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In Thailand, Everyone Wants to Be in the Pink

The king goes pastel; a fashion craze is born

By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 30, 2007 6:26 PM CST
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(Newser) – On the advice of royal astrologers, the ailing Thai king has added pink to his wardrobe, sparking a national fashion trend. The chromatic rush had one clothing chain selling 40,000 pink shirts this month, BBC reports. A woman camping out in a line to buy one said, “Wearing pink brings the king luck. I don't want him to be sick.”

A pink crest was commissioned for Bhumibol Adulyadej’s upcoming 80th birthday, but the world's longest-serving monarch got an early start, debuting the color as he left the hospital, where he was treated for heart problems. It’s not the first time the king has inspired people to go pastel. Last year, Thais begun wearing yellow every Monday to honor Bhumibol’s day of birth.

A Thai woman sells pink and yellow shirts at her roadside shop in Bangkok, Thailand on Monday. When King Bhumibol Adulyadej checked out of a hospital earlier this month in a pink sport coat, he made a fashion statement that resonated around Thailand. Pink shirts instantly became this season's must-have...
A Thai woman sells pink and yellow shirts at her roadside shop in Bangkok, Thailand on Monday. When King Bhumibol Adulyadej checked out of a hospital earlier this month in a pink sport coat, he made a...   (Associated Press)
A Thai woman shows a pink shirt at her shop Friday, Nov. 9, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. People across Thailand have started wearing pink shirts in tribute to 79-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who checked out of a hospital this week dressed in a pink blazer and a pink dress shirt....
A Thai woman shows a pink shirt at her shop Friday, Nov. 9, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. People across Thailand have started wearing pink shirts in tribute to 79-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who checked...   (Associated Press)
A Thai woman looks at the sample of a pink shirt from the hanger as others queue up for their turn to buy shirt at a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday. When King Bhumibol Adulyadej checked out of a hospital earlier this month in a pink sport coat,...
A Thai woman looks at the sample of a pink shirt from the hanger as others queue up for their turn to buy shirt at a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday. When King Bhumibol Adulyadej checked...   (Associated Press)
Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej is transported by a wheelchair after he was released from Siriraj hospital on Nov. 7 in Bangkok, Thailand. The 79-year old king was released from the hospital Wednesday after more than three weeks of treatment for weakness on his body's right side and a colon...
Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej is transported by a wheelchair after he was released from Siriraj hospital on Nov. 7 in Bangkok, Thailand. The 79-year old king was released from the hospital...   (Associated Press)
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COMMENTS
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More on the planned celebration for King Bhumibol's birthday
New York Times

Yellow is the color associated with the King's birthday
The Nation (Thailand)

 
Thailand • pink • king • Bhumibol Adulyadej • yellow

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