The most distinctive part of the traditional clothes of a Mien woman is the red ruff-like edging that is sewn to the edge of their long black tunics. The tunic is worn over intricately embroidered pants, with a sash around the waist and a black turban. The men’s clothing is much plainer, consisting of dark coloured loose fitting Chinese style pants and a jacket.

The Mien dress varies slightly from country to country, the main difference being that in China women wear a knee-length skirt while in Laos and Thailand both men and women wear pants. In Thailand, most Mien people wear traditional clothes only on special occasions.