Korean Coat (Jeogori) (2nd Use)

Accession Number: CR.356.66.2

Label: Coat, Korea, c.1960’s

Note: This project is not considered complete until every scrap of deaccessioned fabric has found a use. Often this means that a single deaccessioned garment may yield raw materials for multiple new items. In this instance, the garment has previously yielded a kite.

The body of this coat is made of a gauzy green synthetic material with a woven medallion pattern. This is lined with a green synthetic tulle. After construction, the garment was stamped with a design in silver paint. In places, this paint has seeped through the fabric and stained the tulle lining. The sleeves of the coat are made of similar materials in a variety of colors and have been pieced together to form stripes. The sleeves are lined with white tulle.

During previous deconstruction, one sleeve was removed from this coat. During this deconstruction, the white tulle lining was removed from the second sleeve and a a panel of green fabric was removed from the front of the garment.

A bee keeper’s helmet pattern was drafted. Six identical pieces of green fabric were cut and sewn together together to form the crown of the hat. Four loops of green fabric were formed and sewn equidistant from each other to the inside edge of the crown. A large piece of white tulle was sewn end to end to form a tube. On the lower edge of the tube, a small square of green fabric was sewn. A button hole was sewn into the center of the square. The bottom edge of the tulle was then folded up and sewn to create a wide hem. Two loops of elastic were also sewn into the hem, one on either side of the green square. A strip of green fabric was folded around a metal hoop and sewn closed. This fabric covered hoop was then sewn to the inside of the tube at an angle, with the back of the hoop several inches closer to the top of the tube and the front of the hoop, several inches lower. The top of the tulle tube was then sewn to the crown of the hat. Then, a second metal hoop was inserted into the crown of the hat, just above this seam. The crown and tulle sections were next folded over over the hoop and sewn together, forming the brim of the hat. A piece of elastic was threaded through the four tabs in the crown of the hat and the ends tied together. A separate piece of elastic was threaded through the button hole on the bottom edge of the tulle, threaded through the hem, and then back out the button hole. The ends of the elastic were tied together.

The accession number has been embroidered on the back crown portion of the hat.