Yellow, orange, red, or maroon are the most common colors for the meyog and ngullen . A yellow best called kerag cinches the shamdab around the waist. It is generally a plain strip of cloth, but there are variations. Monks and nuns who are fully ordained wear a shamdab with five strip of patches sewn in a particular pattern and have a second yellow robe with 25 strips of patches called namcha which is worn on special occasions. Underwear is advised, including a sports top or similar undergarment for nuns.
Special care is taken when sitting and crossing the legs to avoid any embarassing display.
The shamdab , zen , and donka are worn from the moment one wakes up in the morning until going to bed at night, even when going to the toilet. Robes should be worn properly, clean and neat, at all times. Although not specified in the Vinaya texts, an extra set of these three items, the shirt, and underskirt is generally kept to wear during laundering. In very hot weather, the ngullen is sometimes worn without the donka . In the Tibetan tradition, sleeves, hats, scarves, and trousers are not appropriate.