The longyi is a clever piece of clothing. It is just one rectangle of fabric - no zip, no button, no stitching across the front. You step into it, fold the cloth across your tummy, and tuck or knot it firmly so it stays put. Children practise the knot the way other children practise tying shoelaces.
Different parts of Myanmar weave different patterns. Some are bright with stripes; some are dark with little checks; some have a beautiful pattern called acheik that ripples like waves. In a busy market you can see hundreds of folded longyis stacked on shelves, each one slightly different.
The longyi is also brilliantly suited to Myanmar's weather. The country is hot for most of the year, and a loose wrap of cotton is much cooler than tight trousers. When it's even hotter, you can roll the longyi up. When you're cycling or rowing a boat, you can knot it shorter. It changes shape as the day changes.
Children wear longyi to school in many parts of Myanmar, often paired with a white shirt. School uniform is a sea of green and white - green longyis for the pupils, with their backpacks bouncing as they walk past stalls selling mango and rice cakes on the way home.