Korean fashion history

Korean Gat Hat: The Philosophy Napoleon Couldn’t Ignore (Part 1)

16/04/202621/03/2026 by Kam Su Jin

Korean minhwa style illustration of Napoleon examining a sketch of a Korean gat hat by candlelight

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series The Soul of the Gat

In 1816, a sketch of a Korean gat made Napoleon laugh with delight. Here’s what the hat actually meant — and why it took centuries to build that meaning.