Leesle Hanboks: Where To Buy One

For a time it seemed as though the Hanbok was about to go completely out of fashion in Korea. Seen as only appropriate on special occasions and holidays, the traditional Korean clothing that was originally daily-wear wasn’t daily anymore. That was until designers in Korea, like Leesle, took their passions and put their own modern twists on the traditional Korean dress that has been coming back with resounding applause and style and has even been seen on catwalks in major fashion shows.

Leesle Hanboks are both simple and complex but maintain a beautiful balance exactly as they were originally designed. What’s better is you don’t have to be in Korea to get a Leesle Hanbok, you can buy them online!

Do you want to buy a modern Hanbok? Here’s what to know about Leesle’s options:

• Brief Hanbok History
• Designer Hwang Yi Seul
• What To Know About Leesle
• What Leesle Sells

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

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Brief Hanbok History

The Hanbok has roots dating back to the Three Kingdoms period in Korea from 57BC to 668AD, though the Hanboks most often seen for rental and purchase around Seoul are from the last dynasty in Korean history, the Joseon Dynasty which reigned from 1392 to 1910. Hanboks were designed as daily clothing and thus the shape and simplicity of the roomy skirt and easy tie top made it easier to move and work. By the 19th century more western imports meant that the Hanbok went out of fashion in favor of western-style suits and dresses.

Today, Hanboks are commonly only worn during traditional ceremonies like Jesa during the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holiday periods and at weddings. I personally wore a Hanbok for my entire Korean wedding ceremony but these days brides often wear a western-style white wedding dress and only wear the Hanbok during the Paebaek ceremony that includes a piggy-back ride. Imagine jumping on your husbands back in a tight white dress!

Often, adults don’t even own their own Hanbok anymore. While I own one traditional Hanbok that my mother-in-law helped me purchase at Gwangjang Market prior to our wedding and three modern Hanboks, most adults don’t even own one. Hanbok rental shops are around the city specifically for people to rent them for special occasions so it’s not surprising that it became popular with Korean students to rent them for a day out taking fun photos. This trickled down to tourists and today places like Hanok Villages and traditional spots are swarming with tourists and locals wearing a Hanbok.

If you’re headed to Bukchon Hanok Village and want to rent a traditional Hanbok, check out Oneday Hanbok. They have a great selection, a variety of sizes, and make it super easy. Want to go all out, dress up, and get a photographer to traipse around with you taking photos? Definitely head to Hanboknam. Make sure to reserve your time in advance so the photographer is on hand and ready for you.

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Designer Hwang Yi Seul

Hwang Yi Seul is one designer that began looking around and realized that people just weren’t wearing Hanboks as daily clothing anymore, even though that’s what they were designed as.

She couldn’t understand why people asked her what the occasion was every time she was wearing her own Hanbok. Looking to bring the Hanbok back in a big way, she began to adapt and modernize the traditional clothing that was just a bit too outdated for some.

Under the brand name Leesle, Hwang Yi Seul might be the most passionate Hanbok designer out there leading the storm. Her Hanboks have been seen walking down the boulevards of Paris and the sidewalks of New York City. She has been featured in Vogue and some HUGE K-pop idols have even worn her designs (You can see who wore them below in our interview.) If you’re shopping around for a modern Hanbok, this is the designer you should be checking out.

If you like seeing traditional Korea brought into the future, don’t miss the hottest trend that takes the traditional street candy, dalgona, and turns it into dalgona coffee. Seeing how the traditional is becoming modern and chic again is really amazing.

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What To Know About Leesle

Leesle has a great English website that makes purchasing a modern Hanbok easy peasy (The site seems to be under construction at the moment but if you use the nifty translate option on the Chrome browser for their Korean site, you’ll be good to go.). They’re beautiful, well designed and she’s highly interested in working with foreigners. I got to ask the designer some questions about her visions and ideas and here’s what she had to say.

Why do you think modern Hanboks are becoming more popular these days? They are becoming more mainstream, which is great to see, but why do you think that is?

I believe the word ‘modern’ plays its part. Korean Hanbok is beautiful in many ways but not so many people wear it these days. But wearing a modern Hanbok, which is trendy but still has the Hanbok ‘vibe’ is a whole new story and a great way to keep traditions known. Plus we don’t focus on the elements as they are – we twist  them and rearrange them to look modern. For example the neckline – it is familiar but we added some details and now it looks new and modern. Every Hanbok has its own style and everyone can find the style they like.

Traditionally the various colors that women wore had meaning, but these days it seems women just choose whichever color they prefer, do you think that’s okay? Do you think it’s good that some things about the tradition of Hanboks has/is changing?

Culture is always changing and Hanbok is changing with the culture too. One of the reasons why I love Hanbok is that it is very colorful and can contain a lot of shades in one design. I think right now we have a lot of choices and this is a good thing that people can choose what fits best their style, mood, and occasion. This is a benefit of changes. This is also the reason why we try to make different Hanbok items – dresses, denim pants, and accessories, so everyone can find something that fits them.

Can you talk a bit about how your Hanboks are more “wearable” than the traditional style and when you think people can/should wear the Hanboks?

Traditional Hanbok is very beautiful but it is quite difficult to wear it daily. That is why we kept the essentials of Hanbok design and incorporated them in modern styles that can be worn daily. Modern Hanbok can be washed easily too which is a big plus. There should be no restrictions on when to wear modern Hanbok, as it can be anywhere – and even mixed with casual clothing items, too.

Have you had many foreign customers? Why do you want to promote your Hanboks to foreigners?

We are getting more popular with foreign customers these days partly because of BTS and SHINee members who wore Leesle Hanboks for their shows. Interest in Korea and its music, shows, and culture is huge these days but it is still surprising and at the same time very pleasant to know that Korean culture is appreciated by foreigners too.

Also, we regularly go to New York, Paris, and Milan to present our new collections and we usually get very positive feedback. Right now you can buy Leesle Hanboks in the USA, Kuwait, and Italy. This makes me think that maybe our cultures have more similarities than differences as most of the people usually think.

Most of our foreign customers are from the US, Singapore, Indonesia, and France, so geography is pretty diverse. We don’t want to be focused on Korea only as fashion has no boundaries and I am just referring to it as another way to promote Korean Hanbok, which has been a little underestimated part of Korean culture recently.

If people want to see your Hanboks in person, where should they go? Can they see them in person?

In Korea, we have stores in Seoul and Jeonju, and we plan to open another store in Ulsan. Our design lab is located in Jeonju too so everyone is welcomed to visit us there while checking the beautiful surroundings of Jeollabukdo.

We are in showrooms in Europe and the US. We are constantly working on expanding so foreign customers can get a chance to find our Hanboks offline, even though most of our foreign customers buy online.

Want to head to Jeonju and visit the Leesle design lab? Hop on the Klook tour bus to Jeonju Hanok Village and during the free time, you can visit the shop just outside of Jeonju Station and head back to the Jeonju Hanok Village.

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What Leesle Sells

Leesle has everything from dresses to skirts, or chima, and shirts, or jeogori, that can be worn simply with jeans or even modern Hanbok pants, or baji, which FYI can be worn by both men and women. She also has great jackets and vests and even bags too.

Today, you can see these beautiful clothing pieces worn along with casual sneakers or topped with a jean or leather jacket. There is something for everyone and it’s definitely a great keepsake from Korea if you’ve visited or lived here for any period. Or, if you just want to rock a Hanbok in your city somewhere to spread the cool designs that Leesle hopes you love, get on the website now and get yours today.

Leesle does seasonal collections so stay tuned to get pieces for every season! Whether you’re looking for something pastel and springy or something warm and wintery, she has you covered… literally.

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WHAT TO DO WHILE DRESSED IN HANBOK: Now once you’ve gotten dressed up in your Hanbok, head out for something to do and take some great pictures.

• Did you know if you’re dressed in a Hanbok you get free entry into Seoul’s palaces? Take gorgeous photos in some of the most colorful traditional buildings in Korea’s capital including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and Deoksugung Palace.
• You could also attend a traditional tea ceremony and take the experience to a whole new level. There are great cafes to go around the Bukchon Hanok Village with amazing Hanok views if you want to go on your own, or join a tour with Klook to get more information on the customs and traditions of a Korean tea ceremony.
• Try something more modern in your modern outfit. Head to the Han River and jump on an Eland Hangang River Cruise. It’s a great way to see the city from a different perspective and you can get some beautiful photos of the city and of you in the Hanbok.
• Dressed for some royal fun? Head to the Korea House Royal Cuisine & Show. See five popular performances and eat award-winning Korean cuisine. Nothing better to feel lavish while wearing a Hanbok in the city.

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*I received my modern Hanbok from Leesle in exchange for this post but all of the opinions are mine and mine alone.