Ethnic costumes: LỰ ETHNIC GROUP
The traditional women's attire of the Lự ethnic group includes a headscarf, blouse, skirt, and various pieces of jewelry. The traditional headscarf (khát hô) is typical of indigo color, sometimes black, made from fabric woven and dyed by Lự women themselves. The scarf is woven into two layers and sewn into a tube shape, measuring 1.5-2m in length and 12-15cm in width. Both ends of the scarf are adorned with white embroidered patterns. When worn, a Lự woman's hair is tightly wrapped inside the scarf, which is tilted to the left, revealing the front with embroidered patterns at both ends of the scarf. Young girls wear smaller-sized scarves.
The traditional blouse of Lự women includes two colors: indigo and black. The fabric used to make the clothes is primarily indigo fabric woven and dyed by the community members. The everyday blouse (woven with coarse fabric) is distinct from the festival attire (woven with silk), usually hand-sewn, with a short length reaching the waist and narrow sleeves. With interlocking patterns, the blouse, once sewn, is spread out to form a crescent shape.
The skirt (sìn) of Lự women previously had two types: one worn indoors and another for labor, with the lower half in dark black. From the knee up, weave small, alternating, colorful horizontal stripes. Nowadays, they do not distinguish clearly between everyday and festival skirts; instead, they wear a common type of skirt, and those worn during festivals are often new.
Lự women commonly wear necklaces with silver “xà tích” chains connecting both ends, known as “cuống”. Sometimes, jewelry is also attached to the blouse or skirt. Women enjoy wearing bracelets crafted from bronze, often wearing multiple pieces; they also wear earrings (nị tạng), floral designs woven from multicolored threads.
Line agency: People's Committee of Lai Chau
Responsible for implementation: Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lai Chau province