Nowadays the numbers of the aging population are rapidly increasing in Korea, which became
the 'aged country' from the year 2000. These aged people are getting more important consumer
group and the products and services related to the silver industry are getting bigger. Universal
fashion design is based on the concept of universal design that pursues the 'design for all'. This
study aims to understand the physical, physiological, and psychological characteristics of the elderly
women and apply the principles of universal design to universal fashion design for the
elderly. Korean traditional vest, 'Baeja' was used as the design inference for the target of age 55
and older. This group is also called as 2Y2R(too young to retire), Tonk(too only no kids),
Y-O(young-old) generation, or OPAL(old people with active life). Principles of universal design
such as accessibility, flexibility in use, fair in use, aesthetics, safely-oriented were applied in developing
the vest. This universal fashion products enable the elderly to have physical independence
and make them have the self respect and better life.