Today the people in northern Tibet have a much better way of life. They dress well and the men like to wear loose jackets with long sleeves, while women wear body hugging colorful clothes. The men also wear cloth or felt hats, sometimes with tassels, and in some areas they add purplish silk decorations. Women seldom wear hats in summer, but during the rainy season they wear a white felt or white woolen rain coat with a hat. In winter, both men and women wear fox or sheepskin hats, and scarves of the same materials are also popular. On special occasions the women wear a red tassel on a hat composed of iron rings, or a longevity hat. Herders in northern Tibet pay great attention to their clothes and they are generally made from high-grade woolen fabrics and lined with sheepskin. Clothes for men have black borders, while those for women have colored borders. Today people love to wear clothes trimmed with otter hide, which sells for up to 10,000 yuan apiece. In livestock breeding areas, women wear colored aprons called "Bamdain" in Tibetan, which are longer than those found in the farming areas. Herders make their own boots, which are brightly colored and unique in workmanship. The annual horse race gives the herders and farmers an opportunity to display their handiwork-hats, robes and boots. In addition to clothing unique to Tibet, the herders and farmers also wear Han Chinese clothes or Western suites. Han Chinese clothes, shirts and sweaters, all sold at low prices, are very popular, but Tibetan clothing is still in vogue.

　　The people of northern Tibet also like to decorate their clothing with various objects. Men decorate their horses and carry knives and rifles remade from traditional firearms. They have pigtails decorated with Lhayu jade, which is believed to represent the soul, and red or black hair tassels composed of coral and agate. The wealthier men like to have agate, coral and other forms of decoration, and wear a gold or silver earring in the left ear. Rings, some of them saddle-shaped, are worn on the middle and fourth fingers, an ivory, agate or jadeite ring is worn on the thumb, and a bracelet on the left wrist. Men also carry a bag containing a flint, needles, an awl and a small knife; the men in northern Tibet are skilled at needlework. Wealtheir men also carry a whip with a white rattan handle, and a gilded silver box containing auspicious objects. Some also carry a horn snuff bottle inlaid with silver and gems. Those who smoke carry pipes with silver or bronze bowls and an agate or jadeite mouthpiece, in addition to a tobacco pouch inlaid with silver, bronze or gems.
　　Women's attire is relatively complex. During holidays they put on their best clothes and wash their hair which is then combed into two sections. The top sectioin is covered with a black cloth, from beneath which protruded five pigtails. Married women wear slices of white conch shell adorned with coral, silver and other forms of decoration in their hair to show love and respect for their husband. The ends of their pigtails are decorated with tiny bells, sliced conch shells, coral, jade and silver coins. The women's earrings are usually made of silver and adorned with various kinds of gems, and their necklaces are made from highquality cat's eye, red coral, pearls and jade. Bracelets are made of amber and silver. Rings inlaid with gems are worn on the middle and ring fingers. Belts are made of silver, gilded, or inlaid with various types of gems, and usually consist of nine, six or five segments. Women generally also have a needle bag hanging to their left and a tiny knife to the right. A woman may also carry a silver chain bearing tiny bells or tiny conch shells. Many also carry milk keg hooks, small bags of salt to feed the cattle and sheep, and Erdo herding whips.