Covering Kerchief. Women's headdresses went through several phases of development, from the kerchief, which covered the whole body, to the comparatively revealing curtained hat and Tartar hat that became popular later. The covering kerchief was made of thin transparent silk gauze, a style initially worn by men and women of the western national minorities. In the Tang dynasty (618-907) men became less interested in this fashion, and women continued to wear it only when they traveled far from home and were afraid of being seen by men on the road.

Tang Curtained Hat. During the reign of Tang emperor Gaozong the use of the curtained hat became popular and slowly surpassed the covering kerchief. Also called the mat hat, the curtained hat was a sort of bamboo headdress with tall top and broad brim. Around the brim, either on two...