Thailand is well known for its silk. It’s made from silkworms’ cocoons that are turned into thread and woven into beautiful and intricate patterns. But what is this fabric used for? How is it worn? Traditional Thai clothing, and what is understood to be traditional Thai clothing, is a really interesting topic with a somewhat unsuspected history.
When I went back to the U.S. for the Top Bloggers’ Tour, one of the things I did was give 15 minute presentations to elementary school students about Thailand. With such a short amount of time, I decided to tell the kids about one aspect of Thailand that it is famous for: its textiles and fabrics, and so I passed around examples of different kinds of scarfs and gave them an opportunity to dress up in some of the Thai clothes that I have. There is a lot going on in the textile, fabric and fashion world here in Thailand.
The Thai royal family is very revered in Thailand. You will see photos and images of the king and queen all around the country. The BBC made a great documentary about them, called “The Soul of a Nation.” Check it out.
Yesterday was H.M. Queen Sirikit’s 81st birthday. All over Thailand, pictures of her were spruced up and put on prominent display, if they weren’t already. Because the queen was born on a Friday, her color is light blue according to Thai traditions, and so light blue bunting and flags were also strewn up around the country.