Wearing Hanbok in Seoul: A Must-Try Experience! Even for Returning Travelers! ✨ For many first-time visitors, renting and wearing Hanbok in Seoul is a bucket-list experience, but what about those who’ve already done it before? Travel writer Wahida Asrani shares why you should still consider wearing Hanbok again, even on your second or third trip! From picking the perfect skirt color to trying out new styles like royal or ombre Hanbok, she gives insider tips on how to elevate your Hanbok experience each time. Whether it’s experimenting with bolder " jeogori " (저고리) colors, accessorizing just right, or finding fresh photo spots around Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village, this guide is packed with useful advice! Thinking of wearing Hanbok on your next Korea adventure? Wahida’s tips will help you make it a stylish and memorable one! 💖 👉 Read on for her expert recommendations! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Can’t believe it’s already my third piece about Seoul! When I mentioned to my friends that I’d be contributing articles about my experiences traveling to Korea, they asked, “Is there much to write about the trips?” Yes, there is. Although some points may sound repetitive (as I might touch a little bit on similar spots), there are other angles I feel are worth sharing too. This time, I’m back with some fun insights about one of the top bucket list experiences for many first-time travellers: wearing Hanbok, the famous Korean traditional clothing. In Seoul, most travellers’ favourite spots to rent Hanbok are near Gyeongbokgung Palace (where you can walk to the Palace in just 3–4 minutes after renting the clothes. Plus, you don’t have to pay the entrance fee of 3,000 won for adults if you wear one!) and Bukchon Hanok Village (you will definitely love the Hanok-style residences as the backdrop for your ‘photo shoot’ session. Just make sure to tone down your voices as it’s a residential area). Writer in front of the Gyeongbokgung Palace during her third time wearing Hanbok Well, for first-timers, I am sure in your mind, you will just want to wear the nice colours of Hanbok skirts, which most of the time, you already have in mind which colours to opt for, right? I was the one doing that too during my first time wearing Hanbok. As a fan of pink, I had already decided to go for this colour weeks before I even reached Korea. But what if this is not your first time in Korea anymore? Will you still go to rent Hanbok again? When some might say, “Hmm, no need lah , I’ve tried once,” or “I think I will spend on other things this time,” I believe there are some returning visitors who did wear it more than once and are still thinking of donning it again, perhaps for the 5th time soon. Yes, go for it! I’m not an expert in Hanbok wearing, but again, this is just my experience when it comes to selecting which Hanbok I should try whenever I feel like wearing one again. For men, I’m sorry because I can only share some insights on women’s Hanbok. However, it doesn’t mean there aren’t many options for men! Guys, go to any Hanbok rental shops, and just like women face difficulties selecting the best one (due to so many choices!), I often see men comparing which type of outfit to choose—scholar, king, royal style, warrior, to name a few. Some men will try their best to find matching colours of baji (pants) and jeogori (short jacket/top) to go along with their partners’ Hanbok skirt colours. Hanbok for women basically consists of jeogori (top/blouse) and chima (skirt). Definitely, there is no ‘rule of thumb’ when it comes to choosing the Hanbok colours to wear. As long as you love the colour and feel it suits you well (of course, it must look good in photos too!), then you are good to go. For first-timers, in case you have no idea how to rent one, you can just walk into any Hanbok rental shops. In addition, there are many packages that you can buy online through several sites like Klook and Trazy, and at times, the prices offered through these sites are way cheaper. There are many Hanbok rental shops for travellers to experience wearing one, especially around Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village Based on my experience, I prefer to just walk into any rental shop because there are many shops located in the same area. You can compare prices and browse the collections first before deciding. The price varies depending on the shop and the designs too. A few shops I visited offered around 8,000 won – 10,000 won (for 2 hours), while some with premium designs or fabrics offered around 45,000 won. So choose wisely, because what I can say is you can still look good even if you go for the cheapest one. For returning visitors, you will definitely know how to rent the Hanbok, won’t you? Once you enter the shop, the shop assistants will normally ask you to choose the skirt first, and then they will recommend a suitable jeogori to go along with the skirt. Here comes the ‘toughest’ part for some of us, which is the colour of the Hanbok skirt. Yes, the shops have a variety of colours. Even if you decide to wear a blue skirt, there are several shades of blue to choose from. Hence, I understand the difficulties you may encounter—whether to pick ‘this’ colour or ‘that’ colour. My advice, especially for first-timers, is to visit any of these shops early in the morning so you have more colour options. Unless, of course, you don’t mind whatever is left once you get there. 1st Step – Choose your Hanbok style At the time of writing this article, I still haven’t figured out the exact number of Hanbok types actually available for rent. Some shops categorise Hanboks as ‘traditional or normal,’ ‘premium’ (that princess-like design, which is the most favourite among travellers), ‘wedding Hanbok’ (which some shops prefer you to reserve online), and ‘royal Hanbok’ (just imagine those historical K-dramas where you see a queen wearing one). A few shops I visited simply labelled their Hanboks as ‘traditional’ and ‘premium.’ Whatever the case, always check the labels, as they are usually placed on the racks. You can also ask the shop assistants for catalogues. If this is not your first time wearing Hanbok, try experiencing a different style. Yes, the price can be slightly higher for certain designs, such as skirts with an ombre effect or even wedding Hanboks, but once in a while, why not spend a little more for a different vibe, right? And don’t worry too much about Hanbok sizes, as most rental shops offer a variety of sizes for you to try. Find the best type of Hanbok that you would like to wear, whether it’s your first time or perhaps your third! 2 nd step – Choose the skirt colour that complement your skin tone Alright, I know we’re not going to walk on the runway at Seoul Fashion Week. So why make it hard to just choose a colour for your Hanbok skirt? Well, if this isn’t your first time wearing a Hanbok, don’t you think it’s time to go for an even better skirt colour (even if your first or second Hanbok was already perfect)? Too bright might not suit some people, and others may look dull in pastels. Remember, you always want to look good in photos too, right? Let’s say you like yellow. Choose a few shades of this colour and compare them in front of the mirror before you start trying them. Take note of some shops’ policies, as a few only allow customers to try on two Hanboks, and you won’t be able to try anymore even if neither of the two fits your satisfaction. These days, I like to go for ombre Hanboks that combine different shades of colours. The layering on this type of design is nice too! Give it a try if you haven’t. 3rd Step – ‘Safest’ or ‘fierce’ jeogori colour? The jeogori will be recommended by the shop assistant once you’ve made up your mind on the skirt colour (don’t worry, they will help you wear your Hanbok too). As for the jeogori , the common colours are normally white and cream/beige. Of course, there are other colours too, such as black and red. The safest top colour is, of course, either white or cream/beige. No matter what colour your skirt is, these two colours of jeogori will blend in well with it. A well-coordinated colour combination does play a role in making your complete set of Hanbok look stunning However, for returning visitors, this is your time to experiment with something new. Rather than sticking to those two colours, why not try different colours for the jeogori this time? A red skirt and black top work well too. Or why not try an achromatic colour—grey skirt and grey top? Although the shop assistant will normally recommend a suitable jeogori , worry not, you can request other colours too. Hanbok wearing is actually a fun activity. Treat this as a colour-matching game, and your Hanbok may look totally different from the previous ones. 4th step – (Only for hijabis) Do you need to match your hijab with the skirt or jeogori ? I often come across several postings on social media suggesting appropriate hijab colors to wear when you want to wear Hanbok, and I find that information really useful. Many hijabis prefer to wear either plain white, off-white, or cream/beige, which mostly match the jeogori , so you’re good to go with any colour of skirt. I couldn’t agree more with this. As for me, after a few times experiencing Hanbok, I decided to start trying different colours of hijabs. I went with army green once, greyish-hue hijabs, and the most recent one in black. When I went to the rental shop, I tried my best to find the most matching Hanbok to go with the colour of my hijab, and to my surprise, it was much more satisfying! It can make your Hanbok look classy too. Let me try wearing Hanbok with a printed hijab soon! For hijabis, choose a hijab colour that blends well with the Hanbok Whatever it is, just make sure you know which day you are going to wear the Hanbok so you can get ready with the suitable colour of hijab. And like I mentioned earlier, try to arrange your Hanbok-wearing session early in the morning because “the early bird catches the worm,” right? Many of these rental shops start operating as early as 8:30 am. And good news! If you are really clueless about which colour of hijab to wear, head to Daehan Hanbok near Gyeongbokgung Palace because the shop provides hijabs that you can match with your Hanbok. Cool, right? There may be more shops offering this service now too. 5th step – Don’t over-accessorise your Hanbok Many rental shops offer free hair styling too. You just choose your favourite hairstyle, and the shop assistant will do the rest. Just take note that some shops will charge additional fees for hair accessories such as hairpins, hair bands, and hats. Hijabis can also beautify their hijabs with these accessories. However, some shop assistants may need to attend to many visitors at times, so they might not be able to suggest accessories to you, meaning you'll need to choose by yourself. Just don’t make the mistake of choosing the ‘wrong’ ones, especially for hijabis, as some hairpins or bands may look messy on a hijab. Go for minimal accessories that can still make you look stunning in your Hanbok. Most of the time, the assistants will recommend the best accessories that go well with your look. There are other items that can complete your look too, such as a small bag, clutch, or shoes. All of these come with additional charges as well. Complete your Hanbok set with accessories such as hair bands and hair pins 6th step – Go find the best spot for your photo session! Once you are satisfied with your look, it’s time to walk to the palace or Hanok Village for your photo session! Some travellers don’t mind spending a little extra to hire a photographer, and some rental shops offer this service too. For those who prefer taking their own photos, there are plenty of spots to choose from. Gyeongbokgung Palace, for instance, offers numerous locations that serve as great backdrops for your photo session. Just make sure you have ample time to explore the palace and check the duration of your Hanbok rental! For returning visitors, you may feel that there aren’t many new areas left to take different photos. Perhaps try the less common spots, like the shady trees, rather than the palace itself, or use the brick wall of the palace as the backdrop for your photo. These areas can give you a different vibe for your Hanbok photos. Play around with the season you are experiencing at the time too. The pink and white colours of cherry blossoms, autumn foliage, snowy views of the palace, or a sunny summer day can make your photos stand out even if you are using the same spot again and again. Writer and a friend taking a photo together inside Gyeongbokgung Palace during their autumn visit to Seoul in 2019 So, ladies, have fun with your Hanbok styling! Whether it’s your first time or perhaps you’re going to wear it again for the 5th time, make every single experience of wearing a Hanbok a wonderful moment of your trip. Always check out the social media pages of rental shops like Daehan Hanbok, Hanboknam, and Yes Hanbok before your trip, as they often upload content featuring travelers donning their designs. This can be really helpful for planning your next style! Till then, Annyeong! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ *As of the time of writing this article, the writer has just come back from a short birthday solo trip to Seoul, covering places that can be accessed from the city. She went on a day tour to Pocheon, where she was immersed in the beautiful pink sand at Herb Island and experienced cycling on a frozen Sanjung Lake. Of course, the highlight of her trip was the ‘me-time’ birthday celebration in Pyeongchang, which is just about a 2-hour trip from Seoul too! Check out the writer’s previous two articles “ Seoul, the city that always welcomes me! ” and “ Seoul Again: For Those Who Keep Coming Back ” for more travel tips. *Kawan-Kawan, if you'd like to share your own Korea travel stories, we'd love to hear from you! Drop us an email at [email protected].

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