MONDAY NIGHT ZOOM LECTURES: THE DECORATED BODY – TAASA Review September 2022

2 May 2022 The Stylist Regents: Refashioning Thai Female Sartorial Styles by Queen Saovabha Phongsri and Queen Sirikit The way in which clothing can be used for political purposes and to assert national identity was demonstrated by Pattaratorn Chirapravati in her review of the dress styles adopted by two of Thailand’s Queen Regents: Saovabha Phongsri in the late 19th and Queen Sirikit in the mid to later 20th century.

In the former case, the Queen adopted a hybridized dress style combining elements of traditional Thai and Western clothing aimed at bolstering the Thai monarchy’s prestige in the context of Western colonial expansion in SE Asia.

Queen Sirikit’s approach in more modern times was rather to invent new Thai dress styles which honoured the past while conveying a very chic modern identity...