Hanbok: The Art of Korean Clothing

Rating:
Summary: A Good Start, but....
Review: Hanbok, The Art of Korean Clothing, by Sunni Yang, is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the beautiful Korean hanbok. It is filled with wonderful color photographs of hanboks and hanbok accessories. It also explains many of the customs and symbols associated with the hanbok. This is a must read for any true student of the Korean Hanbok.

Rating:
Summary: Hanbok, The Art of Korean Clothing
Review: Hanbok, The Art of Korean Clothing, by Sunni Yang, is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the beautiful Korean hanbok. It is filled with wonderful color photographs of hanboks and hanbok accessories. It also explains many of the customs and symbols associated with the hanbok. This is a must read for any true student of the Korean Hanbok.

Rating:
Summary: Good Effort But "Hanbok" Falls Short
Review: I applaud Mrs. Yang's effort in publishing this book because there is just so scant "exposure" of Korean culture in this catagory (fashion art). I appreciated the history in the book as well, though, I thought much of the beginning history of Korea (which was of considerable length) could have been edited out as it really didn't relate to the "art" of Korean clothing. On the other hand, there was not enough mention of the Chinese-Korean relationship in history which influenced the evolution of Korean costume, especially in men's clothing. Also the historical element of this book was weak. Mostly, however, the cover of this book is misleading: I expected to see many more of the ceremonial gowns worn by women of the royal palace. The cover shows a model with a regal dress with many fancy adornments. Inside the book, there are only a few of the color photos of this type of dressing and they are distant photos that you really can't make out much details. I maybe too picky but I thought many photos were lackluster and did not relay the rich colors of hanbok, diversity and versatility of modern hanbok, and mostly the culturalism hanbok embodies for the people of Korea. I would have liked many more quality photos, detailed hanbok making procedure, and more children in hanbok (of course!). Then, the book would be worth the substantial cost.

Rating:
Summary: Good Effort But "Hanbok" Falls Short
Review: I applaud Mrs. Yang's effort in publishing this book because there is just so scant "exposure" of Korean culture in this catagory (fashion art). I appreciated the history in the book as well, though, I thought much of the beginning history of Korea (which was of considerable length) could have been edited out as it really didn't relate to the "art" of Korean clothing. On the other hand, there was not enough mention of the Chinese-Korean relationship in history which influenced the evolution of Korean costume, especially in men's clothing. Also the historical element of this book was weak. Mostly, however, the cover of this book is misleading: I expected to see many more of the ceremonial gowns worn by women of the royal palace. The cover shows a model with a regal dress with many fancy adornments. Inside the book, there are only a few of the color photos of this type of dressing and they are distant photos that you really can't make out much details. I maybe too picky but I thought many photos were lackluster and did not relay the rich colors of hanbok, diversity and versatility of modern hanbok, and mostly the culturalism hanbok embodies for the people of Korea. I would have liked many more quality photos, detailed hanbok making procedure, and more children in hanbok (of course!). Then, the book would be worth the substantial cost.

Rating:
Summary: More enthusiasm than discipline
Review: Mrs. Yang's love and admiration for the beauty of Korean costume, and the book abounds with gorgeous , full-color photographs of hanbok, or native Korean garb. Unfortunately, information on the evolution of hanbok is sparse and difficult to tease out of the text. This appears to be, in large part, due to an actual shortage of data, but this too is difficult to confirm from the text. A more systematic discussion of the sources of available information on Korean costume, and greater attention to chronology in the text, will be desired by costume scholars, though most casual readers will find ample enjoyment in the wonderful photographs of beautiful silk garments.

Rating:
Summary: More enthusiasm than discipline
Review: Mrs. Yang's love and admiration for the beauty of Korean costume, and the book abounds with gorgeous , full-color photographs of hanbok, or native Korean garb. Unfortunately, information on the evolution of hanbok is sparse and difficult to tease out of the text. This appears to be, in large part, due to an actual shortage of data, but this too is difficult to confirm from the text. A more systematic discussion of the sources of available information on Korean costume, and greater attention to chronology in the text, will be desired by costume scholars, though most casual readers will find ample enjoyment in the wonderful photographs of beautiful silk garments.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Start, but....
Review: This book had an amazing amount of potential, but was less than satisfying in the end. The history, while very interesting, was disjointed and unorganized. The layout could also have used some reworking. Descriptions of art works, outfits or accessories would appear several pages after the photos themselves. I got the impression that some photos never made it to the final book, although the text still made reference to them.

This book is also frustrating for the historical costumer. Ms. Yang often used the phrase, "This style was popular during the Shilla period." Unfortunately, the Shilla period spanned almost 1000 years! Some more definitive dates would have been highly useful.

Ms. Yang's book is a nice introduction for the style and overall look of the hanbok. Hopefully Ms. Yang or someone who shares her passion will publish a more scholarly work geared for historians and costumers.