Royal Threads: Deciphering Thai Court Dress
A visual guide to the symbolic significance of fabrics, patterns, and styles in traditional Thai attire.
Fully Traditional Thai Clothing
Tradition Meets Change, Women in the Inner Court, from Princess to Mom Chao, adhered to strict clothing customs. The fabrics, patterns, and draping styles reflected their rank. This attire, while traditional, was sometimes adapted for daily life and a changing society.
The Replica of the Traditional Clothing
The clothing enables to identify royal ranks and general rank through fabric types, patterns, and draping styles such as the Queen. They wore a long skirt with golden patterns, a blouse and golden royal shoes.
Fully Royal Traditional Female Attire
There was combination of western women's clothing and traditional Thai women's clothing. It was golden or silver silk brocade, tucking the front edge and wearing golden waistband, sleeved blouse or puff-sleeved blouse. They also wore a shawl-like garment with golden pleats.
The Replica of Mourning Clothing
For the mourning clothing, there were fixed colors to indicate relationship status with the dead. Black was dressed for adults and white for the young. Dark purple or dark blue were dressed for those who were not a relative of the dead.
The Replica of the Clothing Relevant to Beliefs on Colours
Wearing cloths relevant to colour of each day was belief in celestial guardians called Sawaddiraksa. It was tradition of palace women to wear colour of the day. There was an exact colour of each day for good fortune.
