Hui Clothes

The typical costume of men of the Hui ethnic minority includes a white or black skullcap, a white short gown with a black waistcoat in summer. Women often wear a head covering that covers the head and shoulders entirely, leaving only the face exposed. The color of the head covering varies with age. Young women usually wear green head coverings, middle-aged women black and old women white. Nowadays, except that middle-aged women wear black head coverings, young women or unmarried girls just wear white caps or kerchiefs in various colors. Unmarried girls usually plait their hair and do not ware kerchiefs. Some middle-aged and young women wear jewels such as earrings and finger rings. Sheikh and imams wear a specially designed green overcoat.

However, since Hui people often live together with other ethnic groups, they often dress in a similar way to the local people. For instance, Hui people in Diqing and the local Tibetan people wear clothes in the similar style; Hui women in Xishuangbanna wear narrow-sleeved succinct upper garments and pailform skirts, which are nearly the same to those worn by the Dai people; Hui people living in areas of the Bai ethnic minority favor white clothes as the local people do; and those living with Han people dress themselves in Han-style clothes.