By Do Je-hae
Taekwondo uniforms are undergoing a transformation to keep up in an age where sports and fashion are increasingly interconnected.
Poomsae competition uniforms for Korea’s traditional martial arts will be redefined with creations from Dolsilnai, a local modern “hanbok” (Korean traditonal dress) designer.
Since 2006, Dolsilnai has been leading the development of a new poomsae competition uniform in cooperation with the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
The new “Poomsae Competition Uniform” will be used for the first time at the 6th World Taekwondo Poomsae Championship in Vladivostok, Russia, from July 29 to 31.
The poomsae competition uniform for masters in this event will be composed of a yellow upper garment and dark blue trousers.
Dolsilnai acquired official approval from the WTF in March regarding the design of the Poomsae Competition Uniform. MJ SPORTS is the official business agent under the brand “J-Calicu” at the Vladivostok event.
The creation of the new taekwondo uniform is an important project for Dolsilnai, a company that has made consistent contributions to popularizing hanbok through making everyday variations.
“In designing the uniform, we put an emphasis on carrying on the tradition of Korean clothing while maximizing its practicality,” said Dolsilnai CEO Kim Nam-hee in a recent statement.
About 200 countries have joined the the WTF, reflecting its growing popularity worldwide.
The phenomenon has highlighted the need for a uniform that is more global and functional at the same time.
The makers of the uniform at Dolsilnai reviewed the history of clothes from ancient times.
In Vladivostok, the WTF will provide the uniform free of charge to all athletes. The WTF emblem will be on the left side of the upper garment.
WTF President Choue Chung-won has been a supporter of the new uniform.
The WTF will take in suggestions and reactions on the uniform from the participants at the Vladivostok event and consider them for application in the future changes to the garments.