The Mareumdal Lace Skirt.

The story

The chima is the oldest piece of the hanbok wardrobe, a wide waistband and a panel of cloth that falls from the natural waist. Lace has lived alongside the form since the late Joseon export trade and through the twentieth century. The fabric reads feminine without going decorative. The Mareumdal lays it across the top panel only.

Ivory lace overlay sits across the upper third of the chima, over a cotton-blend body in a darker tone. The lace pattern reads as texture at distance and resolves into individual blooms when the eye gets close. A smooth slip is set beneath the chima for body. A hidden side zip keeps the panels uninterrupted. The hem is hand-finished.

Worn to a bridal shower in late spring where the women around the table have decided the dress code without saying so. The chima sits across the lap, the lace catches the window light, the conversation moves to the wedding. An engagement tea where the afternoon is long enough that the chima registers without effort.