Over 200 years is probable, and perhaps much longer than that. There are over four million Karen in Burma, where a group of them have been fighting for their independence for 50 years. The most numerous groups in Thailand are the Sgaw Karen, followed by the Pwo. The Karen costume for women is very attractive and distinctive. Unmarried girls wear loose white V-necked blouses, decorated with Jobs tear seeds at the seams.
Married women wear blouses and skirts in bold colours, predominantly red or blue.
Men wear blue baggy trousers with red or blue shirts, a simplified version of the women s blouses. Black Karen men wear black shirts with a red cummerbund or head scarf. Karen houses are not usually large, Adult children usually leave the home when married - there is no extended family housing in most Karen villages. Houses are on stilts, made of bamboo or teak. Central steps lead to a porch, with a storeroom or kitchen to one side, a living area, and bedroom on the other.