‘Gal ott’ would be unfamiliar to someone who does not live in Jeju. It is Jeju's traditional clothes with a reddish brown color which is from persimmons. As persimmons are affordable fruit in Jeju, the ‘Gal ott’ has been used in routine life and during working hours as well. There are several names to call different kinds of the clothes, such as ‘Gal Jung I’ and ‘Gal Jeock Sam’. In contrast to the fancy image of ‘Han-bok’, it has a folksy image.

 

Work clothes (Gal-ott)

These are typical work clothes as well as an everyday habit worn by Jeju people. Though there is no record of when people began to wear Gal-ott, it is known that farmers and fisherman have worn it for a long time. 
 
The cotton yardage, after being cut to shape and size, is dyed by being soaked in the juice of unripe persimmons after which it is dried in the sun. Shape and type vary with gender. While the upper garment of men or women is called Galjeoksam, the pants of men are Galjungi and those of women Guljungi. 
 
The characteristics of Gal-ott: it is economical because the persimmon juice makes the fabric so stiff that there is no need to starch or iron; the juice also acts as an antiseptic, so much so that even after hot, sweat-staining work, the material stays good and doesn't give off an odor.

By Han Yong-Jae

          

History

Since there are not many historical remains of the ‘Gal ott’, we can't be sure when people started to wear the clothes. It is said that the ‘Gal ott’ originated from fishermen dying their fishing nets and rods to make them much stronger. There is only record that Korea, Japan, China, and Eastern Asia used to dye cloth by using persimmons, and Jeju had international trade with those countries at that time. Even until the 1960’s many people in Jeju wore the ‘Gal Ott’, but after the 1970’s its frequency of use has diminished as modern clothes gained popularity.

By Kim Gyu-Jeong

 

Advantages

Gal-Ott is Jeju's traditional clothing, which is dyed by persimmons.

Not only is the ventilation good, but also the heat conductivity is low. It is comfortable because it does not cling tight even when sweating because it holds up well in moist and hot conditions. So it’s perfect for summer. It utilized Jeju native persimmons, which are a natural preservative. Because it is strong after dyeing, it is good for atopic dermatitis or skin allergies

By Kim Ha-Eun

 

Present

Long ago, Jeju's casual clothes were ‘Gal Ott’. As time went by, however, there was industry development. There were a lot of cheap and various clothes. Because of that, ‘Gal Ott’ was not valuable. However, nowadays, ‘Gal Ott’ is famous for its scientific and artistic features. People are interested in Well-Being and Natural Dyeing, so they really like ‘Gal Ott’. Recently, it is used as street costumes, beddings and household items. There are almost 10 ‘Persimmon Liquid Dyeing Enterprises’ in Jeju Island. Moreover, fashion shows that choose the main theme as ‘Gal Ott’, are held, too.

By Ko Yoo-Jin

 

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