A krama (; km, ក្រមា ) is a sturdy traditional
Cambodian garment with many uses, including as a
scarf
A scarf, plural ''scarves'', is a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or used to show the support for a sports club or team. They can be made in a variety of diff ...
,
bandanna
A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative pur ...
, to cover the face, for decorative purposes, and as a hammock for children. It may also be used as a form of weaponry.
Bokator
Bokator, ). The term bokator translates as "pounding a lion" from the words ''bok'' meaning "to pound" and ''tor'' meaning "lion." is an ancient battlefield martial art used by ancient Khmer military groups. It is one of the oldest existing ...
fighters wrap the krama around their waists, heads and fists. It is worn by men, women and children, and can be fairly ornate, though most typical kramas contain a
gingham
Gingham, also called Vichy check, is a medium-weight balanced plain-woven fabric typically with striped, check or plaid duotone patterns, in bright colour and in white made from dyed cotton or cotton-blend yarns. It is made of carded, medium or ...
pattern of some sort, and traditionally come in either red or blue. It is the Cambodian national symbol.
A closely related Thai garment is known as ''pha khao ma'' (ผ้าขาวม้า) and is worn in the
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan ( Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 prov ...
region by locals and by
ethnic Khmers.
See also
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Agal, Arabian headdress
*
Gamucha
A gamucha () is a traditional thin, coarse cotton towel, often with a checked design, found in the Indian subcontinent, mainly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, as well as various parts of South and Southeast Asia. It is used for drying the body aft ...
, scarf from
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
*
Gingham
Gingham, also called Vichy check, is a medium-weight balanced plain-woven fabric typically with striped, check or plaid duotone patterns, in bright colour and in white made from dyed cotton or cotton-blend yarns. It is made of carded, medium or ...
, scarf from Malaysia
*
Keffiyeh
The keffiyeh or kufiya ( ar, كُوفِيَّة, kūfīyah, relating to Kufa, link=no), also known in Arabic as a ghutrah (), shemagh ( '), (), in Kurdish as a Shemagh ''(''شهماغ'')'' or Serwîn (سهروین) and in Persian, a ...
, traditional Middle Eastern headdress
*
Tagelmust
Litham ( ar, لِثَام, lithām , sometimes pronounced lifam) is a mouth-veil which the Tuareg and other North African nomads, particularly men, have traditionally used to cover the lower part of their face.
Role and significance
The litha ...
, scarf from Sahara
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Turban
A turban (from Persian دولبند, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promin ...
, head scarf
*
Khăn rằn
The ''khăn rằn'' ( khăn "towel, scarf" rằn "striped") is a traditional checkered black and white shawl. It has been adapted from the Cambodian krama, and this is a traditional shawl worn in the region of Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
During t ...
, Vietnamese head scarf
References
Scarves
Headgear
Skirts
Cambodian clothing
{{Clothing-stub