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Hanbok Renaissance Sweeps Up Kids

Hanbok is surging in popularity thanks in part to the many young people who Instagram themselves in traditional Korean costume at scenic locations. Designers are coming up with a wider range of options, whose loose-fitting style makes it suitable for everyday wear as well.

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Now that the trend is firmly established it has also swept up children, whose parents are often happy to buy them an outfit or two rather than rent it for special occasions.

Children's hanbok is more comfortably and practically tailored from soft fabrics, and designs include anything from flower patterns to cartoon characters like Pororo the Little Penguin. The partner look too is making a comeback with matching mother-and-child or child-and-doll designs.

Cuts are simplified for everyday wear, including skirts with elastic waistbands and vests that can be worn over a T-shirt.

Park Jin-hyoung at hanbok maker Daily Han introduced a line of hanbok for children which copied the costume of popular TV character Bungaeman.

"Hanbok designers used to target primarily women in their 20s and 30s but recently began targeting children", Park says.

"As more and more children have opportunities to wear hanbok at school as part of cultural awareness programs, a growing number of parents are opting to buy rather than rent".

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