Having lived on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau for centuries, the Tibetan people have created their own unique garments and adornments that reflect the land, weather and way of life on the "roof of the world".

Indeed, clothes have unusual connotations on this snow-covered plateau: They reflect the history, culture, beliefs and characters of the local people.

Something different: one-sleeved shirt

Long-sleeved, broad robes worn loosely with a diagonal cut and women's aprons welted with colorful stripes may be the general idea people have about Tibetan clothing. There are, however, many marked variations on clothing from different localities, which is influenced by the different strands of religion. Tibet's isolated environment has allowed Tibetan clothing to evolve into a variety of distinctive and characteristic styles.

Tibetan clothing mainly consists of a robe and a shirt. The Tibetan robe is broad and appears longer on the left than the right side since it is often fastened near the right armpit. Robes are also secured with two red, blue, or green cloth belts.

The weather in northern Tibet, where herdsmen lead a nomadic lifestyle in natural mountainous pastures, is bitterly cold. Since there is a huge disparity between daytime and nighttime temperatures, local herdsmen wear a fur-lined robe all year round, which doubles as a quilt at night. During the day, people go sleeveless (or wear only the left sleeve), tying the remaining sleeve(s) around the waist. Today, the wearing just the left sleeve while exposing the right shoulder is immediately identified as typical Tibetan style.

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