Distinctive and colorful clothing characterizes T'boli men and women and is a major source of ethnic pride. Nearly all clothing is made of t'nalak , which is a cloth that has a brown background, lightened by red and beige designs. Women wear ornamental combs, earrings, bracelets, and rings. The T'boli usually cover their heads with turbans or large circular hats. Marriages are usually arranged by the families after lengthy negotiations.
Weddings are colorful celebrations that often require months of preparation.
However, the rich may sometimes have multiple wives as a symbol of prestige. Unlike most people of the Philippines, the T'boli follow their traditional animistic religion, believing that aspects of nature have spirits. If the spirits are not appeased, they can cause the people much harm. Although the T'boli believe in a great pantheon of gods, the two most important are Kadaw la Sambad and Bulon la Mogow . They supposedly gave birth to the lesser gods, who either bestow benefits on people or afflict them with bad luck or ailments.