A little clarity,
before you begin.

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: often linen or cotton, with cleaner lines. How any piece is cleaned depends on that piece and its care instructions.

Yes. The collection includes pieces for men, such as shirts, pants and a coat, and children’s hanbok, with saekdong sleeves common on younger pieces. Ask Eric about a specific piece or occasion.

Custom orders are placed to the customer’s measurements through authorized Korean suppliers and makers. What can be changed depends on the piece. Ask Eric about the fabric, the color and the details for yours, and share any references you have.

It depends on what the hanbok is for. Silk is traditional for ceremony, and it drapes and photographs well. Cotton and linen are common for daily wear and breathe well in summer. Organza and chiffon appear in modern bridal pieces for soft layering. How a piece is cleaned depends on that piece, so check its care instructions rather than assuming by fabric. Read the care guide, and Eric can talk you through the options for your occasion.

Review your measurements with Eric before the order goes in, so the fit lands right the first time. If something is off when the piece arrives, tell Eric and he will work out the next step with you.

Often, 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. Ask Eric about alterations for your piece.

Start with the care instructions for that specific piece. If instructions are missing or unclear, ask the seller for written guidance before cleaning. For a spill on a dry-clean-only piece, take it to a cleaner promptly and tell them what the stain is. Read the full care guide.

Whether a piece hangs or lies flat depends on its construction, weight, decoration and condition. Store heavy, decorated or fragile pieces flat, with as few folds as possible padded with unbuffered, acid-free tissue, enclosed and away from light. A structurally sound skirt can hang from its waistband on a padded clamp hanger. See the full storage guide.

It depends on the piece: its fabric and construction, how often it is worn, and how it is cleaned and stored. Pieces worn often show wear sooner. Follow the care instructions for the specific piece, and see the care guide for storage between wearings. For an old or fragile piece, a professional textile conservator can advise.

Yes, you can wear hanbok. Wearing it with respect is not the same as appropriation. Non-Korean partners marrying into Korean families and friends invited to a Korean wedding often wear it. Eric can guide you on the right piece and the right occasion if you are unsure.

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 Korean In Me is based in San Mateo. Write to Eric with your occasion and he will tell you what is possible for meeting in person.

Shipping is confirmed with Eric for each order, including to addresses outside the United States.

Made-to-order hanbok take 2 to 3 weeks to make. Planning a celebration is separate: each ceremony page explains when to start planning the day itself.

Payment and return terms are confirmed with Eric before anything is ordered.

Write to Eric with your date as early as you can. Made-to-order hanbok take 2 to 3 weeks to make.

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.

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.

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.

Yes. We can 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.

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.

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.

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.

Yes. 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.

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.

Small events only, such as a dol, a paebaek, a holiday meal or a milestone birthday. Food can be part of the day, prepared by Mrs. Lee and trusted vendors. It is agreed against the date, the menu and the guest count, and priced by guest count, menu and family preference.

No. We work on hanbok and Korean family ceremonies. Anything you read here about Korean American identity is written from that work, not from an admissions practice.