When a Maldivian woman wears the traditional libaas and feyli, the dress is only complete with the traditional jewellery, especially the fattaru bai that adorns the neck and the rumaafalhi, worn on the hair.
The rectangular piece of cloth used to make the rumaafalhi, is starched and dyed first and left spread out in the sun to dry. The dried stiff material is shaped to form a little hat, on a round cushion with a ball of cloth on top that resembles a hair bun. Once the rumaafalhi is shaped, it is decorated with small pieces of white cloth, pins and brooches. Women style their hair to form a bun on the side of her head on which the rumaafalhi is worn. The rumaafalhi is an important part of the traditional women’s attire.