Three-panel apron

Three-panel apron

　　Both men and women of the Tujia ethnic group have the custom of wearing aprons. The aprons used for receiving guests differ from those used in daily life. Women wear various types of aprons when receiving guests, such as dewdrop aprons, jingling aprons, pleated aprons, and embroidered aprons, while those for daily life include hanging-handle aprons, half-head aprons, and cloth-bundle aprons. Men prefer to wear the “three-panel apron.” This three-panel apron is suitable for both rough work and receiving guests. As the saying goes, “A man wearing a three-panel apron will not be embarrassed at a banquet.” Along the Qingjiang River, there is also a folk song that goes: “A white-clothed waistband with three-panel apron, good for rough work and formal visits, made of home-woven cotton cloth, standing tall without asking others for help.” Some people wear the three-panel apron nearly all year round—it keeps warm and blocks wind in winter, wards off dust during work in summer, and serves as padding when carrying loads or resting. The three-panel apron is relatively simple to make, consisting of three panels of blue or white cloth sewn onto a single strip of white cloth as a waistband, with each panel overlapping the next by two inches, and two pockets sewn onto the middle panel. The custom of wearing the three-panel apron is still widely practiced today in western Hubei. (Changyang County)