This detail exemplifies the meticulous attention that skilled Chinese artisans paid to the borders of garments. The entire robe is framed with several different trims, which cohere visually because they are confined to shades of blue, black and white. The part of the garment pictured is the trimming for the side slit, always the site of the densest decoration on Chinese women's clothing of this type. It accentuated the sway of the hips as the wearer walked along, often on bound feet. The wide band, densely covered with blue embroidery, goes along the hem, turns the corner with a neat mitre, and then blossoms out into a curlicue shape just above the side-slit opening. The curl is stretched over, and stuck down onto, a cotton base cut to shape and covered with paste. The paste also helps to bond the underside of this now stiffened scroll to the ground material and it is sewn down as well. This band is sandwiched between narrow bias-cut satin lengths in blue and slightly wider ones in black. The tiny blue edgings are folded and tucked under the wider bands and manipulated skilfully so that the blue always retains an even width throughout. A similar, though narrower, embroidered band is applied inside the broad band and is itself flanked in blue.