GLIMPSES OF KOREA AND CHINA 



899 



street. The mourning hat, while enor- 

 mous, must be much more comfortable 

 than the every-day tiy-trap sort. It con- 

 sists of a creation of straw and bamboo, 

 shaped like a wooden chopping bowl, the 

 edge of the rim being a coarse scallop, 

 which distinguishes it from the one worn 

 by peasants. The mourning hat as a set- 

 ting for the solemn oval face of a Korean 

 produces an appearance of extreme sad- 

 ness. 



The conventional clothing of the men 

 is more striking than comfortable, as was 

 demonstrated by my having a complete 

 suit made to order. The foot is crowded 

 into a cloth stocking not the shape of 

 the member it is designed to fit, but, like 

 the shoe, narrow at the toe and turned 

 up to a point similar to a clown's foot 

 covering. The dry-weather shoes, of 

 coarse black cloth, low as slippers, their 

 snug fit being depended upon to hold 

 them in place, were found extremely un- 

 comfortable. 



The trousers consisted of a pair of 

 pillow-cases having a wide waistband, 

 not too uncomfortable in warm weather 

 were there some other arrangement for 

 holding them in place less confining than 

 the narrow braid which is used as a belt. 

 The padded waist is covered with a green 

 silk waistcoat, the long unlined over- 

 garment being of thin, gauzelike mate- 

 rial, almost transparent, in a delicate 

 blue, reaching below the knees. From 

 the belt on the left side are hung two 

 cases, one containing a small knife' and 

 a pair of chop-sticks, the other a pair of 

 grotesque spectacles of smoked glass the 

 size of silver dollars, set in a clumsy 

 bone frame. On the right hang bags 

 for money and tobacco. All of these 

 cases are embroidered in bright colors. 



In the hand is carried a plain fan, 

 while the outfit is crowned by an absurd 

 little pill-box hat, which, when worn by 

 a native, is perched on a tightly-coiled 

 queue and tied under the chin with a 

 plain black tape, supplemented in the 

 case of men of wealth or distinction by 

 a chain constructed of two-inch pieces of 

 the smallest-sized bamboo separated by 

 amber beads, hanging from either side of 



the hat, under the chin and thence to 

 the waist. The rim of the hat is of fine 

 bamboo, while the upright part is of 

 horsehair, so loosely braided as to expose 

 the hair of the wearer to view. For rainy 

 weather they have as a covering for the 

 hat a peculiar round, helmet-shaped oil- 

 skin, pointed at the top, which is drawn 

 on and tied under the chin. When not in 

 use this covering is folded in pleats like a 

 fan and carried in the folds of the waist- 

 coat. 



The clothing of the wealthy Korean 

 is of the same cut, but differs from the 

 above simply in cost of the material ; 

 the coat being of silk and the hat of finer 

 weave, the latter sometimes costing $20. 

 The coolie and laboring element wear 

 similar clothing in shape as those in the 

 upper classes, but of a cheaper material 

 and without waistcoat and over-garment. 

 In place of the hat a head-cloth is some- 

 times worn covering the hair, the corners 

 being turned upward above the forehead ; 

 most of them, however, wear only the 

 queue coiled on top of the head. 



The dress of the laboring class of 

 women consists of a jacket or waist 

 which extends about three inches below 

 the armpits, while the skirt has only a 

 tightly drawn band, thus exposing to 

 view several inches of dark-brown skin 

 between the waist and skirt-band. This 

 condition seems more unaccountable, 

 since women of the middle class never 

 appear on the street without wearing a 

 white skirt over the head and face in 

 such a manner as to enable them to see 

 their way without exposing even their 

 faces to view, while others wear a green 

 or red long-coat, hung in the same way 

 and reaching to the knees ; this garment, 

 although having sleeves, is only worn as 

 a veil. The higher, wealthy class of 

 women never appear on the street except 

 within the seclusion of the closely cur- 

 tained chair borne by coolies. 



In place of the street covering for the 

 head, some of the reformers carry open 

 umbrellas both in daylight and darkness, 

 not as a protection from rain, but as a 

 screen from the gaze of the naughty 

 men. This seems rather amusing, since 



