Dopo

Joseon scholar's long outer robe

The dopo is the long outer robe worn by Joseon-era Korean scholars and yangban gentlemen over the hanbok when leaving the home. Falling to the ankle with wide sleeves and a rear vent, it was the most emblematic garment of the Korean literati. Its name comes from the Confucian concept of "dao" (the Way), embodying the scholar's lifelong pursuit of virtue. Made from cotton, silk, or ramie depending on season, most commonly white but also jade-green, gray, or blue, it was cinched with a wide sejodae sash. Paired with the gat horsehair hat and taesahye leather shoes, the trio formed the classical Korean scholar ensemble. The wide sleeves held books, brushes, and paper — practical as well as ceremonial. In Korean historical dramas and hanbok-era romance, a man striding with dopo flaring behind him is a classic iconographic image.