People sometimes ask Eric whether modern hanbok is "real" hanbok. The answer is yes, but it helps to understand what each style is for. Traditional hanbok and modern hanbok serve different days and follow different rules.
Traditional hanbok
Traditional hanbok refers to the formal garments worn for ceremonial occasions: weddings, paebaek, dol, Chuseok, Lunar New Year, and family rituals. The silhouette is recognizable from Joseon-era court paintings, high-waisted chima, short jeogori, full sleeves, and visible color blocking between the jacket and skirt.
Fabrics are silk, sometimes hand-embroidered. Colors are saturated, jewel-tone reds, cobalt blues, deep greens, sage. Construction follows centuries of pattern-making rules. A traditional hanbok set is not meant to be casual, and it shows.
Modern hanbok
Modern hanbok grew out of a wave of Korean designers in the 2010s and 2020s who wanted to keep hanbok in daily life. They kept the silhouette but updated the fabrics, lengths, and details. The jeogori cut is a touch easier through the bodice. The chima sits at the waist instead of under the chest. Fabrics are cotton, linen, raw silk, modal, materials you can wash.
Modern hanbok is not a costume. It is clothing. You can wear it to brunch, to the office, to the school pickup. It still reads as hanbok, but it does not announce ceremony.
Three honest differences
Stiffness. Traditional hanbok holds a shape. The skirt belling outward is the point. Modern hanbok drapes. The skirt falls closer to the body.
Layering. Traditional hanbok layers under-shirts, slips, sometimes a vest. Modern hanbok is usually a two-piece set worn over modern underwear and skin-tone slip if needed.
Pricing. A full traditional ceremonial set from a Seoul atelier starts in the low thousands. A modern daily set starts in the low hundreds. The price reflects the fabric, the embroidery, and the labor.
Which one is right for you
If you are attending a wedding, dol, or paebaek, you almost certainly want traditional. See Eric's wedding, dol, or Chuseok collections.
If you want something to wear regularly, for family photos, holidays, or just because, modern hanbok is the better fit. See daily wear hanbok.
Both at once
Some customers commission one of each. A formal silk set for the wedding, a modern linen set for the engagement shoot or the rehearsal dinner. Eric can build a pairing that reads as the same family of garment, just different occasions.
Talk to Eric
Looking for authentic hanbok for your occasion? Eric at The Korean In Me works personally with each customer, sources every piece from Seoul, and inspects it in San Mateo before it ships. Send Eric a message or text (707) 718-3579.