Pumi traditional clothing is characterized by white sheepskin capes, long multicolored pleated skirts for women, and dark jackets with red trim for men. The white sheepskin cape is the most distinctive Pumi garment.
Key Features of Pumi Attire
- White sheepskin cape worn over the shoulders
- Long multicolored pleated skirts with horizontal woven bands
- Large silver earrings and coral bead necklaces
- Dark front-fastening jackets with red or blue trim
- Men's white linen or hemp trousers with embroidered leg bands
Traditional Garments
Women wear a long pleated skirt in white or natural wool with colored horizontal bands, a dark blue or black jacket with embroidered collar and cuffs, and the iconic white sheepskin cape draped over the back and shoulders. Men wear a dark jacket with red piping over a white shirt, paired with wide-leg white trousers.
Headwear and Adornments
Women wrap their hair in a large black or dark blue cloth headdress that extends down the back, called a waba. Some styles incorporate colorful beaded bands and silver ornaments at the temples. Men wear black or blue head wraps.
Embroidery and Decorative Arts
Pumi embroidery concentrates on jacket collars, cuffs, and the edges of the sheepskin cape, featuring floral and geometric patterns in bright threads. The cape edges often bear embroidered bands in red, yellow, and blue.
The Pumi white sheepskin cape, worn daily by women for centuries, is considered by cultural historians to be a living fossil of the ancient Qiang sheepherding tradition that dates back over 2,000 years.
Color Symbolism
White dominates (especially the sheepskin cape), with dark blue or black jackets. Skirt bands in red, blue, green, and white. Embroidery in bright primary colors.
Festival Attire
During the Pumi New Year (Wugu Festival) and the Kuoshi Festival, women wear their finest white sheepskin capes, most elaborately pleated skirts, and full coral bead sets.
Modern Influence and Preservation
Pumi sheepskin cape craftsmanship is maintained as cultural heritage in Ninglang County.
Did You Know?
The Pumi believe that the white sheepskin cape protects not just from cold but from evil spirits - young Pumi women traditionally receive their first sheepskin cape as a protective talisman when they come of age.