Li ethnic tube skirt

Li ethnic tube skirt

　　　　The tube skirt is the most beloved garment of Li ethnic women, rich in ethnic character. It is a skirt hand-spun and woven. With the top and bottom edges of the same width, seamless and without folds, it resembles a cloth tube—hence the name “tube skirt.” There are both long and short versions. Regardless of length, the base color comes only in black or blue, with various colored threads woven into floral, bird, insect, animal, human figures, or geometric patterns, all vibrant in color. During celebrations, Li girls wear tube skirts paired with colorful headscarves and embroidered-edge blouses, singing and dancing joyfully. The splendid tube skirt is the fruit of the Li women’s hard work and wisdom, passed down through generations. Every woman knows how to weave them, using only simple bamboo or wooden “backstrap looms” and no patterns to create intricate designs.