Draft:Modern Girls in Korea

In South Korea, 1920s Modern Girls were young women who defied traditional social norms, embracing Western-influenced fashion, lifestyles, and attitudes, and many attended college.[1][2]. This era represented a notable period of social transformation and modernization in Korea, influenced by Western ideas and education systems introduced during the Japanese colonial period [3][4]. Modern Girls were regarded as symbols of modernity and social change, often portrayed in media and literature as independent, fashionable, and socially engaged individuals [5][6].

Fashion Styles

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College students' attire

Their fashion styles included Western-style dresses and skirts, often with shorter hemlines compared to traditional Korean attire [7]. While embracing Western fashion, Modern Girls sometimes incorporated elements of traditional Korean dress, such as Hanbok-inspired motifs or fabrics [8]. They popularized the bobbed hairstyle, seen as modern and liberating compared to traditional long hairstyles, and accessorized with hats, gloves, and jewelry, following Western fashion trends of the time [9][10].

Textiles included Western fabrics like imported silk, cotton, and wool, as well as traditional Korean Hanbok fabrics such as domestic silk and ramie [11]. These textiles often featured Western floral motifs, conveying a sense of femininity and elegance [12]. They also included traditional Korean motifs like cranes, clouds, dragons, or lotus flowers, symbolizing longevity, health, and happiness, which were often depicted through intricate embroidery [13]

 
College students' attire

References

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  • Cho, H.Y. (2002). "The Modern girl's consumption and representations in colonial Korea". Inter-Asia Cultural Studies. 3 (1): 7–24.
  • Choi, Y.S. (2015). "Fashioning modernity: Western dress, beauty culture, and national identity in Korea, 1880s–1930s". Fashion Theory. 19 (2): 245–272.
  • Kim, H.J. (2010). Modern girls, shining stars, the Zainichi in the 1930s: Korean modernity, gender, and the construction of ethnic identity. Duke University Press.
  • Kwon, H. (2018). "Gender and modernity in colonial Korea: New women and modern girls". The Journal of Asian Studies. 77 (2): 317–336.
  • Lee, S.J. (2014). "The Emergence of modern girls in colonial Korea: Gender, modernity, and nationalism". Journal of Korean Studies. 19 (2): 247–270.
  1. ^ Kwon 2018, pp. 317–336
  2. ^ Lee 2014, pp. 247–270
  3. ^ Choi 2015, pp. 245–272
  4. ^ Kim 2010
  5. ^ Kwon 2018, pp. 317–336
  6. ^ Cho 2002, pp. 7–24
  7. ^ Choi 2015, pp. 245–272
  8. ^ Cho 2002, pp. 7–24
  9. ^ Choi 2015, pp. 245–272
  10. ^ Cho 2002, pp. 7–24
  11. ^ Choi 2015, pp. 245–272
  12. ^ Cho 2002, pp. 7–24
  13. ^ Choi 2015, pp. 245–272