North Korea has recently added new items to its list of banned fashion, including the “rooster hairstyle” and blouses with see-through sleeves, citing their potential to “obscure the image of a socialist system,” according to sources inside the country.
The new regulations, revealed in a video lecture, impose severe penalties for non-compliance. Violators could face up to six months of forced labor. The lecture also detailed that those found with banned hairstyles, such as the “rooster hairstyle,” will be required to shave their heads. These updates were reported by Radio Free Asia, based on information from a resident of North Hamgyong Province, who spoke under anonymity due to security concerns.
The latest bans are part of an ongoing effort to control fashion choices and align them with the state’s ideological standards. Previously banned items include sleeveless shirts, jeans, hair dye, non-creased pants, T-shirts with foreign writing, shoulder bags, and, for women, hair longer than waist-length, shorts, and figure-hugging tops. These prohibitions are enforced under the Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture Law, which aims to eliminate perceived capitalist or anti-socialist influences.
The recent fashion restrictions also appear to target imitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s style. Citizens who emulate his hairstyle, wide-legged pants, or distinctive leather trench coat could face punishment.
The new regulations have sparked criticism among residents, who argue that they unfairly target ordinary citizens while high-ranking officials and their families remain exempt. Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, has been seen wearing a blouse with semi-transparent sleeves, and Hyon Song Wol, a deputy director of the ruling Workers’ Party, has sported the “rooster hairstyle” in public.
Residents have expressed frustration over what they see as a double standard. “People are protesting,” said a resident from North Hamgyong Province. “They wonder why they can’t wear certain hairstyles or clothing while officials do so without consequence.” Another resident from North Pyongan Province questioned the ban on transparent-sleeved blouses, pointing out that even the leader’s daughter has worn such garments.
The ongoing fashion restrictions reflect the regime’s broader efforts to enforce ideological conformity and control over personal expression in North Korea.