Blog Post 2 - Researching the Joseon Era Part Two - Men

Now when it came to men, it was much harder to find beauty standards. However, by looking at context clues, I was able to piece together a (less thorough) description of what was considered as a 'handsome' man during this time.

Let's talk about hair. Remember how I mentioned cutting your hair was dishonorable? This meant men kept their hair long, but kept it up in a top knot called a 상투, or sangtoo. Nobles and soldiers kept their hair like this, and was a sign of manhood, as men usually started wearing their hair like this when they got married (which was at a much younger age than now)

On the left, you have Yoo Seungho in the movie Kim Seondal: The Man Who Sold The River. He covers his head with a 갓 (pronounced gat), which was typically worn by nobles. He, of course, plays a nobleman in this film. On the right, you have Park Bogum, in the drama Moonlight Drawn By Clouds. He plays the crown prince in, and leaves his sangtoo uncovered, with a headband called a 망건 (Manggeon), which was used to keep the hair out of your face and maintain the neat, appearance. 

When it came to physical traits, it seems that the values of what handsome men hasn't changed much in comparison of then and now. King Yeongsangun is rumored to be a very handsome looking king. Historical records describe him as having "a thin build, with skin as bright as white jade", with looks more on the feminine side. This tells us that even back then, pretty boys, as well as a slim body type and white skin was still seen as beautiful.

On the flip side, you have King Yeongjo (as shown above), who was another king known for his good looks. In his portrait, however, his features are more akin to those to the beautiful women of Joseon, with his long, thin eyes, and small lips. King Heonjung was also known for his good looks, and records say that he had "eyes like a dragon, a fine wide forehead, and a great voice." Note the forehead bit; once again, this is more akin to the beauty standards of women during this time.

Another point I would like to add in was something that I found regarding men in a period before the Joseon era. While there isn't much on what was considered attractive for men, I did remember something that I had learnt about a special sect of warriors back in when Korea was divided into 3 kingdoms (which falls outside of the time period our course looks at, but there isn't a lot to work with for men, so bare with me).

During this time period (which would be around 57 BCE to 935 CE), Korea was divided into 3 Kingdoms; Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje. Silla, being the middle sized Kingdom (with Goguryeo being the biggest, and Baekje being the smallest) had an elite team of warriors called the 화랑, or Hwarang, which literally translates to Flowering Knights. They were like the Renaissance men of Korea, only also trained in archery and horseback riding. 

Why am I including this? Well, the Hwarang were chosen for two things. One, their family status (they were all sons of nobles), and two, their looks. They earned their name, Flowering Knights, for their pretty boy appearance that they all had. And due to the religion of this time (which was mainly Buddhism), they would dress up and put on makeup before going to war, as they believed if they were to die, they would go to the afterlife looking their best (in makeup and their fine clothing)

The drama adaptation even reflects this (as shown above), with the actors chosen for this specific drama containing of a cast of pretty boys (with half of the main cast being singer-actors pulled from the K-pop scene)

The clothing worn during this time was pretty much the same for all men, and even women. With the only variation being the women wearing skirts and the men wearing loose fitting pants (which kind of looked like skirts depending on how they would stand), there wasn't much left for me to find about what was considered 'handsome' back in the Joseon era.

Citations

Dispatch. "4 Most Handsome Visual Kings of Korea in the Joseon Dynasty." Koreaboo. Accessed November 12, 2018. https://www.koreaboo.com/lists/4-most-handsome-visual-kings-korea-joseon-dynasty/

"Men's Fashion in the Joseon Dynasty." Google Arts and Culture. Accessed November 12, 2018. https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/5QIiPSTXfq0qIg


muchadoaboutlove. "A Guide to Joseon Hairstyles and Headgears." The Talking Cupboard. Accessed November 12, 2018. https://thetalkingcupboard.com/2013/04/17/a-guide-to-joseon-hairstyles-and-headgears/