Tibetan Cloth has a strong connection with the people and the climate of the Tibetan plateau. They tend to be conservative in their dress, and though some have taken to wearing western clothes, traditional styles still abound, especially in rural and nomadic villages. Each area of Tibet has its own distinct style of clothing. The clothes are influenced by religion and the environment.
There are essentially two different kinds of clothes: those worn for festivals and special occasions and those worn in everyday life. The festival clothes are made of silk or cotton. The everyday clothes used in the winter are made from wool, often produced in Tibet, while everyday clothes used in the summer are made from cotton.
Men and women both wear long sleeves even in hot summer months. Except for the lamas and certain laypersons who shave their heads, the Tibetans wear their hair either long or in a braid wound around their heads and embellished with a complicated pattern of the lesser braid, which makes the whole thing look like some sort of a crown.
Different kind of Tibetan Dress
Chubas
Tibetan Chubas are heavy along with capacious robe with wide, elongated sleeves which hang almost to the ground. This is caught up at the waist by a woollen girdle so that its skirts reach only to the knees and its upper folds form an enormous circular pocket around its wearer’s chest. The nomads, on the other hand, generally wear a sheepskin Chuba, hand-sewn and crudely tanned in butter, with the fleece on the inside.
Robes
The Tibetan robes are very long. If needed they can be pulled up at the waist and tied with the band. When they are hot, robe wearers can bare their right arm or both arms (sometimes this done to make it more convenient to work in the fields). At night the robe can be used as bedclothes. The long sleeves are commonly tied together. But in big gathering or parties, Tibetans often let the sleeves fly in the wind, like prayer flags or butterflies.
Pangden
Tibetans love of colours is evident in the way they decorate their clothes and homes. Female aprons, known as “Pangden”, are often adorned with geometric patterns. Pangden only wears by those who got married. Tibetans often wrap a bandanna or shawl around their mouths for protection against windblown sand and dust. Many people go barefoot or wear flip-flops. Rank used to often be indicated by the colouring and patterns on a person’s boots. Children sometimes have portraits of the holy men tucked in their caps.
Tibetan hat
Tibetans often wear a huge conical felt hat, whose shape varies according to the district they come from; sometimes its peak supports a kind of mortarboard from which dangles a thick woollen fringe. In order to prevent their hats being blown away, they attach them to their heads with a long thread. In their left ear, they wear a heavy silver ring decorated with a huge ornament of either coral or turquoise. The costume is not elaborate, although it can get very elaborate on special occasions such as the new year and other celebration events.
Tibetan boots
Tibetan boots have a great variety and a multitude of names. They are divided into three kinds, cowhide, corduroy and pulu. Most boots are made straight without any difference between left and right feet, or between those for men or women’s styles. The colours of Tibetan boots are exquisite. Some of the insteps are embroidered with silk thread into varying designs while others are edged with golden silk thread.
Tibetan Clothing Materials
Wools are predominate Tibetan clothing materials, the finest wools are washed by hand while the coarser material is washed with the feet. The clothes worn by lamas are made by men. A fine, durable material called “Shema” is made from wool and worn by wealthy families. Favoured dyes include red from madder or Bhutanese insects, indigo from India, yellow from rhubarb, and dark brown from walnuts.
Another material essentially used by Tibetans is Pulu, Pulu is a traditional Tibetan woollen fabric and the main material for making robes, boots, hats, and other Tibetans garments. Produced for more than 2,000 years, Pulu is fine and thick, soft and smooth. It is made of Tibetan felt and usually white. Sheep wool is the raw ingredient. First, it is fluffed and combed. Then it is twisted into a thread around a spindle using the fingers. It is then woven with a wood shuttle loom into Pulu. Pulu is thick and durable, warm, windproof, and rainproof. Robes made of Pulu are water-repellent.
Traveller Guide to Traditional Tibetan Clothing
We offer very special tours to Tibet with focusing the exposure to Tibetan culture and religion. We can offer a tour, especially for the Tibetan Clothing tours. Contact us if you are interested in our Clothing and culture tours in Tibet.
When you are travelling to Tibet, there is a lot of places you can try the local Traditional cloth, especially during the Tibetan family visit. We can also arrange a special tour guide to help you buy authentic Tibetan clothes in Market in Tibet.
