Common questions, honest answers.
Everything customers ask before they inquire. Tap a question to see the answer.
Which hanbok is for what?
What is the difference between wedding, dol, daily wear, and ceremonial hanbok?
Wedding hanbok is the most elaborate piece a person wears in a lifetime. Silk, heavier embroidery, built to be photographed and remembered. The bridal hwarot or wonsam for the bride, the durumagi or samogwandae set for the groom. Dol hanbok is for a child’s first birthday. Smaller, brighter, made for movement, often with saekdong rainbow-stripe sleeves. Ceremonial hanbok covers Chuseok, Seollal, paebaek (post-wedding bow ceremony), and hwangap (60th birthday). Silks are common, embroidery is moderate. Daily wear hanbok is the modern, wearable version: linen and cotton, cleaner lines, easier to launder.
Do you offer men’s hanbok and children’s hanbok?
Yes to both. Men’s hanbok includes the jeogori (top), baji (pants), durumagi (outer coat), and the samogwandae set for grooms. Children’s hanbok runs from infant dol sizes up through teen, with saekdong sleeves common on younger pieces. Both lines are made to measurement.
Custom is the default.
Can I customize a hanbok? What can be changed?
Yes. Custom is what we do best. You can choose the fabric, the color palette, the embroidery motifs, the lining, and details like collar trim or ribbon style. For wedding pieces we can match a specific palette or recreate a family heirloom. The more references you share, the closer we land on what you had in mind.
How do I choose a fabric? Silk, cotton, linen, organza?
It depends on what the hanbok is for. Silk is traditional for ceremony, drapes beautifully, photographs well, and lasts decades with care. Cotton and linen are right for daily wear, easier to launder, more breathable in summer. Organza and chiffon appear in modern bridal pieces for soft layering. Eric will walk you through swatches during the consultation. Most clients want to touch the fabric before they decide.
Measure twice, wear once.
What if my measurements come back off?
If we got the measurement wrong, we pay. If you self-measured and the numbers were off, you pay. We arrange the tailor either way. For larger discrepancies we work with the Seoul atelier on a remake or major rework. For wedding pieces, we strongly recommend an in-studio measurement appointment in San Mateo before production starts, so the fit lands right the first time.
Can I get alterations done after delivery?
Yes, especially for daily wear and ceremonial pieces. Sleeve length, skirt length, and waist adjustments are common. Wedding pieces with heavy embroidery are harder to alter without affecting the design, so it is better to get the measurements right the first time. We work with a small list of Bay Area tailors who understand hanbok construction. Eric will introduce you to one near you.
Made to last.
How do I clean a hanbok?
Most silk pieces should be dry-cleaned, and only by a cleaner who knows hanbok. Cotton and linen daily wear can be hand-washed cold and air-dried flat. Every piece ships with care instructions specific to its fabric. If you spill on it, blot, do not rub, and call us before doing anything else. We have seen pieces saved, and we have seen pieces ruined by a kitchen towel. Read the full care guide →
How should I store hanbok between wearings?
Folded flat in cotton or muslin, not hanging. Hanbok is cut to drape on the body, not on a hanger, and a hanger distorts the shoulder line over time. Keep it out of direct light to prevent fading. A breathable cotton storage bag works well. The printed care card we send walks you through it. See the full storage guide →
How long should a hanbok last?
Cared for properly, a hanbok lasts 40-plus years. Many Korean families pass theirs across generations. Mrs. Lee still wears the hanbok her mother gave her in 1972. Daily wear linen and cotton get more use, so think of those as 5 to 10 years of regular wear. Hanbok ages well: the fabric softens, the colors mellow, the piece becomes more itself.
Tradition, modernized.
Is it appropriate for non-Koreans to wear hanbok?
Yes, and we welcome it. Wearing hanbok with respect for what it is, traditional Korean dress with centuries of meaning, is not the same as cultural appropriation. Many of our clients are non-Korean partners marrying into Korean families, friends invited to a Korean wedding, or people who simply love Korean culture and want to honor it. Eric will guide you on the right piece and the right occasion if you are unsure.
What is the difference between modern and traditional hanbok?
Traditional hanbok follows the historical silhouette: empire-waist jeogori, full chima skirt, classic collar, hand embroidery. It is what you see in royal court paintings and family wedding photos. Modern hanbok keeps the Korean lines but updates the proportions, fabrics, and details for everyday life. Most of what we carry sits in the modern category, with traditional cuts available for ceremony and wedding.
The practical side.
Can I visit the San Mateo studio in person?
The San Mateo studio is by appointment, weekday or weekend. Eric works around your schedule. You can see fabric swatches, try sample sizing, look at recent finished pieces, and talk through your occasion in person. Most clients who can make the trip do, and it usually shortens the rest of the process. Text or email to set a time.
Do you ship outside the United States?
Yes. Available to the United States, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and most of the EU. For other countries, ask and we will quote shipping individually. Insured shipping inside the US is included. International shipping is quoted based on destination and weight, and customs and duties are the recipient’s responsibility.
What are your lead times by category?
Daily wear hanbok: 3 to 4 weeks from order confirmation to delivery. Ceremonial and dol hanbok: 3 to 4 weeks. Wedding hanbok: 4 to 6 weeks, because of the heavier embroidery and the fitting precision needed. Custom commissions with significant fabric or embroidery changes may add 1 to 2 weeks. If you have a hard deadline (wedding, dol, family photos), tell Eric on the first call so we plan around it.
How do deposits and payment work? What is your return policy?
We take a 50 percent deposit when production starts, and the balance before the piece ships from our San Mateo studio. Payment by Zelle, bank transfer, or check has no fee. Credit card is accepted with a 3 percent processing fee. Every hanbok is made to your measurements, so returns are limited. If we got something wrong, we make it right at no cost. If the piece fits and the construction is sound, we do not accept returns. We tell you this up front so there are no surprises. For wedding hanbok specifically, we strongly recommend an in-studio measurement appointment in San Mateo to remove this risk entirely.
Can I get a custom timeline if my event is sooner than your standard lead time?
Sometimes. Standard lead times are three to four weeks for daily wear, four to six weeks for wedding hanbok. Rush orders are possible depending on fabric availability and current production load. Reach out as early as possible and we will tell you honestly whether the timeline is workable.
The traditions, explained.
What is paebaek and how does the hanbok fit it?
Paebaek (폐백) is the bow ceremony where two families become one. The bride wears the hwarot or a wonsam style ceremonial robe, the groom wears the official samogwandae. The hanbok is the centerpiece because the bows, the offerings of dates and chestnuts, and the family photographs all happen in it. We coordinate the hanbok for paebaek separately from any Western wedding dress, so the look is intentional for the ceremony itself.
What happens at a dol (first birthday) and what should the child wear?
The dol marks a child’s first year. The child wears a dol hanbok with saekdong rainbow-stripe sleeves and a small headpiece, sized for a one-year-old. The centerpiece moment is the doljabi, where the child reaches for objects on a table (a brush, money, a stethoscope, a length of thread) and the choice symbolizes the path ahead. The hanbok is part of the photograph that family will keep forever.
What is hwarot and who wears it?
Hwarot is the most elaborate bridal robe in Korean tradition. Deep red and royal blue silk, lotus and peony embroidery, layered construction. Historically it was reserved for queens; in modern weddings it is worn by the bride for the wedding bow and the paebaek that follows. The hwarot is the piece a bride keeps and passes down.
Do you help with paebaek table setup and ceremony coordination?
Yes. We set the table with dates and chestnuts, guide the bows, and help the family understand the order of the ritual. Not every Korean American family grew up with paebaek and that is fine. We make the ceremony feel rooted without making anyone feel like they should already know it.
What the colors say.
What do hanbok colors mean?
Colors carry meaning rooted in Korean cosmology (obangsaek). Red and blue are the wedding colors, the marriage of yin and yang. White is the color of mourning and is avoided for celebratory hanbok. Royal yellow was historically reserved for the king. For most modern celebrations the color choice is personal, but we will flag any combination that reads off-register in the Korean context.
What is saekdong and why is it on children’s hanbok?
Saekdong is the rainbow stripe pattern on the sleeves of children’s hanbok, especially dol and Chuseok pieces. Each color stripe represents one of the five elements. The pattern is a wish for the child’s full and varied life ahead. It also makes the kids easy to spot in the family photo.
Can I wear hanbok in a non-traditional color?
Yes. Modern hanbok lives in muted contemporary palettes too: charcoal, deep navy, dusty pink, warm earth tones. The form stays, the color register opens up. If you want a non-traditional color for a wedding piece, we will talk through whether it reads modern or off, because the wedding registers are the strictest.
Gift orders.
Can I order hanbok as a gift for my mother, daughter, or partner?
Yes. Gift orders happen often, especially for milestone birthdays (60th hwangap, 70th gohi) and dol celebrations for grandchildren. We work with you on fit details, then have the recipient confirm sizing if possible. For surprise gifts where measurements are not available, we recommend a hanbok-adjacent piece (a wrap, a coordinated accessory) until measurements can be taken safely.
What information do you need from me to place a gift order?
The occasion, the rough timeline, who it is for (age, body type if you know it), and what register the recipient would wear (traditional, modern, somewhere between). We will follow up with a conversation about specifics before any fabric is committed.
Mrs. Lee’s table.
Do you cater small events or only weddings?
Both. Mrs. Lee caters dol celebrations, paebaek, Chuseok and Seollal family meals, milestone birthdays, and informal gatherings. Event catering starts at an $800 minimum, scaling with guest count and menu complexity. The conversation starts with your guest count, your room, and the dishes that mean something to your family.
What are the weekly meal sets and how do they work?
A rotating set of Mrs. Lee’s home cooking, prepared weekly and ready for pickup or local delivery. Banchan, a main, and the staples that make a Korean table feel like home. Limited weekly capacity (currently 20 slots). Reservations open week to week through the inquiry form.
A quick note on admissions.
Do you offer college admissions consulting?
No, not here. We are a hanbok and event-preparation atelier. For admissions, we point families to Altior Academy, where the mentors do that work full time. If your family wants the Korean American context kept in view, we can make the handoff with that already in place.
Still have questions?
Eric responds personally to every inquiry. Usually within one business day.
Free consultation · Delivered to your door · Eric works with you personally