By GUO ZHIDONG

THE Uygur people mostly live in the oasis of the Tarim Basin south of the Tianshan Mountains in northwestern China. In their long history， this ethnic group has developed a unique clothing style based on its religion and culture， which is known for rich colors， designs and patterns of elegant simplicity.

The Uygur people are great lovers of nature， and pay much attention to what they wear. As a result， elements of nature， especially flora， are the inspiration of the designs of traditional Uygur costumes.

Classic mens wear is in white and black， and fits loosely. The accoutrements， including a shirt， coat， robe， and sash， are made of fine textiles. The shirt is a pullover of thigh or knee length. Those for young men and boys are usually sparsely embroidered and are worn with a coat and a sash. The latter is mostly made of pinstripe cotton cloth， and sometimes embroidered with floral patterns. It serves as both a fastener and an ornament.

Mens pants are similar to the slouchy Harem style. They can be made of various textiles and also animal hides. But today suit pants and jeans are more popular among Uygur men.

There are more colors and designs for womens wear， which includes blouses， coats of various lengths， sleeveless jackets， pants， and skirts. Young ladies love bright colors like red， green， and purple， which reflect their passion and temperament， while older women prefer modest hues， such as black， blue， and dark green.

The coats have high or flat collars， with front or side openings. They are matched with calf-length tube skirts.

Skirts are a centerpiece of womens wear， made from various textiles， with the most distinguished being Atlas， or Etles， elastic， lustrous silk with tiedyed patterns. In the summer， Uygur women wear a one-piece dress of Atlas and a neatly fit button-down waistcoat of pleuche （velvet-like fabric） over it； in the winter they wear a long overcoat and embroidered leather boots to match the dress. The sartorial details of these outfits vary from region to region.

During big events in Uygur life， such as holidays and visits to relatives and friends， Uygur women often wear their Atlas dress and finest jewelry. As this splendid silk flutters down the city street or country roads like rosy clouds， you can understand why the Uygurs laud it as conveying the spirit of spring.

A key part of Uygur apparel is the headwear， colloquially called the flower hat. Back in the Tang Dynasty （618-907） men of the Western Regions， a historical name for the regions west of the Yumen Pass， including todays Xinjiang， wore peaked felt hats with a fold-up brim； by the early Qing Dynasty （1644-1911） this headwear had evolved into a skull hat formed into four corners at the top. In the following centuries the technique of making the hats continued to develop， and its designs and materials have become more diversified.

In addition to its practical functions of protection against the heat and cold， the flower hat is a key factor in Uygurs social dress code. As both the local custom and religion require men to wear it on visits and formal events， such as public activities， visits to relatives and friends， or celebration of festivals， it is as important to Uygur men as the head covering is to Uygur women. There is a local saying： no god or good fortune will visit the families whose female members dont cover their heads with hats or scarves. As the times have changed， and people are more openminded， many Uygurs dont wear hats or scarves except during such occasions as funerals or important ceremonies. But the flower hat has long been a symbol of the ethnic group.

As for footwear， the variety is also vast. Uygur people were the descendants of nomads who lived in Chinas western borders more than 1，000 years ago. Boots were fit for their herding and hunting lifestyle， and hence have become part of the groups traditional costume. Today Uygurs wear both boots made of cattle or sheep hide and modern shoes， as well as the cover-shoes （worn outside boots or regular shoes）. The boots for women are often lavishly embroidered.

From head to toe， the clothes and accessories of Uygur people are symbolic of the culture， customs， and history of this ethnic group.