The costume of the Thai women is beautiful.  They often wear short blouses, of white, or bright colors.  Buttons are silver, and are often in the shape of butterflies.  Belts are usually a band of green silk.  Often women wear a key chain around their waist, as well.  Turbans are often worn.  Black Thai women often wear a shawl with colorful embroidery called a pieu.  On festival days, a black dress is worn with split sleeves to show the white blouse underneath. The above photograph on the left shows a Black Thai lady with her turban.  The White Thai on the right is wearing her white blouse and green belt.    Thai men traditionally wore shorts with a belt, and a shirt with an open collar.  Thai men now often wear western clothing.  Knowledgeable people can determine at a glance what sub-group of the Thai a woman belongs to by the details of her costume.  Many names for the various sub-groups are derived from some aspect of their traditional dress.

Most traditional clothing is limited to a few colors.  The most popular colors are black, white, pink, or striped.  Silver jewelry is worn, but perhaps not to the extent of other groups, such as the Yao.