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Tibetan Fashion
Casual Fridays. Jeans. The baseball cap. Our sloppiness in attire waxes in proportion to our waistlines and free time. Meanwhile, in Tibet, one of the world’s most demanding environments, people accouter themselves with boundless pride. Long commute be damned, most of the Tibetans you’re about to see have to commute for a source of potable water. Yet, their outfits are indicative not only of their particular region of Tibet, but also a carefully cultivated sense of self. You may point to your NBA jersey in response, but we’ll humbly submit that these hand-made costumes make a much more eloquent statement than anything turned out in a sweatshop.
Nomadic women of Tibet’s pasture lands are famed for their ornate back drapes. It is a sign of skilled womanhood, for only a patient, competent woman has the patience to tool such a geometric wonder of red leather, black velvet, satin, amber, coral, and silver. Underneath, copious layers of brightly-dyed wool prevent freezing, as well as knowing whether a super-model or sumo physique is underneath. The large silver waist pendants with the amber eyes protect against evil, a shared feature with Turkish folk culture. Good eye if you can make out the swastika on the belt of the woman far right. No fascist, she displays a yung-drung, the most auspicious symbol in Tibetan Buddhism.
Much like Mr. T’s Mandinka tribe and the New York genus of Italian-American, Tibetan women of the Xigaze area wear their wealth around their necks. Instead of golden Mercedes or hypocritical crucifixes, however, these Xigaze women have complex Buddhist mandalas inscribed into heavy silver plates. It’s an acknowledgment that spiritual glory surpasses all material gain, as are the turquoise kawo worn higher up, symbols of infinity. The plush yak-fur touks? Just plain common sense.
More on the kawo, the turquoise-inlaid symbol above the championship-belt piece. It’s actually a box, inside which are kept amulet prayers. No wonder this young lady’s eyes sparkle as bright as her pearly-white teeth.
As in the salons of South Central LA, hair-braiding in Tibet is a full-time job. Can you tell this northern Tibetan woman is married? Of course! For one thing, her hair is parted in the middle, and she wears coral pieces on her small braids. Were you to see the shells and silver on the large braid she wears in back, that would be the giveaway.
This woman in the Khangpa region is entitled to the hair ornamentation of a full-blown matriarch. The heavy front braids with brass tabs denote a married woman of status. The heavy headpiece, however, can be worn only by a woman with three generations around her hearth. They take few cruises and play little mahjong, still it must be nice for a Tibetan woman to look forward to more privileged head gear as she ages, rather than obsolescence.
These women of north Tibet sport the ultra-soft sheepskin skirt, as well as an apron that serves much the same purpose as a tartan. All the ornamentation and embroidery may seem a trifle excessive, until one realizes that every piece has a specific meaning, familial, clan, or spiritual.
The Mongols aren’t the only ones to take horse-racing to the level of cultural touchstone. August is a time to gather on the grasslands of North Tibet, where King Gesar, the Tibetan Abraham, did battle. The most important item in the rider’s ensemble is his spear. The horse, on the other hand, is turned out as lovingly and brightly as a favored wife.
Here’s a minority you’re not likely to have heard of nor to see afterward – the Lhoba. Dwelling in the sheltered Himalayan valleys and vales of southeastern Tibet, the Lhoba are people of the Bear, and still subsist largely on hunting, all 2,300 of them. The black tunics are of wool, but the helm-like hats must be made of bear skin. It’s a matter of reverence, not fashion. Although they still refuse to wear shoes, no self-respecting adult Lhoba male would be caught without his bow, arrow, and non-ornamental dagger.
Think this ethnic Kampa male of Qamdo spent a little too much time getting dressed? Perhaps the big coral earrings, amber necklaces, and satin robe are a little much? Good thing you can’t tell him in his Tibetan dialect. That’s the hilt of a honed sword he’s got in his right hand, and the Kampa are known for being ready to draw them.
Now this Kampa female might not be gotten up quite as ornately as her male counterpart, but she does get to wear a big plum flower ornament of silver and bronze, inlaid with coral, atop her forehead. Such an ornament was the favorite of King Gesar when worn by his wife. Aside from that, Kampa women pay a bit more attention to their hair than do the men.
Interestingly, women in the agricultural areas of Tibet wear much simpler robes than their pastoral counterparts. This woman sports a practical qugba robe, made of pulu, a relatively lightweight woolen fabric. The qugba is longer than the wearer’s height, to be folded at the waist for a big pocket in which the particulars of farm life may be carried.
These two maidens of Nyinchi County are dressed for a big festival, and for being noticed by potential mates. Perhaps because Nyingchi means “Holy Seat of the Sun”, these are among the few Tibetans to make gold one of the essential elements of their ornamentation. The pieces of jewelry they arrange on themselves for an important festival can number in excess of one thousand, however it is the exquisite embroidery on their light wool tunics and caps that set them apart from the many varied costumes of their fellow Tibetans.
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- Tibetan Buddhist Kama Sutra and Tantric Sex
- Tibetan Buddhist Kama Sutra and Tantric Sex
- Tibetan Pu’er Tea: A Brief History
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