thai silk in royal

On Royal Command
Silk and fine textiles have always held an importance place in the Thai royal courts. Magnificent brocaded silk costumes , heavily embellished with gold , were a sign of wealth ,power and noble birth . They enriched ceremonial occasions and served as a medium of exchange or gifts. A knowledge of costumes and their importance can be gained from mural paintings and figurines or from description by early foreign travellers. Records indicate that during the Sukhothai period ( around A.D 1250-1438) and Ayutthayan period (A.D) 1350-1767) , exotic silks. Brocades and satins were imported from China , Persia, and India to make elaborate court costumes for the nobility. Aristocratic ladies wore a court pha sin ,a simple garment one metre long , gathered and folded at the waistline and secured with a belt. This was combined with a sabai, a long pierce of plain pleated or pattern silk about 30 centimetres wide that was worn above the waist, draped across the chest, falling casually over the left shoulder. The fabric could be worn with either one or both ends tucked into the waistband , or secured by small gold chains. The sabai was often scented with perfumes made from a potpourri of flowers . fragrant limes and incense.
Foreign visitors to the court of Ayutthaya always mentioned the glittering beauty of the clothing. Simon de la Loubere , a French emissary , visited the city in 1688 and provides the follwing desction: “ They go with their Feet naked and their head bare; and for Decency only they begirt their Reigns and Thighs down to their Knees with a piece of painted cloth about two Ells and an half long, which the Portuguese do call Pagne , from the Latin word Pannus … sometimes instead of a painted cloth , the Pagne is a silken Stuff , either plain or embroider’d with a border of Gold and Silver
The pha nung, a rectangular pierce of material about one metre wide and three to four metres long, was popular amongst both men and women. It could be worn in two different styles; as a pha nungchung kraen style, the garment was tied in the front , knotted at waist, then twisted from the top edge to the bottom edge to form to tail which was field between the legs and tucked into the waist at back. It was held in place with the aid of a belt or loincloth. In the chip-na-nang style the garment was wrapped around the lower body , gathered in front with both end skillfully folded into pleats and fastened with a beltIn addition to the complications of dressing properly, Ayuthhayan law governed fashion propriety. Laws dictated that people should dress according to their social class and decreed that certain dress styles would be restricted to royalty or members of the court. Only the Queen was permitted to wear the hom-pak , an ornate heavily jewelled type of sabai. Commoners went bare chested , wearing a simple wrap-around skirt-like garment.
In the 18th century Ayuthhaya was attacked by the Burmese , and the capital finally fell in 1767. During the period of ware, women were forced to crop their hair short and disguise themselves as men so as to avoid being captured and carried away by the Burmese. Elaborate styles were abandoned for the sake of practicality. The long and confining pha sin skirt , which would are handicraft woman needing to defend her family ,was replaced by the pha nung worn with the ta-beng-man, a crossed halter top
Once the new capital was established in Bangkok and conditions stabilized , woman turn their attention to fashion. The Rattankosin period (late 18th center to early 20th ) saw those styles prevalent in Ayutthaya revitalised. Through men did not wear coats o tops unless duty required woman recommand wearing the sabai . Pha sins became richer and more colourful and were embellished with ornate jewellery.
During the 19th century ,Thailand expanded contact with the West, and was influenced by European and American culture in all realms of life, includeing fashion. During the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851) ,a visiting American diplomat described the dress of royal prince: “He was dressed in a jacket of pink damasked crape,closely fitting the body , a sarong of dark silk, knotted in front , the two ends hanging down nearly to the ground , and over ot was tied a light sash ,upon which two jewelled rings of large size were strung, This costume left the head, arms and legs bare…”
King Mogkut (Rama IV,1851-1868) favoured and encouraged Western styles of dressing. The monarch and aristocratic men began to wear long-sleeved tops and pants , while high society ladies wore Western-style skirts together with blouses. When attending royal functions, in the presence o the king ,officials were required to wear jackets , and uniform were issued according to rank
King Chulalongkorn (Rama V,1868-1910),influenced by a visit to Europe at the end of the 19th century, followed in his father’s footsteps in westernisation of clothing. However , during special occasions, noblemen and officials reverted to traditional Thai costume. Men would often combine a pha nung with a western-style jacket shoes and stockings. Photographs of the King show him wearing either trousers or a pha nug, depending on the occasion. The King enjoyed travelling around the country accompanied by this consorts, whom he prefered to be attired as femininely as possible. He objected to the masculine garb popular amongst contemporary travelling women. Thus, traditional Thai dress was redesigned to please and accommodate the “modern” Thai woman. The sabai was now worn over a louse , and the pha nung was frequently won with a silk jacket trimmed with lace, or with a camisole top with bows along the straps, or a high-necked Victorian style blouse and a piece of colourful silk draped like a sash over one shoulderJ.G.D. Campbell,a foreign traveller visiting Bangkok in he late 19th century, eloquently described the clothing of the era: “The national garment of the Siamese of both sexes is called the ‘panung’ … the costliness of the material used ,cotton or silk, varies with the means of the wearer. The ‘panungs’ of the rich. Being often of beautiful silk are very and some, their very simplicity adding to the effect. They can be seen in all hues --- orange, green, blue, red, and purple in every shade --- each day of week, it is said, having its appropriate colour. “ he further wrote that the wealthy wore long silk stockings and often patent leather shoes with buckles, and that wealthy men wore a white jacket and ladies of the upper class silk or satin embroidered jackets trimmed with costly lace and jeweled button
Styles also varied geographically. For example , in the northern court of Chiang Mai which became a province of Thailand under Rama V ,women never wore the pha nung chung kraben. Instead, those of high rank wore a plain or brocade pha sin, a skirt folded in front, with an elaborately embroidered silk or cotton hem interwoven with gold or silver threadWhen King vajjravudh (Rama VI,1910-1925) announced his betrothal, He also made it know that he wished women to discard the pha nung in favour if the pha sim,which gradually gave way to European-style skirts During his reign, city women preferred the new fashions, while many country dwellers continued to wear the pha nung. However, some older ladies felt undressed without pha nung chung kaben and chose to maintain one beneath their skirts. The sabai virtually disappeared ,but the pha sin regained popularity. Mixing Eastern tradition with Western styles, the sin-yok, a cloth woven in gold or silver was frequently worn long over loose, Western-style blouses.
With the introduction of constitutinal monarchy in 1932 , the pda nung was deemed improper and was replaced by Western-style uniforms. This change reflects the extent to which traditional Thai costume has been mixed with or replaced by contemporary Western fashion.In an effect to preserve the heritage of Thai dress, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit decreed five principal styles of national costume for wear by modern Thai women. Derived from the traditional dress of earlier periods ,they are categorised according to levels of formalityThe Thai Ruanton , meaning Thai-style house , is a casual dress suitable for informal day wear. The skirt is long with vertical or horizontal strips on the hem, while the jacket has tree-quarter sleeves with a round, collarless neck. Formal daytime occasions call for The Thai Chitrlade , named after the palace which is the residence of the royal Family. This is a long-sleeved jacket with stand-up collar and a pha sim skirt with a centre pleat either plain or brocaded.
During an informal evening function, one should wear the Thai Amarin , an outfit of skirt and jacket named after the most beautiful throne room within the Grand Palace complex. This skirt material may be of silk brocade. The jacket may have either three-quarter length sleeves and a collarless neck or long sleeves with stand-up Thai collar. Formal evening occasions require the Thai Borompimarn , meaning great heavens. This is a one-piece dress created from gold or silver brocade. The skirt is pleated down the centre panel ,and the bodice has long sleeves, a high ,round neck with a stand-up collar.
The full dress costume worn for formal palace ceremonies is called the Thai Chakri, meaning palace or dynasty. This is a two-piece outfit, with a skirt of heavy gold or silver brocade and a pleated centre panel held together by a silver or gold belt. The top or sabi may be attached to the skirt or worn separately covering one shoulder.