[1] Tracing their origins back to the early Common Era, the customary styles of dress worn by Khmer people predate the indianization of Southeast Asia.

The evolution of these clothing customs can be traced through archaeological artifacts from the 6th century to the post-Angkorian period, evolving from the simple pre-Angkorian Sampot to vibrant and intricately embroidered silk garments.

[4] Sompot Chong Kben (Khmer: សំពត់ចងក្បិន) was the preferred choice of women of the upper and middle classes for day-to-day wear, although the practice died out at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The word samloy initially referred to colour, which in ancient times was always black; now it is sometimes used for a thin, soft fabric with decoration and pattern similar to the sarong Batik, although the garment may be smaller.

The av tronum was popular among wealthy young women in the Chatomok era; today it is an important costume in Khmer classical dance.

It shares design aspects with several traditional garments from other cultures, including the Vietnamese Ao Dai, the Indian Kurta, and the Malaysian Baju Kurung.

For daily work at home or in the fields, Av Bampong made from black padded cloth are preferred for their ease of washing and stain-concealing color.

The long and body-close fit of the Av Bampong also offers protection from the sun and potential hazards like thorns, making it a versatile piece of clothing that meets the needs of women in various activities and environments.

Even though the younger generation may not see it often in their daily life, the Av Bampong can still be seen in cultural artifacts like pagoda paintings, which depict scenes from historical or religious narratives, providing a visual record of this traditional attire.

They are significant parts of Cambodian cultural heritage, reflecting the country's rich history and societal changes, while also serving practical purposes in the daily lives of its people.

It also has a narrow cut very popular with young and middle-aged Khmer women, to the point where it has been used as a modern costume affirming national identity when worn both inside and outside the country.

The Khmer people consider the Av Pak to be a classic yet modern suit-dress which uses traditional Cambodian embroidery, it is particularly worn for formal and buddhist ceremonies.

The Khmer term "Sbai" encompasses any thin and soft garment, particularly referring to a shawl-like or breast cloth mainly worn by women and occasionally by religious men.

It plays a significant role in traditional Khmer weddings, especially during the rite of Preah Thong Taong Sbai Neang Neak, symbolizing the foundation of Funan.

It is used for many purposes, including for style, for protection from the hot sun, as an aid for one's feet when climbing trees, as a hammock for infants, as a towel, or as a sarong.

Written records, bas-reliefs and the report of the Chinese emissary Zhou Daguan who stayed in Angkor in 1296 show that looms have been used to weave sompots since ancient times.

The Khmer minority in Thailand, despite residing in close proximity to Thai and Lao weaving communities, has retained the traditional uneven twill technique of the sampot hol.

This technique starkly contrasts with the plain groundweave employed by Thai and Lao weavers, resulting in a uniform colour hue on both sides of the cloth.

Some exceptionally talented Khmer weavers create intricate compositions featuring a series of distinct elements, each portraying episodes from the Vessantara Jataka or the life of the Buddha.

This demanding task involves specific dyeing preparations for each element, making this form of hol pidan exceptionally challenging and typically attempted only by highly skilled weavers.

Clothing styles in the first Cambodian period was overwhelmingly influenced by India,[5] at least until the Khmer king at the request of Chinese envoys ordered his subjects to wear the sompot.

In Zhou Daguan's The Customs of Cambodia[17] the following can be found: Among the Khmer (excluding vast numbers of hill-tribe slaves), both men and women wore their hair tied up in a knot.

The Sarong Kor was a round decorative collar, red coloured, highly visible, worn just below the neck and embellished with detailed gold-colored copper ornaments and beaded designs.

Royalty: the King wore a long-sleeved shirt sewn at the top with rich embroidery and a collar sometimes with round decorations, sometimes with little sharp tips.

Ordinary Khmer males' attire was a wrap like a Sompot Chong Kben in several colours, but lifted to the thigh and strongly hugging the lower body to free it for physical work.

This fabric was usually decorated with several colours and pieces of silver, made of heavy or soft cotton depend on the wearer's wealth.

Older women wore quieter colors with their favorite sampot samloy and jewellery of bracelets, necklaces and earrings, made from silver, gold and other metal.

[15] Common women wore the same style of clothes as the upper class but in black, most wearing sarongs with no decoration or shawl except a serviceable krama.

In the Qing Imperial Illustrations of Tributary Peoples completed in 1759, Khmer men are said to cut their hair short and to wrap their heads, leaving their upper bodies exposed while clothing covers their lower halves.

However, among noblemen and the royal family, particularly men, there was a growing influence of Western military uniform styles, often closely mimicking those seen in European countries.