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
In Thailand, Everyone Wants to Be in the Pink
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...   (Associated Press)

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. (More Thailand stories.)

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