Festival ensemble

Miao People, Thailand/Laos, Festival Outfit

A) Jacket. Jacket of black cotton, waist length, with standing collar. Front opening with no closure, worn with sides overlapping and forming "V" neckline. Standing collar faced with machine-embroidered ribbon of black ground with purple-ish flower blossoms with yellow centers, blue vines, and green leaves. This band continues along edge of opening to about 9 1/4" above hem. From that point to hem on each side of opening a different band is used, of purple and green foliate forms on black, with outer border of diagonal blue stripes and silver ovals on black ground with silver edges. A second machine-woven band of ribbon is applied as an outer border along the collar/upper opening band, with green, pink, and white stripes and bands of green and white trees(?) and a band of alternating green/yellow/white butterflies and same color flowers(?), all on a reddish ground. Long black sleeves have central wide band of orange satin with machine-embroidered multicolored sea dragons. Black fabric added after panels to form lower sections of sleeves. Garment is lined in black fabric, the collar and front opening backed with pink/purple fabric. Garment has a size tag sewn inside at back collar: "XXL". Not an American size.

B) Skirt. Wrap style skirt with tiny pleats. Skirt formed of horizontal bands of fabrics sewn together, some embellished. From top: Plain black cotton(?) waistband ca. 3 1/4" wide with long black ties; White cotton(?) band ca. 1 1/2" wide, which begins pleating that continues down length of skirt; Pale blue/gray section ca. 14" long which has printed bands of dark blue linear designs: zig-zags, scrolls, lines, etc., the lines having had thin strips of fabric appliqued over them, in green, orange, and purple over the bulk of the skirt; Red cotton(?) band 1 1/2" wide with horizontal bands of rick-rack decoration appliqued on, in green, purple, yellow, and pink and blue; Band of black coarse-woven fabric ca. 6" wide with 3 1/4" band of scrolling/spiral forms in green, white, red, purple, and yellow cross-stitch, and lower border of pink ribbon and white rick rack. Lowest band is of printed reddish fabric with green circles and yellow "blossoms" ca. 2" wide. Unlined. No labels or tags in garments.

C) Apron formed of a vertical rectangle made from a fine white and blue mesh novelty fabric with inner layer of stiffer fabric, covered with small regularly spaced blue metallic circles. Applied to apron are three chevrons created from bands of woven ribbon with yellow grounds and red and green blossoms, leaves, and berries. From the lower edges of the bands hang fringe of green plastic beads, each string of fringe terminating in a section composed of: small red metallic bead, oval green bead, small red metallic bead, large simulated pearl bead, and small green bead. Applied to apron in chevron patterns between embroidered bands are flower heads, some formed of layers of folded ribbons and beading, some of iridescent cut-outs with central flower-head shaped sequins and beads. The waistband of the apron is formed by a long band of the embroidered ribbon, with the beaded fringe. No labels or tags on garment.

d) Necklace of silver, concentric tubular rings and E) Crown. Ornate headpiece formed of very thin sheet silver, decorated with repoussé. Decoration includes openwork horses and riders, dimensional floral forms, floral items set "en tremblant" on springs to shake and tremble as the wearer moves, dragon forms, butterflies, etc. From lowest edge is suspended a fringe of conical silver beads. Crown is tiara form, not a closed circle, with loops at sides to tie around wearer's head.