• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 2007

The shroud of the Chosun dynasty period originally meant the new start in the next world. Its basic principle was to wear the best clothes or wedding garments during one's life. The white hemp cloth-shroud worn during this time was formed after the 20th century. In the beginning it started simply by imitating the shroud of the common people. However recently many aspects of the trade have deteriorated by the commercialism of the shroud traders. So this study focuses on the way of keeping traditions and making the shroud desirable. First, the shroud was made of the best materials such as silk, hemp cloth, ramie cloth and cotton cloth in the past. A thought that the shroud material must be white hemp cloth is the result from misunderstanding of the traditional shroud of the Chosun dynasty period. We can produce beautiful shrouds using natural materials without losing dignity and at diverse prices. Second, the shroud was produced not only to keep the dignity of a dead person but also to avoid wasting the original cloth. Third, The shroud has pursued diversity in classifying the traditional style or the basic style. It is possible to select the shroud flexibly according to one's sense of values or the way the tomb was made. These days, the Korean full-dress attire and Wonsam (Korean woman's ceremonial clothes) are the standardized form of the ready-made shroud. The man's Korean full-dress attire on sale is sewn in the wrong way and its shape looks more like the Wonsam. I offer diverse shrouds of the Chosun dynasty period, for example, the official uniform, hemp cloth upper garment, men's black upper garment, Korean full-dress attire, Korean overcoat, Wonsam, the long hood worn by a Korean woman and a woman's long upper garment, so that we can see the Korean originality and beauty through the different types of shrouds. Also, I adjusted a number of items, undergarments and other articles according to the price. As mentioned before this study helps to portray a desirable understanding of the culture of the shroud. So I corrected many problems of the present shroud and propose a new type of shroud based on tradition. Furthermore, I recommend a way of making use of the Hanbok which the man wears during his life, at the wedding ceremony or a his 60th birthday without buying a new shroud.