Hmong Look Book: Quarantine Edition

Happy Hmong New Year 2020/21!

2020 has cancelled everything including Hmong New Year. This year I was excited, because I had hopes to sew something and dress up. But alas, it didn't happen... So I did a mini photoshoot at home on my phone and called it a day. Here's 7 looks to celebrate 7 days of Hmong New Year.

DISCLAIMER: All my traditional Hmong clothes are with my Mom back in WI. I had to be creative and make due with whatever I had on hand. As someone who promotes sustainability and the rejection of fast fashion I try to limit the amount of Hmong clothes that I actually have. To me, Hmong clothes are like ball gowns. They're incredibly beautiful and I WANT THEM ALL, but realistically these outfits can only be worn on special occasions. I instead gravitate towards modern and fusion pieces so that I can incorporate them into my daily wear.

Day 1: The 'Traditional' Look

How I Layer on Hmong Clothes:

1. White Collared Shirt - thrifted.

2. Necktie - many folks do ties, but I wanted to keep it feminine with a long bow.

3. Wrap Top (DIY)

4. Skirt - My Mom bought me this skirt. It's not a traditional skirt as it has box pleats and an elastic waistband. Traditional Hmong skirts are incredibly heavy as they have super tiny accordion pleats with a tie-off waistband. But for me, this skirt works perfectly.

5. Apron (Sev): I literally ran out of material, so I just folded up a black silk scarf.

6. Sash (Hlab) - I thrifted this green silk scarf. Red is a more traditional color, but I couldn't find any.

7. Silver Belt - Traditionally, you want a money belt, but I think this silver thai-style belt works just fine. I got this on Etsy at KawaiiGalCrafts.

8. Silver Necklace (Xauv) - I got this from my good friend Kao Lee for $25. The size works perfectly for me.

9. Straw Bag - I got this at Marshall's for $16. I've been eyeing these bags all summer, because I think it's the perfect touch to a Hmong outfit. Hmong clothes don't usually pair well with purses or bags. You typically see a traditional Hmong basket that you carry on your back. So I thought these popular straw/wicker bags were a wonderful modern twist. I hope more people start carrying wicker bags with their Hmong outfits.

Hat (DIY): This is my first DIY Hmong hat. My Grandma was well-known for her Hmong hats (photo: red & yellow hats). Her signature was the X criss-cross in the front with different colored pom-pom tails to match our ensemble. These are difficult hats to make, so I decided to make a very simple and easy hat first. My hat is made of (cushion) foam and wrapped in a black linen. I then wrapped 10 yards of velvet ribbon (1" thick) around the hat to create a detailed V where the tip of the hat is. For my first attempt, I'm very happy with it.

Day 2: The 'I Wanna Dress Up, But Not Really' Look

This skirt was originally a dress my Mom bought me, but it was too tight on top. So I hacked it into a skirt and made a bow out of the top. To keep it simple, many Hmong women do often wear black tops, silver necklace (xauv) and a patterned skirt. Hmong clothes have definitely evolved in terms of textiles, prints and silhouettes. Back in the day, it was really hard to wear Hmong clothes in a modern way, but nowadays it's quite simple.

Day 3: The "Hmong Lao" Look

When my Grandma passed, I inherited 3 of these Lao skirts. So I cut up one skirt to make a sweetheart crop top, shoulder sash and skirt apron. I don't wear a lot of Hmong Lao looks, because it often feels foreign to me. It's a beautiful style and very different from traditional Hmong clothes, but it's a heritage that will always be a part of the elders in my family. To me, being both Hmong and American are so important to my identity; as I can imagine it is for my elders. It's been 6 years since my Grandma passed away and I'm very proud to finally be wearing these skirts she left behind.

Day 4: The "I'm Not Dressing Up This Year" Look

I've been guilty of this for many years, because ~real talk~ I'm just here to eat and see my kiddos. Folks will try to shame you for not dressing up and I honestly don't care. I'm Hmong regardless of what I'm wearing. And like my jacket implies, I'm a proud 'Poj Laib'. In Hmong, 'poj laib' means 'bad girl', equivalent to being a 'Nasty Woman' or 'Bad B****h'. It's a misogynistic word meant to shame women (over mundane things like hair color), but in 2020 most Hmong women are proud 'Poj Laib'. I sewed this bomber jacket along with embroidering the embellishments. I didn't exactly finish it due to my timeline. When it's done, I'll upload it to the blog.

Day 5: The "Hmong Fusion" Look

Hat (DIY) | Top - thrifted/repurposed | Sash- thrifted | Skirt (DIY) - simple black circle skirt with elastic waist band | Purse - Auntie Pao Mao | Earrings - Mom | Necklace - H&M

The top is a green velvet GAP dress I thrifted. I was inspired by this Pinterest photo of this little Hmong Vietnamese girl. I tried to create a faux mandarin collar with a thrifted scarf. The scarf was rather ugly on it's own, but the woven texture was a good fit. Next time if I want to try this technique, I'll iron on interfacing to the scarf first. My vision for the dress still isn't want I want, so I might crop it and make something out of the bottom.

Day 6: The "Edgy" Look

My Auntie made my cousins and I these studded Hmong jackets in 2016. It's been sitting in my closet for years untouched, so I thought why not wear it a different way? I hope we start a trend of wearing Hmong jackets as statement pieces. They can be so intricately designed and it's such a waste to not show it off more often.

Day 7: "The Princess Pearl"

I made this entire outfit the week of election, because my mind needed to be occupied. I had drawn out this design months ago with the inspiration of Bai Qian from "Ten Miles of Peach Blossom". With my timeline and Chicago bad weather, this was the best my photos could come out. So I might have to do another shoot to do it some justice. I'll have a separate posting for this entire outfit.

And we have reached the end.

This is just how I celebrated Hmong New Year 2020/21. Honestly, one of my favorite parts of celebration is actually the food! Let me know how you celebrate the Hmong New Year or any unique holiday in your culture.