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Story LAN ANH
Photos LE HUY, VIET LINH, TRUNG TUYEN
Traditional clothing among the Black Thai and White Thai ethnic groups remains a vital expression of culture.
Visitors to Dien Bien these days are not only captivated by the beauty of blooming bauhinia variegata flowers and significant historical sites, but also by the local cuisine, folk songs, dances and customs of its ethnic groups. In particular, female visitors have the opportunity to pose for photos in traditional Thai women’s attire, offering a glimpse into the cultural life of the local people.
The Thai people are divided into two groups, the Black Thai and the White Thai, differentiated by the clothing and hairstyles of married women. Married Black Thai women traditionally wear their hair in a bun on top of their heads known as tằng cẩu, a custom not observed by the White Thai women. The áo cóm (traditional outfit) of White Thai women features a V-shaped neck, while that female in the natural world. The row of buttons on the left is called “to po” (male), and the row of buttons on the right is called “to me” (female). The Thai people believe that the number of butterfly buttons must be odd to symbolize life and fertility. The xửa cóm shirt is commonly worn in daily life and comes in many different colors such as white, indigo, blue, purple and yellow.
Both the Black Thai and White Thai wear the xửa luông (long shirt). This type of shirt is often sewn by the Black Thai from indigo fabric, with red, green and white panels at the neck, chest and hem. The White Thai make it from black silk, with a fitted waist and sewn to the ankle. The long shirt is usually worn on major holidays, at village festivals and wedding ceremonies, and when the individual’s preference, the skirt can be left plain or decorated with patterns at the hem. The waist between the skirt and the shirt is decorated with a belt made of silk or blue cotton thread. The belt is sewn separately to wrap around the waist to hold the com shirt tightly to the skirt, while also showing off the woman’s figure.
Festivals and ceremonies
The Black Thai mainly use a scarf (piêu) to protect from the sun and keep warm, but also as an essential ornament for Thai girls in daily life, especially during festivals. The two ends of the piêu scarf allow the girls to create and embroider patterns, often 8-pointed stars, parallel lines, sawtooth, spirals, hooks, triangles, flowers, leaves and stylized animals. The piêu scarf is not only an ornament but also a symbol of participation in the ritual life and customs of the Thai people: after engagement, boys and girls often give each other piêu as a token of love and when the bride first comes to her husband’s house, she must bring piêu as a gift.
Unlike their Black Thai counterparts, White Thai women do not wear piêu scarves, opting instead for tát hats. These hats, which spread out like a flower atop the head, add to the gracefulness of the wearer. Serving not only as protection from the sun and rain, the hats also play a role as props in the traditional Xòe dance.
To further enhance the beauty of their attire, Thai women often adorn themselves with jewelry such as earrings, bracelets, necklaces and xà tích at the waist. When attending markets and festivals or visiting relatives, Thai women often carry additional brocade bags to hold necessities and add charm to the outfit.
As societal trends continuously evolve, so too have the costumes of Thai women, particularly in terms of fabrics used. Some details on the of Black Thai women has a round, standing collar that fits snugly around the neck.
A complete set of Thai women’s attire includes short shirt (xửa cóm), long shirt (xửa luông), skirt (xỉn), belt (xà yều), scarf (piêu), hat (cúp), silver chain adorned with decorative items (xà tích) and other jewelry such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets. The short shirt is tailored to the body, with the hem just touching the waistband of the skirt. It is adorned with a row of butterfly-shaped silver buttons, a unique feature of Thai women’s clothing. According to Thai folklore, the two rows of silver buttons on the two flaps of the xửa cóm shirt symbolize the union of male and returning to the ancestors.
Accompanying the áo cóm and the long xửa luông shirt is a tube-shaped skirt made of indigo-dyed cotton. In the past, Thai women often wore two skirt layers: a white lining on the inside and an indigo layer on the outside. Today they often sew a single layer of indigo skirt. Depending on sleeves and necklines as well as the decoration of patterns and motifs on the body of the shirt have also been tastefully and subtly stylized. However, the unique beauty, gracefulness, and traditional cultural values inherent in each costume have been carefully preserved and passed down through generations.
