1. Between 18th and 19th century, there were many immigrants from southern China who fled the country to Thailand to escape draught and political unrests. The majority of immigrants who came to Thailand were male explorers. They settled in southwest Thailand such as Phuket, Phang Nga, Trang and Ranong. They faced the hard labour; a lot were tin miners and fishermen. These men wore “Pa-Tai-Seng”, a type of clothing usually in black and navy colours made of rough texture materials.

2. Ladies in the early 19th century generally wore black Chinese silk trousers with Chinese collar blouse and jade bangle.

3. Chinese in Phuket in the early days wore a traditional long silk coat with Chinese collar (Changshan) and a black hat similar to those in old Chinese movies.

4. Young women wore Shanghai Kor outfit on a daily basis; consisting of Chinese silk trousers with wide legs and Chinese blouse decorated with small patterns in light colours such as pink and blue. The length of the blouse was usually hip length with small hidden pockets for money and handkerchief.

5. Qipao dress comes in two lengths, the long one and the short one. Long Qipao were considered more formal and thus were more frequently used. 

6. Baju Panjang was one of the earliest Peranakan Phuket fashions dating back to 1900-1920. It resembles a loose calf-length tunic or a long coat with long sleeves and no buttons. It is worn on top of a white cotton blouse and sarong. The fabrics used were cotton or other imported materials from Southeast Asia or Europe. The original ones were made with thick fabrics and in dark colours. It later changed to see-through Voile fabric with small floral pattern. Peranakans in Phuket generally carried their handkerchief in their hand unlike neighbouring Peranakans in Penang and Melaka who carried their handkerchief on their shoulder. Kerongsang brooches (a set of three brooches) are used instead of buttons. 

7. Men outfit has been influenced by European fashion and seen wore as a set as: 5 buttons suit, safari hat and a walking cane. This is a common fashion for tin mine owners.

8. Peranakan wedding dress in the early days was similar to Baju Panjang however the fabrics used were much softer and was pink in colour.

9. Bridesmaids or flower girls wore very similar costumes to the bride without the crown however replaced with a golden headdress instead.

10. Western suits and tie were worn in Phuket for all formal occasions. On the groom’s special day, Bintang corsage with pink feather was pinned on the groom’s suit.

11. The wedding dress has evolved into a more glamorous design from head to toes. Voile and see-through fabrics were used for long coat, inside the bride wore Baba blouse paired with vivid and bright colours sarong. The dress was influenced by many cultures with a preference for red colours by the Chinese. However, over time the colours on the wedding dress became lighter and more pastel in colours. The bride had to wear an elaborate set of jewelries which included with gold necklaces, Kerongsang (three set of brooches), Bayeh rings, bangles, earrings and anklets. They wore embroidered shoes that showed their intricate craftsmanship, a highly valued skill for Peranakan ladies.

12. Half-length Baju Panjang or tunic, in Chinese Hokkien is called “Pua-Teung-Tae” blouse. It normally sits just above the hips.

13. The Baju Panjang then was adapted to suit daily use by changing the material to lace fabric and voile furthermore it combined the two-layered clothing into one single layer. The adapted baju panjang is called “kebaya”. 

13.1 Kebaya Renda, prominent between 1920-1930, was made of colourful voile or thick floral lace work. The lower tip front of the kebaya is sharp and longer than the back, designed to loosely follow the waist shape, the collars were decorated with white lace from Europe. The outfit was completed with Kerosang set with chains. 

13.2 Kebaya Biku, popular between 1930-1940, was another step in fashion for Peranakan ladies. This type of kebaya had embroidery along the edges like cutwork usually done by Peranakan ladies themselves. It was generally made of plain and simple fabrics. 

13.3 Kebaya Sulam, popular between 1940-1957, evolved from Kebaya Biku, however the embroidery became more colourful, more delicate and both sides were embroidered. The fitting is now slim fit and worn with brassiere.

14. In the past, full body brassieres were more popular and were custom-made. The colours were either the same as the Kebaya or white. Nowadays, normal brassiere is used. 

15. Thai ladies normally wore local Phuket blouse with sarong. The blouses were made out of cotton with small or no pattern. There were many designs and were either short-sleeved or sleeveless.

16. Local Phuket blouse has then evolved and gained popularity. Its elaborate lacework fabric with floral patterns came in many designs which can be paired with sarong, skirts or trousers. The blouse complemented the ladies’ figure beautifully.