In the mid-to-late 19th century Siam; women wore their hair short and combed back. They wore mid-length trousers; or 'pha nung'; which were supported by a belt or tied in a knot. Middle and upper-class women generally wore a cloth over their left shoulder to cover their breasts; leaving their right arm free. Before this time; the midriff and chest were usually left exposed with tattoos decorating the torso. However; when King Chulalongkorn (r. 1868鈥?910) returned from Europe; he decreed that all women must cover their chests.