Suea pat
The suea pat ( , ) or suea pai ( , ) is a type of shirt worn by women from different ethnic backgrounds in Laos and Northern Thailand and other areas in Southeast Asia. These ethnic groups typically include the Lao, the Tai Lue, and the Tai Yuan etc. The suea pat is a long-sleeved shirt with no buttons. It is worn by wrapping the right side of the front panel of the shirt over the left side of the front panel, and the two panels are tied together via strings. Suea pats from Luang Prabang, Laos typically have large golden collars . Etymology. The words "suea pat" and "suea pai" are made up of words of Tai origin. "Suea pat" and "suea pai" literally mean "wrapping shirt"; "suea" (, ) means "shirt", while "pat" (, ) and "pai" (, ) mean "to wrap sideways, to smear." In Laos. In present-day Laos, women wear suea pats to ceremonial events such as weddings. Each year in Luang Prabang, the winner of the Miss Songkran contest who becomes the next Miss Songkran, or "nang sangkhane" ( ), gets to wear a suea pat underneath a pha biang which is a scarf-like cloth that wraps diagonally from the lower right waist to  the upper left shoulder. Design. Suea pat is traditionally made with indigo-dyed cotton, silk or velvet. There are different variations of the suea pat among various Tai-speaking people. Basic components of the suea pat include a collar, front panels, back panels, sleeves, and tie strings. There are tassels at the side of the garment, though not always present. Modern versions typically of Lao design may use fasteners or buttons in lieu of strings. The collar can be done with intricate goldwork or be left plain. A cuff matching the collar is sometimes present and the sleeves can be  full or three-quarters length. The cross-collar design is likely an influence of Chinese fashion as late as the Ming Dynasty.