The longyi in Myanmar

The longyi is a traditional article of clothing worn by both men and women in Myanmar. A big 2-meter fabric, akin to a sarong, is wrapped around the lower part of the body. People wear this on almost every occasion. Men will be seen wearing a shirt with a longyi to the workplace, and ladies will be seen lazing around.

Longyis worn by men is known as pasoww (, or paso), while those worn by women are known as htamein (, or htamain). They are not strictly speaking unisex clothes because the manner they are worn, as well as the designs and cosmetics, varies between the genders.

Men wear the contemporary pasoww by folding it on each side in front and tucking it in at the waist just below the navel. Women, on the other hand, have always had a three cubit one-finger span length, but they were unsewn like men's. They are wrapped around the waist with a single broad fold in front and the end tucked in on one side, or folded back at the hip and tucked into the other side of the waist, and are frequently topped with a fitting blouse worn only to the waistline.

Hemlines rise and fall with the trend of the day, but they are unlikely to climb past the knee. Longyis are often offered unfinished, although they are increasingly available ready to wear; htameins can even be sewed like Western skirts. Untying and re-tying a lon chee is a common sight in public, with women doing it much more quietly than males. The design and method of tying the knot distinguish male and female longyi. Men wear their knot out in front, whilst women tuck it inside.