Design and origins of women's head ornament in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze

Applying the principles of folklore and garment,this article makes a preliminary research on the styles and origins of women's hairstyle,meile,kerchief and hairpin in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.The long hair tied in a bun and decorated with flowers is the foundation of the women's head ornaments in this area.The main parts of the head ornaments include meile and kerchief.Meile is a long and narrow ribbon tied around the forehead and kerchief is a piece of trapezoid cloth which is used to wrap the head.The hairstyle and the ornaments have a long historical origin and are closely related with the local lifestyle of “Rice Culture”.