• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.286-294
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• 2007

Dolbok, the first birthday suit, is a formal suit a person puts on for the first time after birth. It not only a symbolizes of Korean customs or traditions, but also represents transmitted ideas, values and lifestyles of Koreans. In this nation where strong preferences for son prevailed, dolbok for boy was specially important. 1.Styles of weaing Dolbok are classfied into trousers and jeogori, baeja, magoja, durumagi, jeonbok, sagyusam and yongpo styles in accordance with what kind of clothes was finally worn. 2. Accessories of dolbok for boys included dolddi, dol jumeoni, gulre, bokgeon, hogeon and tarae baeseon. 3. Dolbok of trousers and jeogori, baeja or magoja style simply consisted of 2 to 4 units of clothes. It was usually worn by ordinary people, and strongly imaged as common. Dolbok of durumagi or jeonbok style was a combination of 5 to 6 units of clothes and mainly worn by noble and royal families. It was remarkably formal, but quite brilliant. The suit for first birth anniversary which was sagyusam or yongpo was made in accordance with court rules and used by the royal family, It consisted of 7 to 8 units of clothes. Dolbok of sagyusam or yongpo style used invariable, simple patterns and colors, but had strong images of courtesy and dignity. 4. Regarding accessories of dolbok, the long-hanged goreum was a symbol of parental wishes for the $baby^{\circ}{\emptyset}s$ health and longevity and dolddi was joined by dol jumeonisymbolizing the wealth and prosperity of the baby. In addition, hogeon was a hat whose shape was the head of tiger symbolizing wishes for bravery and health and tarae beoseon was childlen's socks that had seams, symbolizing prosperity, on the fore edge. Seon for sagyusam was used as a symbol of preventing diseases or evil spirits to protect the health of the baby.