Weimao 帷帽, Chinese Clothing Hanfu Face Veil

Weimao (Chinese: 帷帽 ; pinyin: wéi mào), which evolved from Mili (Chinese: 羃䍦 ; pinyin: mì lí), is a hat usually made of black thread, surrounded by a wide brim, with thin silk that only reaches the neck or shoulders to cover the face.

However, Weimao is shorter than Mili.

Weimao is only up to the neck in length, and Mili covers from top to bottom through the body.

History

Weimao began to appear in the Sui dynasty, together with Mili.

With the consolidation of Wu Zetian’s political status and the rise of women’s self-awareness, wearing Mili’s “full body veil” obviously could not meet the aesthetic requirements of women. Since then, Mili has fallen out of mode.

From then on, Weimao became popular among girls.

The removal of the Mili from the Tang dynasty ritual system may reflect the increased social status of women in the Tang dynasty during that period.

This change not only reflects the aesthetic taste of Tang dynasty women but also the openness and tolerance of Tang society.

Weimao is often worn by women when driving or traveling, and is used to cover their faces and prevent passers-by from peeking.

Characteristics of Weimao

1. Short, light, and only up to the neck/shoulder in length.

2. See-through, and can be opened by hand.

In 1972, clay figures of a woman on a horse were unearthed in Astana, Turpan, Xinjiang, and after restoration, Weimao’s original appearance can be seen.