Often the only part of the baby that can be seen is the top of the head and this is covered with a special hat of auspicious symbols. The bright fabrics, threads and coins on the hats are said to confuse evil spirits who mistake the heads for flowers. The blouses are made of heavy satin, velvet or synthetic, patterned velour with machine embroidery and commercial braids around the neck and sleeves. Even in 40 degrees heat women still wear these thick garments. Historically the Hmong came from extremely cold climates to the north, but it is surprising that adaptations to cooler materials and thinner fabric constructions have not been made.
Baskets are another practical item made by the Hmong, mainly by men for use by women.
They are large and strong, woven from natural plant materials, sometimes with horse hair or leather straps. In the fields and working at home women wear the same style of dress. - more worn and faded than their best. Skirts are washed or hung up to air in the open and for storage they are rolled vertically and tied at the waistband by the straps to hang up in the house. Textile production is no longer such a large part of women's lives here, but the Hmong style has been retained. Work for financial gain has taken over, growing plums and nectarines and tending animals, but the division of labour seems to continue, women still work harder and longer hours and women walk back home up the mountain paths after a day at market while men, with a few glasses of rice wine, too many, ride home on the horse.