Khmer traditional clothing
Khmer traditional clothing refers to the traditional styles of dress worn by the Khmer people throughout history.Tracing their origins back to the early Common Era, the customary styles of dress worn by Khmer people predate the indianization of Southeast Asia. The evolution of these clothing customs can be traced through archaeological artifacts from the 6th century to the post - Angkorian period, evolving from the simple pre-Angkorian Sampot to vibrant and intricately embroidered silk garments.
Khmer traditional clothing refers to the traditional styles of dress worn by the Khmer people throughout history. Tracing their origins back to the early Common Era, the customary styles of dress worn by Khmer people predate the indianization of Southeast Asia. The evolution of these clothing customs can be traced through archaeological artifacts from the 6th century to the post-Angkorian period, evolving from the simple pre-Angkorian Sampot to vibrant and intricately embroidered silk garments.
Bottoms
The sampot is the traditional garment of the Khmer, still popular among men and women of the lower class. It is basically a sarong similar to those worn in neighboring Laos and Thailand,
with slight variations. Measuring approximately one and a half meters
long, the two ends of the cloth are sewn together to form a tubular
garment that is worn over the lower half of the body, extending to the
ankles. The wearer ties a knot of
excess cloth in front to secure it at
the waist. The sampot varies in color, material and dimensions, depending on the gender and social class of the wearer.
Historically the sampot dates back to the Funan era, in which a king, at the request of Chinese envoys, ordered his subjects to cover themselves.
Sompot Chong Kben
Sompot Chong Kben (Khmer: សំពត់ចងក្បិន) was the preferred choice of women of the upper and middle classes for day-to-day wear, although the practice died out at the beginning of the twentieth century. It dates back to ancient Cambodia, when deities were said to wear it. Scholars consider it ultimately to derive from the Indian DhotiUnlike the typical sampot, it is more like pants than a skirt. It is a rectangular piece of cloth three metres long and one metre wide.
It is worn by wrapping it around the waist, stretching it away from the body and twisting the knot. The knot is then pulled between the legs and held by a metal belt. Regardless of class, all Cambodian women wear the sampot chong kben on special occasions. Men may also wear it, but in traditional patterns suited to their gender. The sampot chang kben has also been adopted in Thailand and Laos, where it is known as a chong kraben.
Sampot Tep Apsara
Sampot Tep Apsara (Khmer: សំពត់ទេពអប្សរា) is a type of sampot from the Khmer Empire era associated with courtly Apsaras. Its depiction can still be seen on the bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat. Generally, the sampot tep apsara is both knotted at the waist and secured with a belt. Long pleats are gathered at the front, running the full length to the wearer's ankles.
The sampot tep apsara is actually knotted twice at the waist, one on the left and one on the right; the left knot is longer, while the right knot is more decorative. Scholars trace this garment to the sari of India.[5] Today, the sampot tep apsara is worn by traditional dancers in modern Cambodia.
Sampot Chang Samloy
Sampot chang samloy (Khmer: សំពត់ចងសម្លុយ) is a long unisex daytime skirt. The word samloy initially referred to colour, which in ancient times was always black; now it is sometimes used for a thin, soft fabric with decoration and pattern similar to the sarong Batik, although the garment may be smaller. This style of dress needs a knot to secure it, making it similar to the sampot chang kben. However, it also needs a fold at the left or right side, like a sarong. Another similar sampot, primarily worn by women and known as the samloy, was knotted in the middle and hitched at the knee to facilitate leg movement. Scholars consider this style of dress to derive from the Indian Lunghi. The samloy was commonly worn in the post-Angkor era.
Sampot Charobab
Sampot Charobab (Khmer: សំពត់ចរបាប់) is a long silk skirt embroidered with gold thread. It is worn by women in Khmer classical dance, by newlyweds and by the character of Mae Huo (មេហួ) in the Cambodian Royal Ploughing Ceremony.
Sampot Seng
Sampot Seng (Khmer: សំពត់សេង) is an embroidered silk short skirt.
Sampot Sesay
Sampot Sesay (Khmer: សំពត់សែសយ) is a monochromatic skirt with a band along the lower hem embroidered in gold or silver. Today, this skirt is more popular among Laotian women than among the Khmer.
Sampot Lbaeuk
Sampot Lbaeuk (Khmer: សំពត់ល្បើក) is a long silk-embroidered skirt. Today it is worn in marriage ceremonies, as is the Sampot Sabum. The Sampot Lbaeuk was mostly worn by Cambodian nobility in the Longvek era.
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