The costume of the Yao is an extremely important part of their culture.  The above photographs show a Blue Yao girl, and a Blue Yao woman, wearing their traditional costume.  This version of the Yao costume is a bit unusual, since most involve a great deal of embroidery.  Knowledgeable people can determine at a glance what clan and sub-group of the Yao a person belongs to by the details of the costume.  Many names for the various sub-groups are derived from some aspect of their tradional dress.

Most embroidery is limited to five colors.  Some believe that this is related to the five colors of P'an Hung, their Dragon Dog ancestor.  Most women wear some sort of turban, silver jewelry and embroidered blouses.  Some wear skirts, others trousers.  Male costume is less unique.