Korean Traditional Hairstyles

[cat11]

So does anyone else love Korean dramas? I do! Especially the historical fiction ones. I always wondered how they do the braided bun with the ribbon showing in the middle. Basically from this video it looks like its a braid that you just turn in to a loop, wrap the ribbon/scarf around the base then fold up the loop over and around the base and insert the hairstick under the ribbon.

This guy makes this video waaaay to long and complicated and the girl has fake hair. Also ewww total unnessecary back combing. But I was super glad to find this and despite not being remotely Asian or black haired I really want to try the look :) I plan on trying this when I have time. I don't know if my hair will be a perfect length for it so we will just have to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBBeEVlHjh0

If anyone has found videos of how to do other traditional Korean hairstyles without hair pieces please post! I just was always curious about how the ribbon was in the idle of the braid and it turns out its super simple :)

[LyndaF]

I can't offer any help with the hairstyle videos, but I just wanted to chime in and say I love Korean dramas, too. I've only been watching them for less than a year, but I am so hooked!

[cat11]

I know! Me too. I watch them mostly in viki lately but there are many good ones on netflix too. The one that got me hooked was Jewel in the Palace. I really liked Dong Yi too. Right now Im watching a few, one called Empress Ki and another called Flower of Evil. These shows are certainly addicting and I love the costumes in the old school ones though I do watch the ones set in the modern world too.

[Lucy McLucyFace]

The backcombing always makes me cringe but it seems to modern taste it's unacceptable to not have volume on top of the head :rolleyes:
And I'll make the assumption that hair pieces wouldn't have been the norm and he just used it to add to the model's length, not that I can know for sure cause I don't speak Korean.

Still, a really beautiful hairstyle. Always wondered how hairsticks would have been used originally and this is an interesting option :o a lot easier to understand than those intimidating edo Japan styles

[Iyashikei]

Such an elegant hairstyle. I wish the model wouldn't smile in such a creepy way all the time and subtitles would be helpful though. Still, I want to try this style once.

[Lucy McLucyFace]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfUROEyt39Y&ab_channel=kjkj927

I spoke too soon when I said it's not intimidating :eek: this just appeared in my video recommendations. There's an obvious difference in social classes

[cat11]

The backcombing always makes me cringe but it seems to modern taste it's unacceptable to not have volume on top of the head :rolleyes:
And I'll make the assumption that hair pieces wouldn't have been the norm and he just used it to add to the model's length, not that I can know for sure cause I don't speak Korean.

Still, a really beautiful hairstyle. Always wondered how hairsticks would have been used originally and this is an interesting option :o a lot easier to understand than those intimidating edo Japan styles

The backcombing seems totally unnessecary. And the hair piece too if the model had longer hair. I didn't have time to try last night... maybe I can sneak away and do it tonight but we have a friend coming over so probably not lol. But I'm itching to do it.

Yes I agree Japanese stles from edo period are intimidating. Most of those Japanese styles require a sort of think wax that makes the hair stiff to make those shapes too. Like the ones even modern Geisha wear look quite intimidating to make and require wax and a lot of tying of cords to secure hair in many steps.

Another hair style from K dramas I like it the one where its kind of a crown braid but not French braided and theres a ribbon involved on the top in a way that makes it look endless. I'm sure its a hairpiece in the drama but historically was not. Ill see if I can find a pic

edit: saw the video. Thanks for posting!! Wow some of those expecially the first are nuts, Its like a full head brace.

I like the one in the middle "Ssangye Meori". Very cute really!! Some of the hair pieces on the other ones are so intricate especially the more "royal" ones look so uncomfortable too


Iyashikei I agree the models unchanging face is creepy. But the bun IS so elegant. I definitely will be trying it too. It looks like the kind of style that would be hard to adjust if you didn't have just the right length though

[TatsuOni]

I've tried the first hairstyle, but my hair is so long that I end up with a too big loop. And if I try to put the excess braid under the ribbon I end up with a huge lump instead.

I've made a quick version of a daenggi and used it at the end of my braid though. We have a thread about daenggis here https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8344&highlight=Daenggi

[cat11]

WOW Tatsu that thread has exactly what I was looking for. I really should have done a search and then I would have added the video to that thread. I just saw the video and got all exited and was like "post!"

Your denggi is awesome- love the picture with the braid. I will absolutely need to make one immediately. It looks like it could actually be somewhat protective of the braid tassel too (though it would still rub on your back) and makes the braid look so neat since there is no tassle showing.

edit: now I that I know what it's called, I found some on aliexpress too, embroidered. They also have those little head pieces ttoo. I really like the simple satin ribbon look too though its much more everyday.

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/33049532715.html

[TatsuOni]

WOW Tatsu that thread has exactly what I was looking for. I really should have done a search and then I would have added the video to that thread. I just saw the video and got all exited and was like "post!"

Your denggi is awesome- love the picture with the braid. I will absolutely need to make one immediately. It looks like it could actually be somewhat protective of the braid tassel too (though it would still rub on your back) and makes the braid look so neat since there is no tassle showing.

edit: now I that I know what it's called, I found some on aliexpress too, embroidered. They also have those little head pieces ttoo. I really like the simple satin ribbon look too though its much more everyday.

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/33049532715.html

You probably wouldn't have been able to search for it anyway, if you didn't search specifically for daenggi :)

Thank you! :) It's been a while since I last wore it, so I should probably do it again soon.

[Iyashikei]

I've tried the first hairstyle, but my hair is so long that I end up with a too big loop. And if I try to put the excess braid under the ribbon I end up with a huge lump instead.

I've made a quick version of a daenggi and used it at the end of my braid though. We have a thread about daenggis here https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8344&highlight=Daenggi
Who would think your hair was too long for traditional hairstyles 😝
Anyway, thanks for the links. Guess I have some reading to do now.

[TatsuOni]

Who would think your hair was too long for traditional hairstyles ��
Anyway, thanks for the links. Guess I have some reading to do now.

I felt just as surprised as when I discovered my hair was to long for a lord of the rings hairstyle :laugh:

[Hairkay]

So does anyone else love Korean dramas? I do! Especially the historical fiction ones. I always wondered how they do the braided bun with the ribbon showing in the middle. Basically from this video it looks like its a braid that you just turn in to a loop, wrap the ribbon/scarf around the base then fold up the loop over and around the base and insert the hairstick under the ribbon.

This guy makes this video waaaay to long and complicated and the girl has fake hair. Also ewww total unnessecary back combing. But I was super glad to find this and despite not being remotely Asian or black haired I really want to try the look :) I plan on trying this when I have time. I don't know if my hair will be a perfect length for it so we will just have to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBBeEVlHjh0

If anyone has found videos of how to do other traditional Korean hairstyles without hair pieces please post! I just was always curious about how the ribbon was in the idle of the braid and it turns out its super simple :)

I watched some in lockdown. I also found out about them last year when I was home sick with the flu. I notice the one with two accent plaits in the front. I've done that myself sometimes. It's the rest of the hair at the back where the styling gets complicated.

[01]

I know! Me too. I watch them mostly in viki lately but there are many good ones on netflix too. The one that got me hooked was Jewel in the Palace. I really liked Dong Yi too. Right now Im watching a few, one called Empress Ki and another called Flower of Evil. These shows are certainly addicting and I love the costumes in the old school ones though I do watch the ones set in the modern world too.

Empress Ki!!! xD

Idk, I hate all these backcombing vids, I already have too much volume, just want my hair to stay in place and not poof out *shrugs*.

Cool thread, I love traditional styles.

[Dark40]

Wow! That is an interesting video and hairstyle! I've also always loved Korean dramas too.

[cat11]

I tried to do the bun style and my hair was too long too. I ended up wrapping the braid around my hair and pinning it in a cheaters crown braid for the day...I did try something else though I wrapped the base of the braid in a folded scarf then justr tried to keep the wrapped base in the middle and wrapped the braid around it and pinned the hair stick behind the base. It looked pretty similar to the hairstyle. i think you could wrap the braid in a coil in your hair maybe in two or 3 loops and then try laying the cols over the base and pinning thru the pile. Not sure if that would work though.

Hairkay I like the accent braids too. I did the front of my hair the way they part it in the video where you part it in the middle and separate the hair behind the ears and comb that straight back. It was a really neat base for the low-hanging bun... But also for a braid or any stle where the base is low. I can image the accent braids being the same.

012 yes I just finished Empress Ki yesterday... omg ;_;

Dark 40 Glad you thought it was ineresting and its cool you like them too. There seem to be a lot of people on this forum who do!

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=42934&d=1602379037

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=42933&d=1602379018

Exuse my oily hair its wash day and I oiled it before braiding it :p I think the problem with the wrapping thing I did to try to create a length freindly version it getting it to not be crooked and that more of the wrapped braids show on top of the base and not below it. But it was a decent first attempt at working it out I think. Ill bet it would be pretty to use a ribbon and tie it in a bow in the front and wrap around that too..

[ynne]

Ohh, I talked about Korean hairstyles recently here (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=152967&page=2&p=3817885&viewfull=1#post3817885)! So glad someone brought the topic up. For the hairstyle you linked, I found this picture tutorial:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/65/4d/1e/654d1e4b347acf3a06f0b7f889d767eb.jpg
I really like your take on it. c:

And I found a really helpful, thorough guide to historical hairstyles (https://thetalkingcupboard.com/2013/04/17/a-guide-to-joseon-hairstyles-and-headgears/) with photo examples from dramas that you might like. It doesn't include tutorials but it should be easier to search for them after, when you know the names of the hairstyles! I also like that the person explains some context, e.g. that the braided bun was for married women. I really enjoy the topknot-like buns for men.

It shows some different variations of daenggi:


https://thetalkingcupboard.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/princess-man-e01-110720-hdtv-xvid-hanrel-avi_003639506.jpg?w=437&h=246

https://thetalkingcupboard.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/princess-man-e02-110721-hdtv-xvid-hanrel-avi_001966266.jpg?w=437&h=246

https://thetalkingcupboard.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/jang-ok-jung-e10-avi_001977502.jpg?w=437&h=246

Oh, and I also really like this decoration for where hair is parted! Baetssi daenggi.


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1c/41/6c/1c416c900b2660f38d888bebb5741236.png

Personally, I started with Japanese and Korean dramas and then started watching Chinese ones too. But for historical dramas, I only watched Chinese ones so far, so I wasn't too familiar with traditional Korean hairstyles before the search, and they are very interesting. :) Sorry, this message got long because of all the pictures!

[cat11]

Ynne thanks so much for your post. Great pictures. I also like the baetssi denggi. Ill bet something similar could be crocheted, too if one really wanted to imitate the style. I also like the diagram of the hairstyle you [osted thats great because its a real person with long hair. Also shows mow maybe you rcould wrap more of the base to make the loop less large. She does have the perfect length for it though.

i would love to see some of our members with hip or tailbone length try this style out. I wonder too if girls with longer hair could fold the end of their braid back under too and just wrap all of that. Like fold the end of the braid on itself to make a shorter braid, then secure with a soft hair tie. And then secure the shortened braid to the bun base so it would be the right size circle to provide torque around the base you need to be able to have the hair stick stay.

About dramas I started watching Dong Yi, that was the first one i watched. Then also tried some of the japanese historical ones, I really wish I could remember what it was called but there was this really cool one and the kimonos in it were breathtaking. I cant find many of those with English subs though. Ive watched some chinese ones but I think the Korean ones are my favorite. Though I really like some of the styling in the chinese ones too. They seem to do a lot of half ups. I like the stories but since I like hair and creative things the costumes and clothes are always important to me/catch my eye when watching a drama.

[Kat]

My mom was into the Korean dramas for a while. I wish I'd known about the site talking about the hairstyles back then so we could have read it together. (I wish the site had better pictures, though... hard to tell what some of the styles are just from a front view or a blurry screencap, but I understand they probably had to work with what they had.)

I'll try this one of these days. (No one "in the know" will know I'm not married, and no one who knows I'm not married will know anything about the style, lol.)

[ynne]

cat11, no problem! I'm happy to have someone to talk about it with. With baetssi denggi, I especially like that it could probably hold fairly well as it connects to the braid at the back, and it seems LHC-approved in terms of being gentle on hair. :)

About the braided loop – it does look like the braid wrap could be adjusted to accomodate more length. On the other hand, hairstyles that used wigs/hair pieces, like eoyeo meori at the very beginning, might actually be doable with real long hair, without extensions! Unfortunately I am unable to read this, but related search brought up this picture showing various braided hair extensions (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/78/5b/58/785b58713ec81e409b3e451913346b49.jpg) (I think that's what it is, at least!). I can see why they reached a point of just banning wigs when it was getting out of hand.

Do you have any favorite historical Korean dramas to recommend? My watchlist is already long, but a lot of it is modern and so are my favorites. But for really stunning costumes, hairstyles and hair accessories, I can recommend The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty!

Kat, it is a pity with the link showing up too late. As for the pictures, if you are curious about any specific stuff, I usually got relevant results when searching just for the names listed there. :)

[Fornarina]

cat11, no problem! I'm happy to have someone to talk about it with. With baetssi denggi, I especially like that it could probably hold fairly well as it connects to the braid at the back, and it seems LHC-approved in terms of being gentle on hair. :)

About the braided loop – it does look like the braid wrap could be adjusted to accomodate more length. On the other hand, hairstyles that used wigs/hair pieces, like eoyeo meori at the very beginning, might actually be doable with real long hair, without extensions! Unfortunately I am unable to read this, ...

Hi,

a beautiful Hanbok style you did @cat11 and @ynne. :D

I see, that with the length and thickness of the ribbon, you can adjust the bun size to what you intend or need. I also think that the ribbon has to be kind of textured, that it is not too slippery, to provide good hold for the stick (I refer to the video in the starter posting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBBeEVlHjh0).)

Those Binyeo sticks are quite long and you need to provide a good and broad base for them to let them hold something also with not so long hair. In the video, the hair stylist chose the additional tresses to get just the length of the braid for this size of the loop, with longer and thinner hair, you may have a rest left over, and in this case, I would just make the loop that it is enough for one round, and the rest I would lay inside the loop in another circle before the hair stick is inserted, pinning the rest down together with the loop. Otherwise, when making a very big loop to make an Eight with it and fold that Eight into a double loop later, the braid will become twisted, and that's not what is intended I guess.

I would also try with very long sticks like this, that I stitch it through the braid directly instead of holding the loop down from above. With a braid you can do such. Then not so much length of a stick is to be seen later. :)

[Fornarina]

O.k. I've done it.

The fabric was quite big and thus it inflates my bun a lot. And I made it extra, that you may see the safety pin and the hair tie for the tassel. Inside the full round of the braid, there is half a round with the end of it. And for most people have kind of taper, I want to mention, that it may make sense to use a hidden bobby pin to secure the thicker part of the braid, otherwise it will hang down, making the construction asymetric. It is not seen in the picture, but the bobby pin is left above inserted counter-clockwise, while the braid was laid clockwise.

https://abload.de/img/dsc_0837msi70nqipl.jpghttps://abload.de/img/dsc_0845e2c4z7bchk.jpg
https://abload.de/img/dsc_08424ni0ybkesx.jpg