The Meaning of the Shortening Tendency of Women's Chogori in the Latter of Period Chosun

조선후기 여자 저고리 단소화와 비교적 의미

This study aims to analyze the shortening tendency of women's hanbok chogori (upper part of the Korean traditional dress) in the latter period of Chosun in three respects-socially, economically, and aesthetically. First, from the social point of riew, sexual role and social starus were examined. The strict sexual roles between males and females made the latter inferior to the former. The relatively lower sexual role had the woman look receptive and passive and wear a short and narrow kind of chogori. Also, the confusion of the social status system weakened the function of the costumes to differentiate social classes and, consequently, almost all classes wore short chogori. Second, the economic progress in the wake of the commerce-centered positivism at that time helped raise the economic status of the middle and low classes. As a result, with their social and economic status elevated, they tried to wear somewhat luxurious chogori. Third, aesthetically speaking, erotically-look-ing and much-shortened chogori derived from the weakened male-centered Confucian tra-ditional ethics in conflict with the humani-tarian positivism.