Thai About

They wear few clothes,” wrote Simon de la Loubere of the ordinary Thais he saw in 17th-century Ayutthaya ,” not so much by reason of the heat as by the simplicity of their manners.” In everyday traditional life , the only apparel for both men and women was a length of homespun cotton that could be worn as skirt or trousers. silk was reserved for royalty ^117. Despite the growing popularity of Western fashions, many people in the countryside still regard the old-style dress as being mored to their ways of life.

“Jongkrabane”

The jongkrabane o 54, a length of cloth was wrapped around the waist then pulled through the legs and secured at the back, was popular with women in the past.A similar fashion worn by men was called a pannung.

“Adornment”

Elegant jewelry gem-studded brooches, buckles, pendants, tiaras, heavy gold belts and body chains has been worn in Thailand since the Dvaravati period. An innovation of the Ayutthaya period was the wearing of particular colors on different days of  the week : red for Sunday , yellow for Monday, pink for Tuesday, green for Wednesday, orange for Thursday, blue for Friday, and purple for Saturday.

“Menswear”

Traditionally, Thai men wore only  a sarong, sometimes pulled between the legs to form pantaloons of cotton called a phakama ^138, which can also be used as a head covering, a wash cloth, or an impromptu tent for a sieste in the ricrfields.

“Printed fabrics”

In the late Ayutthaya and early Bangkok periods, some pieces of cloth used by the aristocracy, both silk and cotton, were printed in India, using Thai motifs (above) that denoted various degrees of rank. the most popular of these was called pha lai-yang, or “designed cloth,” and had to meet stringent esthetic requirements; less prized varieties were called pha lai-yang, “cloth not according to design, ” and pha liang-yang, “copied design.

“Mor hom”

A basic item of attire for most Thai farmers is the loose cotton shirt called mor hom, traditionally fastened with string at the front. These are dyed dark blue with indigo and worn by both men and women, often with a broad-brimmed hat of woven palm leaf to ward off the sun.

Hairstyles

In former times, Thai men and women cut off almost all their hair except for a growth on the crown, as shown in the above detail from an early 19th-century mural; the remaining hair was compared to a lotus flower. Sometimes after childbirth or on the death of a close relative, women shaved their heads as completely as men did when entering the monkhood. Even today, older countrywomen often wear their hair closely cropped like a man’a.

Northern

In northern Thailand pasin, as women’s sarongs are called, have horizontal striprs and richly decorated areas at the bottom; on silk pasin the decorations are often in gold brocadr, a craft for which the region is noted. Certain bright color combinations are deemed appropriate only for young, unmarried girls, while older women wear more subdued hues like dark blue and purple. Extending almost to the ankles, pasin are worn tightly tucked around the waist and often further secured with a belt.

Northeastern elegance

In northeastern Thailand, where a sizeable part of the population is ethnically Lao, numerous striking costumes can be seen, particularly during festivals, when the best clothing is brought out. Lao embroidery is a notable skill of the region and is used to adorn sarongs as well as sabai; the latter are long pieces of cloth about a foot wide that are draped diagonally over the shoulder and fall to the waist.

Tattoos

Tattoos are worn by Thai men less for esthetic purposes than to ward off a variety of dangers and bring good fortune; on some men of the far north elaborate designs of auspicious animals once covered large areas of the body, almost like a suit of clothing.  The practice has declined in modern times, but still it has its adherents and master tattooists command great respect from believers.

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