Sseugaechima (original) (raw)

The sseugaechima (쓰개치마, literal meaning: 'headpiece skirt') is a kind of headwear that noble Korean women used during the middle and end of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) to cover their faces. As Confucian ideals became stronger, women were required to hide their faces from men when leaving the house. There were several kinds of headdresses that the Joseon women used according to their ranks: the neoul was used by the court women, the sseugaechima was used by the yangban women; and the jang-ot was used by the jungin women or commoners. The sseugaechima was a piece of clothing in the shape of a skirt and was mainly made from cotton or silk.