Clothing, Traditional—Malaysia
Malays, the majority population in Malaysia, are a Muslim people indigenous to villages (kampung) in Southeast Asia. Village dress is situational and reflects relationships and contexts. Traditional dress for women is the sarung kebaya. The kebaya (blouse) may be diaphanous to near transparent and is commonly pleated significantly above and below the part of the garment covering the breasts. The sarung, a cotton skirt hemmed into a cylindrical shape, is stepped into, folded right to left, and tucked at the waist. It is commonly of a floral pattern. Although normally worn with a blouse or pullover top, it can also be worn alone; this is commonly done when sleeping or bathing. The final piece of traditional women's dress is a head scarf (selendang); although often serving as a veil, it can be worn in a number of ways.
The male shirt (baju) and small black hat (songkok) are usually reserved for formal occasions, such as Friday prayers or certain feasts. Men often wear sarung, differentiated from women's by the fold (left to right, below the navel) and the pattern (plaid, rather than floral).
In the distant past, both men and women used the sarung as the primary and often sole garment. However, varieties of dress have risen with increased trade and contact with other cultural groups. Even so, women are careful to conform to public forms of dress in the market, the mosque, and village celebrations. The more accepted contemporary form of public village dress is the tudung. Commonly, this consists of a matching long sleeved tunic and floor length skirt (baju
A Malay bride and groom in traditional wedding attire in Singapore. (EARL & NAZIMA KOWALL/CORBIS) accompanied by a head scarf
(anak tudung). It is not uncommon for women to mix and match long skirts and tunics, even substituting short-sleeved blouses or tee-shirts. The
baju kurung is often made from very colorful cloth, and may also be patterned. In recent times, the
sarung kebaya has fallen into disrepute as a public garment and been replaced by more modest clothing, usually a variation of the
baju kurung ensemble. The
sarung itself, however, continues to be a staple of the
kampung.
Further Reading
Karim, W. J. (1992) Women and Culture: Between Malay Adat and Islam. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Nagata, J. (1995) "Modern Malay Women and the Message of the Veil." In "Male" and "Female" in Developing Southeast Asia, edited by W. J. Karim. Oxford: Berg Publishers, 101–120.
Ong, A. (1995) "State Versus Islam: Malay Families, Women's Bodies, and the Body Politic in Malaysia." In Bewitching Women, Pious Men: Gender and Body Politics in Southeast Asia, edited by A. Ong and M. G. Peletz. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 159–194.
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