• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.331-347
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to investigate historical and geographical environments in the development of the Naxi costumes of Chinese ethnic minorities and their characteristics-including religious cultures and totem worship-and to suggest the direction of fashion design toward the modernization of traditional costumes. The research methodology involved the collection of materials and investigatation into the history, culture, and characteristics of Naxi costumes; in particular, the "seven-star" sheepskin cape, one of the Naxi people's important ethnic costumes as demonstrated by the women's clothing that has been designed in reflection of this traditional costume. The results are as follows. First, Naxi costumes are found to have overall coherence and distinct locality when retained in the process of modernizing the traditional costume. The theme of this work is titled "By the Light of the Moon and the Stars," which is expressed in contemporary fashion by the use of grey and dark red against a background of black, a color preferred by the Naxi people. Second, the Naxi people's seven-star sheepskin cape is a symbol of women's clothing with its characteristic patterns, shapes, and colors, and it is subject to creative modernization while retaining its unique ethnic characteristics. Third, the work expresses the contemporary stylishness of the costume while maintaining the customary decorative accessories from the Naxi people's traditional culture.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.137-156
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• 1998

In this study, the researcher studied the historical background, and the traditional culture about dress and ornament of Yunnan Province of China, The results of the study are as follows. 1. Dress and personal ornaments of the Va peoples vary with the locality. Their traditional dress and adornment is characterized by those in the Ximeng area. Men usually wear black or dark blue collarless jackets and black and dark blue loose and short bagged trousers with folding waist. Women usually wear close-fitting sleeveless pullover blouses with V-shaped necks and straight skirts with patterns of red and black cross stripes. 2. Jingpo men have changed to wear shirts with button down the front and trousers. They also entwine white turbans with red bobbles on both ends, and carry diagonally long knives, firelocks and red woolen figured satchels on their shoulders. Women usually wear black velvet blouses with silver bowl-shaped ornaments and chains around collars and on the fronts. They also wear red straight skirts with overlapped slit on the right, waistbands and waist hoops made of rattan and bamboo. 3. The Naxi nationality has a long history and excellent traditional culture. In modern times, women like to wear red, blue or purple laced blouses, long double-layered pleated skirts, waistbands and embroidered shoes. They wear their hair in buns with either hats or kerchiefs over them. While working or going out, they put on their "seven-star" capes made of sheepskin and embroidered with two big circles and seven small ones, while is a symbol of their frog totem. 4. The dress and adorment of the Jinuo people is simple, elegant and has its own unique characteristics. Men usually wear white buttonless shirts with round necks and an opening on the front, knee-length bagged trousers and legging. They wear cloth turbans, earrings and also put small bamboo or silver pipes in the holes of their earlobes. Women wear short buttonless blouses with round necks and seven coloured stripes and thin tight-fitting or embroidered triangular underwear. 5. The dress and ardorment of the Benglong (De' ang) nationality has its own strong national colour. Most of the men wear jackets with buttons arranged diagonally on the front, loose, short trousers and black or white turbans. Some young men like to wear eardrops and silver necklaces. Women's dress and adornment differs according to various branches. For example, the women of the Bielie and Liang branches have their hair shaved and wear black turbans. They use large square silver tablets as buttons and wear blue or black blouses with buttons down the front. 6. Oai men usually wear trousers, white or blue cloth turbans and round-necked shirts with buttons down the front or arranged diagonally on the front. Women usually wear long straight skirt and blouses. But dress and adornment varies in regions. 7. The Bai nationality dress and adornment has unique national style. The dress fabrics are mainly cotton cloth, silk and velvet. Men usually wear red velvet vests over white shirts with buttons down the front or black velvet vests over light blue shirts. They also wear white of blue turbans and carry satchels with beautiful embroidered designs over their shoulders. Women usually wear red velvet vests over white blouses, or black vests over light-coloured blouses.