Cambodian men typically wear cotton or silk shirts with short sleeves. They wear cotton trousers as well. Cambodian women customarily wear a sarong which is embellished with silver and gold threading and a sarong. A sarong/sampot is a long fabric piece, which is commonly wrapped around the waist and worn by both men and women in South East Asia.
The sampot is Cambodia’s national clothing. In addition, it is an integral part of the nation’s soul. It has similarities with other countries in the region, but remains a unique part of Cambodian heritage. There are several variations; most of which depend on social class. The sampot measures 5-6 feet long and each end is sewn together. The sampot originated in the Funan Era. In that era, a Khmer king ordered his people to wear the sampot at the behest of Chinese diplomats.