Timor Leste clothing comprises of mostly the traditional clothing of the country which are made from home based textiles. The traditional textile of Timor Leste is known as Tais and they are being made in two styles which are called mane and feto. Mane Tais is the piece of Timor Leste clothing which is worn following the style of sarong around the waist of a person. Feto Tais is another piece of Timor Leste Clothing which is sewn int o a long tube and the women steps inside it and wears it like a dress.
The history of these two pieces of Timor Leste clothing goes back to the ancient times when it was bartered with live stock and gold and silver ornaments. The special significance of the Tais remains in the fact that some kinds of symbols and designs are painted on them. The history of East Timor is reflected in the designs and the cultural importance of the various places also comes out through them.
Tais are made out of hand woven cotton and then various kinds of dyeing techniques are applied on it. Mostly East Timorese women involve themselves in the manufacturing of Tai and sometimes a piece of cloth can take more than a year to complete.
The Timor Leste clothing also has a connection with the Portuguese times and they were the first people to discard the traditional forms of clothing and bring in the modern styles into the market of Timor Leste clothing.