Raj pattern
Encyclopedia
Raj pattern refers either to a Thai
men's costume
consisting of a white Nehru-style
jacket
with five buttons, a chong kraben, knee-length socks
and dress shoes, or to the specific form of the jacket itself. It was worn chiefly during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by government officials and the upper class in Bangkok
, and nowadays is used in select circumstances as a national costume
.
during his visit to British India in 1871, where he hired a Calcutta tailor to make a jacket with a standing collar
and buttoned vertical opening. Previously in 1870, the king had had his entourage dress in a combination of chong kraben (a wrap
worn with part of the fabric folded back between the legs and tucked behind the waist) and Western suit jacket, socks and shoes during his visit to Singapore
and Java
. This new jacket replaced the suit jacket, alleviating the need for a separate layer of shirt in the hot climate, and the dress soon became the de-facto civil uniform. It was worn both officially and privately and remained popular until the Pibulsonggram era, when the chong kraben was banned by cultural mandate
. The name raj pattern, from Pali
rājā and English pattern and meaning royal pattern, was coined by Phon Bunnak (later the Chao Phraya Phasakorawong), who was acting as royal secretary during the king's journey.
Nowadays, the full raj pattern costume is worn only on select occasions as a national costume, and is employed regularly only in the tourism industry. The jacket, however, has found continued use in the dress uniform
s of the civil and military services, as well as the formal clothing worn with the academic dress
of certain universities, where it is worn with trousers in the Western style. Another Thai garment which is very similar in design is the suea phraratchathan.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
men's costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
consisting of a white Nehru-style
Nehru jacket
The Nehru jacket is a hip-length tailored coat for men or women, created in India in the 1940s. The jacket essentially blends the collar of the achkan, historically the royal court dress of Indian nobles, with the Western suit jacket...
jacket
Jacket
A jacket is a hip- or waist-length garment for the upper body. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear...
with five buttons, a chong kraben, knee-length socks
SOCKS
SOCKS is an Internet protocol that routes network packets between a client and server through a proxy server. SOCKS5 additionally provides authentication so only authorized users may access a server...
and dress shoes, or to the specific form of the jacket itself. It was worn chiefly during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by government officials and the upper class in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, and nowadays is used in select circumstances as a national costume
National costume
Folk costume expresses an identity through costume which usually to a geographic area or a period of time in history, but can also indicate social, marital and/or religious status...
.
History and use
The raj pattern was devised by King ChulalongkornChulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
during his visit to British India in 1871, where he hired a Calcutta tailor to make a jacket with a standing collar
Collar (clothing)
In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck. Among clothing construction professionals, a collar is differentiated from other necklines such as revers and lapels, by being made from a separate piece of fabric, rather than a folded or...
and buttoned vertical opening. Previously in 1870, the king had had his entourage dress in a combination of chong kraben (a wrap
Wrap (clothing)
A wrap, in the context of clothing, is a simple skirt-type garment made by wrapping a piece of material round the lower body. Many people of both genders throughout the world wear wraps in everyday life, however, in the West, they are largely worn by women. They are sometimes sewn at the edges to...
worn with part of the fabric folded back between the legs and tucked behind the waist) and Western suit jacket, socks and shoes during his visit to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. This new jacket replaced the suit jacket, alleviating the need for a separate layer of shirt in the hot climate, and the dress soon became the de-facto civil uniform. It was worn both officially and privately and remained popular until the Pibulsonggram era, when the chong kraben was banned by cultural mandate
Thai cultural mandates
The Cultural Mandates or State Decrees were a series of 12 edicts issued between 1939 and 1942 by the government of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram during his first period as Prime Minister and military dictator of Thailand. The mandates aimed to create a uniform and "civilized" Thai culture...
. The name raj pattern, from Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
rājā and English pattern and meaning royal pattern, was coined by Phon Bunnak (later the Chao Phraya Phasakorawong), who was acting as royal secretary during the king's journey.
Nowadays, the full raj pattern costume is worn only on select occasions as a national costume, and is employed regularly only in the tourism industry. The jacket, however, has found continued use in the dress uniform
Dress uniform
Dress uniform , is the most formal military uniform, typically worn at ceremonies, official receptions, and other special occasions; with order insignias and full size medals...
s of the civil and military services, as well as the formal clothing worn with the academic dress
Academic dress
Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...
of certain universities, where it is worn with trousers in the Western style. Another Thai garment which is very similar in design is the suea phraratchathan.