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dress have been largely concerned with social and cultural contexts, including the transformation and the
contemporary forces of globalization. There are various ways to trace identity including through language
and physical body. “Outward appearance” or clothing is also one of the significant markers of identity.
Barth (A Gunaratne. (1998) acknowledged that actors in a given group use some cultural features,
including clothing, as obvious signals or signs that people look for or exhibit identity.

However, through dressing one is able to overcome this and articulate aspects of their character
and together construct an identity. People can express and define who they are and who they want to be
through the way they dress. The fashion used by everyone affects their appearance that can then articulate
factors of identity such as gender, ethnicity, life style, social class and so on. Ethnicity as a cultural
phenomenon is based on the sharing of norms, value, beliefs, cultural symbols and practices” (Barker,
2003: 250). Ethic dress is used to portray these cultural concepts and marks one ethnic identity (Eicher,
1995). Exampled in which dress is used to define once ethnicity include a Thai Malay Muslim women
wearing baju kurung and a hijab, and a Thai Malay Muslim man wearing a turban or a kuffiyah with baju
Melayu. The “Baju kurung and hijab” can be used as an expressive visual statement about a Thai Malay
woman’s identity. The hijab is used as a cultural symbol to represent the religious aspect of Malay ethnic
identity which is to frame and express her ethnic identity.
Thus, it is evident that through ones dress a religious, culture and ethnic identity can be
immediately perceived. There are many individuals out there that wear their ethnic dress on a day-to-day
basis with the desire to express their ethnic identity and who are not prepared to abandon their ethnic
identity (Riello and McNeil, 2010). As cultures have evolved over time, so have the way people dress
especially the young one and their interaction with non-traditional cultural clothing. Modern dress can be
seen as a replacement of ethnic dress fashion. In today’s postmodern society, modern dresses the
everyday attire of most people around the world. It is seen as a modern concept that is associates with
“Forward Looking” and progressing both socially and economically. In almost all parts of the world it is
seen as change that is favored in comparison to ethnic dressing (Eisher, Sumberg, 1995). In today’s
postmodern society many people have completely discarded their ethnic dress wear it solely on special
cultural events. It is believed that this caused by cultural displacement that is caused by the concept of
globalization (Maynard, 2004)

Therefore, use of dress as an expression of social and cultural identity has increased in many
countries. Through dress, people are able to express their social and cultural identities. Studies (Hamilton
& Hamilton, 1989; Eicher & Sumberg 1995; Kuma-Kpobee, Power & Otieno, 2008). Have established that
there is a link between dress and societal differentiation. They recognize the importance of dress to culture
and its potential to reveal connections between people and their cultural identity. In spite of the
significance of dress, Studies on traditional dress especially among the Thai Malay ethnic group in the
southern provinces seems to be lacking; an anomaly that is out of sync with the desire to preserve local
culture and historical heritage. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the meanings and significance of
the ethnic traditional dress, and its relationship with cultural identity. Thus, the Thai Malays will only be in
a position to adopt a holistic notion for preservation of their cultural artefacts, by first establishing the
relationship between traditional dress and salient values and meanings.

The body modifications and supplements that mark the ethnic identity of an individual are ethnic
dress. Ethnic dress and ethnicity are linked. Manning Nash observed that although ethnicity and ethnic
group seem to have clear references, they are “among the most complicated, volatile and emotionally

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