However, these multicolored stripes appear in more parts of the Saekdong (such as the hemline and front collar) when compared with contemporary Korean costumes. Moreover, the multicolored bands are noticeable in several ornaments from the time, which suggests that Tibetans and Koreans were very fond of using multicolored stripes. Costumes from the Goguryeo (高句麗) dynasty indicate that Tibetans, like the Mongols and Manchus, were very similar to Koreans as they had multicolored garments and Paji pants in common.