Bamboo Hat

Dae paeraengi is a headgear for men of the Joseon Dynasty, and it was made of bamboo strips. It had a round crown and a wide brim. It was also called pyeongyangja, pyeongyangrip, pyeyangrip, or pyeyangja, all of which literally mean a sun-screening cap. Paeraengi was first used in the Goryeo Dynasty, and has the longest history among traditional Korean hats. Black heukrip hats also originated from paeraengi, which developed with a flatter crown and a wider brim. Paeraengi hats were also worn by officials at post stations, street merchants, and butchers. In particular, street merchants showed their identity by tying cotton balls on the brim. These hats were also worn in mourning, as the literati began to wear them instead of the conventional mourning hat during the mourning period for performing an ancestral memorial ritual 27 months after the funeral, or for general use as a hat worn outdoors. As Western fedoras became introduced in Korea, paraengi began to be worn on rainy days.