Woman's Hand-woven Cloth Dress Decorated with Bubble-shaped Silver and Embroideries

This dress would have been worn by Huayao woman. The Huayao are a branch of the Dai in Yunnan. The name "Huayao" means "Colorful Waistband" and they get their name from colorful costumes like this one. The bolero, shorter than the waistband, is trimmed with embroidery along the collar, cuff and hem.Huayao Dai women usually wear three tight skirts, with the longer ones underneath so that each layer shows. Traditionally, this skirt should be worn higher on left than on the right.