Sinh

What is Sinh?

The sinh is a tube skirt, made by hand and often of silk, worn by Lao women and by Thai women, especially in the north and northeast of Thailand. Lao women wear it often, as part of everyday dress. Thai women mostly keep it for special events. Three parts make up the skirt. The hua sinh is the waistband, tucked away and hidden. The phuen sinh, or tua sinh, is the body, and it is usually plain, in one colour or two. The tin sinh is the hem, woven with far more detail than the rest. Made of silk or handwoven cotton, a sinh can carry a different texture and design in every village.

How is Sinh made?

A sinh is made by hand, mostly in rural areas, from silk or from handwoven cotton. Weavers shape it as a tube, so the cloth closes on itself and needs no fastening. The work falls into three bands. The waistband is the simplest, since it is folded in and hidden. The body is left plain, in no more than two colours. Almost all the patterning goes into the hem, where the weaving grows dense and detailed. Different places weave different hems, so a woman's sinh can show which region she comes from. Textures and designs vary widely, and a well-known traditional weaver may produce a finer silk piece than most.

Colours, motifs and borders

Colour is kept quiet over most of the sinh. The body carries only one colour or two, so the eye rests there. The interest sits at the hem, the tin sinh, which is woven with the most detail and can mark where the skirt was made. Taken as a whole, the pattern of a sinh tells other people which region the wearer belongs to. Silk gives a smooth surface, while handwoven cotton gives a plainer, everyday cloth. The sources describe a range of textures and designs rather than one fixed look, so two sinh from neighbouring villages may share little.

How Sinh is worn

The sinh is a tube skirt, a length of cloth joined into a circle, stepped into rather than wrapped and pinned. There are no pleats and no loose end to throw over the shoulder. The waistband, the hua sinh, is tucked in and hidden, so the cloth sits close at the waist and falls to the ankle. It is worn in Laos as ordinary dress, and in Thailand mainly for special events, especially by women in the north and northeast. The sources give no separate blouse or petticoat for it.

When Sinh is worn

Where the sinh is worn depends on the country. In Laos it stays in daily use, so a woman may put one on for work, for the market or for home. In Thailand the pha sin has moved away from everyday dress and appears mostly at special events, above all among northern Thai and northeastern Thai women. The sources do not name particular festivals or rites for it. The pattern of the skirt itself carries a quiet message, since it can show which region the wearer comes from.

Styles of Sinh

Sinh differ by place, by fibre and by quality. The cloth may be silk or handwoven cotton, and the weaving comes in many textures and designs, often made in rural areas. Hems vary most, because the detail in the tin sinh is what marks a skirt as coming from one locality rather than another. A premium silk sinh can be the work of a well-known traditional weaver, while plainer cloth is more common. The sources do not discuss powerloom copies or modern adaptations of the sinh.

What Sinh means

Because the pattern of a sinh can indicate the wearer's region, the skirt works as a quiet sign of belonging, read by anyone who knows the local weaves. In Laos it remains part of ordinary life, which keeps demand steady for the weavers who make it by hand. In Thailand it has become a garment for special occasions. Much of the weaving happens in rural areas, so the craft supports households there. The sources record no official heritage listing or Geographical Indication for the sinh.

Questions people ask about Sinh

Good reading and sources

• Sinh (clothing) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data