Thailand: A high-ranking Siamese woman poses for a photograph, Siam, mid-19th century.

During the reign of King Mongkut, Rama IV (1851-68), both men and women wore wore similar hairstyles, with the head shaved except for a round tuft on the crown which was spiked like a brush. Both sexes also wore mid-length trousers, or 'pha nung', which were supported by a belt or tied in a knot. Middle and upper-class women frequently wore a sarong or 'pha sin'. Women generally wore a cloth over their left shoulder to cover their breast, leaving their right arm free. Before this time, the midriff and chest were usually left exposed with tattoos decorating the torso.