Zara sells skirt that looks like Thai grandpa’s uniform for 2,990 baht

Left: Zara’s midi skirt. Photo: Zara. Right: A group of Thai men poses in their pakaoma. Photo: Baan Suan Porpeang
Left: Zara’s midi skirt. Photo: Zara. Right: A group of Thai men poses in their pakaoma. Photo: Baan Suan Porpeang

Two years ago, the world had a laugh with Balenciaga’s striped tote that resembled a deeply uncool Asian market bag. Now, Spanish megachain Zara did it again with the launch of a skirt that looks a whole lot like a lungi, a popular sarong-like skirt popular among older, working class, and rural men in Southeast and South Asia.

This checked midi skirt from the Spanish fashion house’s Spring/Summer collection has just hit the store and retails for THB2,990 (US$95). That’s a little bit excessive when you could have picked up a lungi, locally known as “pakaoma” in Thailand for THB60 in any local market.

Photo: Zara
Photo: Zara

Pakaoma is considered casual wear and associated with the rural life in Thailand. When driving out to the countryside, it’s common to see Thai grandpas sporting a pakaoma with a cotton shirt, or even without a shirt on a warmer day.

Photo: Yimtamphan
Photo: Thai News Bureau
Photo: Baan Suan Porpeang

Men also wear a pakaoma for modesty when washing themselves in an outdoor Thai-style wash area.

Photo: Polyplus Entertainment

The lungi skirt is not only popular in Thailand, but also in neighboring countries Myanmar and Cambodia.

Related:

Look familiar? Trip down memory lane compares Thai products to luxury fashion



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