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Little black dress lands actress in one big mess % x d6 _6 ]& {( |) D 8 B( t7 X$ T A3 A 9 R# t/ J3 P: [% O- hBANGKOK - A young actress' skimpy dress has sparked a national outcry in Thailand, fuelling debate in opinion pages and chat rooms and earning her a public reprimand. 8 V1 c" |4 _7 _$ o7 m2 p( s* z0 x* ?& V% _- q5 a
The black dress in question was long, body-hugging and split from Chotiros Suriyawong's cleavage to her hip by an eight-centimetre wide slit held together by thin strips of fabric.8 g. ]' N1 p* J- }& c. C( p
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Ms. Chotiros, a 22-year-old liberal arts major at Thammasat University, one of the country's most respected academic institutions, wore it at the Feb. 9 Golden Swan awards ceremony, Thailand's equivalent of the Oscars. 0 K$ V4 E5 D1 r% K$ t. f* W+ \ Y1 [3 u+ Q% [+ D# ~
The dress is said to have been inspired by Elizabeth Hurley's infamous Versace safety-pin dress, which grabbed the spotlight for the British beauty when she wore it to a London film premiere in 1994. 1 b a7 q, p% ?! j, K- ~# s, a: i. f6 A, a( {' x( P
For Ms. Chotiros, a relative unknown with mainly small roles in low-budget films, the little black dress brought unwelcome attention.7 z; U; `+ a# p/ W
2 x4 L* N1 P4 W k7 `3 ~" W) k7 NShe was reprimanded by her production company and ordered by her university to do community service and make a public apology for her attire.4 B" `1 k3 G0 j9 l/ g& i
8 O. y; x! h4 [4 {"I feel very guilty about what happened. I want to apologize," said a teary-eyed Ms. Chotiros at a news conference earlier this week. "I didn't know it was going to be such a big deal."