Sgaw Karen women usually wear skirts made of tied and dyed ('ikat') cotton, woven on a backstrap loom. These are pleated in front and tied with a belt rather than folded and tucked like the conventional sarong. The Karen is the largest tribal group in Thailand comprising two main divisions (the Sgaw and Pwo) and smaller sub-groups. Thought to have originated from Tibet, they migrated into Thailand from Burma during the 18th century.
