The Taoists Clothes 道衣

Taoists Clothes（道衣）is a general term for the clothing worn by Taoists in daily life and during ritual ceremonies. Nowadays, it mostly refers to the garments worn by Taoists during rituals, including repentance robes, Taoist robes, ritual robes (Taoists Clothes), crimson robes, etc., which are equivalent to ritual costumes (Fufu). However, in ritual settings, when contrasted with the ritual robes worn by masters, Taoists Clothes specifically denotes the clothing of ordinary Taoists, which are inferior to the masters' ritual robes in terms of craftsmanship and elegance.

In the early days of Taoism, Taoists Clothes was once made by twisting downy feathers of chang (a type of bird, likely the griffon vulture) into threads and then weaving them into fabric, known as "hechang" (crane cloak). This manufacturing method was first recorded in the feathered garments worn by Luan Da, an alchemist during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. These were sleeveless cloaks, worn draped over the body, spreading out like bird wings, symbolizing the ascension of immortals to heaven.

Lu Xiujing of the Liu Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties defined Taoist costumes into two types: "pi" (cape) and "he" (rough coat). The "he" is what we now refer to as the Taoist robe.

The main types of Taoists Clothes inherited in modern times are as follows:

When wearing Taoists Clothes, it is usually paired with lantern pants, or other types of trousers with leg wrappings.