What are Sarongs and Kebayas?3246514
What is a Kebaya? A Kebaya is a traditional blouse worn by women in South East Asia, mainly Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, The material is normally produced of sheer material and worn with a batik or sarong.
Kebaya is originated from Arab world, the Arabic word for clothes is Kaba. Kebaya got its name as a kind of clothes from the Portuguese when the landed in South East Asia in the early days. It slowly discovered its methods to be related with a type of blouse worn by Indonesian ladies in 15th or 16th century.
The clothes kind began to spread to Malacca, Java, Bali, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi. Following hundred years of accustoming, the garments have become component of the nearby customs and tradition.
Prior 1600, kebaya on Java island had been considered as a sacred clothing to be worn only by the Javanese monachy. During the dutch colonization of the island, European women start wearing kebaya their formal attire. The kebayas in this period was produced from mori fabric, with silk embroidered and spots colorful patterns.
In Malacca area, a different selection of kebaya is called "nyonya kebaya" became a extremely essential cultural part of the Peranakan individuals. Nyonya kebaya dress consists of a kebaya completed with a Sarong and beaded shoes (kasut manek). The nyonya kebaya gains its popularity that the dress is wore also by other races, and cultures. Knowing totally well the beauty of the kebaya, style designers are searching into ways of modifying the design and creating kebaya a much more fashionable outfit for the contemporary globe. Casual designed kebaya can even be worn with modern clothes like jeans or skirts. For formal events like weddings, many fashion designers are exploring other forms of fine fabrics like laces to create a kabaya for bridal put on.
What is a Sarong? A Sarong is a big tube of fabric, often wrapped about the waist and worn as a skirt by males and women throughout much of Southern and East Western Asia, pacific islands and the horns of Africa. The fabric is often printed with bright colours with intricate patterns, most often themed with flora and fauna. They are usually checkered, or with geometric patterns. Sarongs are also used as wall hangings as an Art function. It is also used as other forms of clothings, such as infant carriers, complete dresses, or as a shawl.
In strict usage, sarong denotes the lower garment worn by the Malay people for males and ladies alike. Consisting of length of fabric about a yard wide and two-and-a-half yards lengthy. Centre of this sheet, across the narrower width, a panel of contrasting color or pattern about 1 foot wide is woven or dyed into the fabric, which is known as the kepala or "head" of the sarong.
This sheet is sewed at the narrower parts to form a tube. To put on it, one steps into this tube, he brings the greater edge to above the level of the belly button, whilst the hem should be about the same height with the ankles, positions the kepala at the centre of the back, and folds in the extra fabric from both sides to the front, centering it, then overlap and secures the sarong by way of rolling the upper portion more than itself. Malay men normally put on sarongs woven in a checked pattern whereas women would put on sarongs dyed in the batik technique, in usually flora or fauna styles, and nearly always in vibrant colours. The sarong is a also extremely typical formal put on for ladies, with a kebaya blouse
Sarong kebaya is the uniform of the Singapore Airline stewardess, otherwise known as Singapore girl.
