Korean hair accessories are taking over the fashion world with their elegant and functional design. Among these, one accessory in particular called Bineyo stands out for its versatility and beauty, it is a pin-shaped hair clip, which in the past held back the heavy hair of the Queens and Ladies of the court, but was not only used by nobles but by all Korean women and beyond.
Since the birth of the Three Kingdoms in the Goreyo period, women began to wear the bineyo in their hair which was made of different materials and shapes and thus it was possible to recognize the lineage and origin and social identity of women.
The Bineyo were divided into two parts, Jam and Chae, respectively the first was composed of a long body and the Chae had a "U" shape. The Bineyo were used especially for women but it was not unusual for men to also use it to stop their Sangtu which was the Korean hairstyle with a chignon, or rather a tuft that collected the hair on the top of the head, normally used by married men.
During the period of the Joseon Dynasty, girls who became adults and got married participated in a Gye-Rye ceremony, i.e. the ceremony of mature age, which involved wearing the first bineyo in their hair. Furthermore, hair accessories became an integral part of traditional hanbok clothing, so much so that women used different types of clips, combs and pins to express their marital status and social position.
Today, the Bineyo represents the fusion between tradition and modernity. While it maintains the elegance and symbolism of historical accessories, its contemporary design makes it accessible and desirable for women everywhere. Wearing Bineyo is a way to celebrate Korea's rich cultural heritage while bringing it into the context of current fashion.
Bineyo is not just a beauty accessory, but a tangible connection with the past, uniting generations through the universal language of style and elegance, it is a true symbol of style that combines tradition and modernity. Wearing it means carrying a piece of Korean culture with you, making every hairstyle a work of art. Korean hair accessories are conquering the fashion world with their elegant and functional design. Among these, the Bineyo stands out for its versatility and beauty.
Furthermore, from historical information it was discovered that wearing the bineyo was imposed by King Yeongjo during the Joseon Dynasty, and it has been reported that the King forced many women to wear the bineyo, because at the time it was used to stop the wigs, instead of the Gachae a huge and very heavy wig, full of ornaments, such as pins and very heavy decorative jewels, so much so as to create six problems of wounds on the necks of the courtesans and Queens who at the time wore them as a symbol of royalty and social status.
The main purpose of the binyeo is to securely hold women's hair and serve as an ornament for accessories. Binyeo are of two types: one is used to pin the woman's hair, and the other is used to place hwagwan and jokduri types of flower decorations (National Folk Museum of Korea). Those that were used to pin women's hair were known by different names, depending on the type of materials they were made of and the shape of the pin (known as Jamdu; National Folk Museum of Korea).
Also in the Joseon period under the influence of Confucianism, women's clothes were reduced as decorations and were limited to a certain extent, and common people could only wear bineyo for marriage. The use of gold and silver accessories was only used by a certain social class to embrace a much simpler and more refined style.
Paola Pelissa