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Description

Under-trousers of very sheer white silk fabric. Pants are angled out from the waistband to the ankles. Body of pants is pleated onto a wide waistband opening at the back. At each side of the waistband opening is attached a narrower long tie. Both ties are very creased. Pleats face towards the centre, front and back. Crotch is low, ending above the knees, and open at the back, ending in a gusset of white ramie with an edge that has come loose from the edge of the leg. The edges of the back opening are folded, but not hemmed. The lower edges of the pants are finished with hems 3.5 cm. deep.

History Of Use

Women of high class wore such underwear as the outermost layer of underwear in summer. Underwear of such fineness was called “dragonfly wing”,” jamjari-nalgae”. This term, "jamjari- nalgae" is generally used to describe very fine ramie or very fine silk gauze During the 19th century, women’s underwear generally had a crotch slit that continued to the front, but this was later simplified during the modernization of Korea and the slit limited to the back. Later, shoulder straps were added. More elaborated underwear had additional flaps at the crotch to ensure that the skin was covered, which was very important during the Chosun Dynasty. Ordinary people wore more simple underwear, the construction of which was not elaborated. Only women’s and girl’s under-trousers had the slit; men’s did not. Men also did not wear as many layers of underwear as women did. Women wore the following layers of lower-body underwear: a loincloth that passed between the legs and fastened front and back to a waistband (“Da-ri-sok-got”); wide, straight-legged under-trousers with a side opening with ties and with flaps (“Sok-sok-got”); back- or side-opening under-trousers tapering to the ankles with a crotch-slit and with flaps at the opening (“Sok-ba-ji”); wide, straight-legged under-trousers with flaps (“Dan-sok-got”); under-skirt (“Sok-chima”); and outer skirt (“Chima”). Many layers of underwear were important to add bulk for elegance, and to protect their virginity. Underwear was tied below the wearer’s breasts, and extended to the back of her foot. Entertainers, “Gae-seng”, might intentionally show their ankles and the edges of their underwear. Underwear was and is boiled as part of the laundry process.

Specific Techniques

The silk fabric was hand-woven to the standard loom-width of 35-40 cm. Sewn entirely by hand. The ties were sewn inside-out and then turned right-side out, concealing the seam. The hems were finely hand-sewn with invisible stitches of silk thread. The edges of the slit would have been folded and pasted, but the paste is now gone. Pleated onto waistband.

Item History

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