She traditional clothing is famous for its phoenix-inspired womens headdress and brilliantly colored embroidered jackets. The She phoenix coronet is considered one of the most beautiful ethnic headdresses in China.
Key Features of She Attire
- Phoenix coronet (fengguan) headdress with silver ornaments and red tassels
- Colorful embroidered jackets with bright phoenix and floral motifs
- Long black wraparound skirts with embroidered hem bands
- Handwoven indigo fabric with decorative woven patterns
- Mens blue or black front-fastening jackets with embroidered waistbands
Traditional Garments
Women wear a blue or black jacket with colorful embroidered panels on the collar, front opening, and cuffs, featuring phoenix and floral designs in bright silk threads, paired with a long black skirt with embroidered hem. The phoenix coronet is the crowning element. Men wear simpler blue or black front-fastening jackets with a cloth belt.
Headwear and Adornments
The iconic She phoenix coronet is a silver crown-like headdress worn by women, shaped like a phoenix with raised wings, decorated with silver filigree, dangling ornaments, and red wool tassels covering the sides of the face. Unmarried women wear simpler versions.
Embroidery and Decorative Arts
She embroidery features phoenix patterns (their most sacred symbol), butterflies, flowers, and geometric borders in brilliant colors on jacket fronts, collars, cuffs, and skirt hems. Satin stitch and split stitch create smooth, glossy surfaces.
The She phoenix coronet is not merely a headdress - oral tradition holds that the first She woman was saved by a phoenix, and wearing its image is a covenant of protection renewed with every generation.
Color Symbolism
Blue and black as base colors. Embroidery in bright red, pink, yellow, green, blue, and gold. The phoenix coronet in silver and red wool tassels.
Festival Attire
During the Spring Festival and She traditional celebrations, women wear the full phoenix coronet with the most elaborately embroidered jackets and wide skirts.
Modern Influence and Preservation
She embroidery and phoenix coronet craftsmanship are preserved through intangible heritage programs in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.
Did You Know?
The She phoenix coronet is so sacred that traditionally it is passed from mother to daughter and should never be placed on the ground - it is kept on a special hook or shelf when not worn.