Baju Kurung

A Kedahan Malay lady wearing a traditional Baju Kurung
Type	Traditional Blouse-dress
Place of origin	Maritime Southeast Asia

Baju Kurung (Jawi: باجو كوروڠ) is a traditional attire of Malays and traditionally worn by women in Brunei, Indonesia,^[1] Malaysia, Singapore and southern Thailand. This type of traditional attire is the national dress of Brunei and Malaysia.^[2][3] In Indonesia, this dress is also worn as a regional attire, commonly observed on the island of Sumatra, particularly by the ethnic Malay and Minangkabau women.

Etymology

A Baju Kurung is a loose-fitting full-length dress, consisting of a blouse and a skirt. It is loosely translated as "enclosed dress"^[4] Although Baju Kurung is the generic term of the attire for both males and females, in modern Malaysia, the female dress is referred to as Baju Kurung while the male dress is referred to as Baju Melayu. The terms Baju Kurung for male is however, retained in Singapore.

History

A group of women dressed in indigenous clothing Baju Kurung and songket from Batipuh near Padang Panjang highlands of West Sumatra (Indonesia), circa 1895.

According to the Chinese script, the Malay community, both men and women in the 13th century, only wore a covering of the lower body. During its development, Malay women wear a sarong with a "kemben" pattern, that is, wrapping the sarong around the chest. Pants also began to be worn in the "Aceh Scissors" style, namely pants that were just below the knee.

But then trade brought with it foreign cultural influences. Goods from China, India and the Middle East also arrived. Apart from trade, this also exposes the Malay community to the way the foreigner dresses. Malays also adopted Islam as their religion, and this affected the way they dressed because in this new religion there was an obligation to cover up the awrat of both women and men.

In Malaysia, baju kurung is one of the oldest Malay clothing styles. The person who popularized it was Tun Hassan Temenggong, son of Bendahara Seri Maharaja Tun Mutahir, in the 15th century Malacca Sultanate. Malacca was enjoying its golden era during this period until the Portuguese conquered Malacca in 1511. It was one of the strongest sultanate in Malay archipelago and was a center of entrepot trade, with traders from China, India, and the Middle East.^[5]

According to the Malay annals, Sultan Mansur Shah, the sixth Malaccan ruler, banned Malay women from wearing only a sarong from the bust downwards. With the guides from Tun Hassan Temenggong, the traditional Baju Melayu and Baju Kurung were born, adopting different elements from China, India, and the Middle East. The style of clothing then remained largely unchanged over the next three and a half centuries.

Another version of Baju Kurung emerged in its successor state, Johor-Riau sultanate. The earlier Baju Kurung was longer and looser. This new style of Baju Kurung is known as Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga, named after the capital of the sultanate during that time, Telok Blangah in modern-day Singapore. It was popularised by Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor in the late 19th century^[6] and continue to "not only survived but prospered" in modern Malaysia, pointing to its popularity during the Islamisation of Malaysia in the 1970s and 1980s.^[7]

Attire components

Malay women wearing Baju Kurung in Malacca, Malaya, circa 1950.

Ladies from Sumatra, clad in their traditional attire, known as Baju Kurung made from Songket. The dress is commonly associated with women of Malay extraction.

Baju

The Baju (blouse) has long sleeves, and extends to between the hips and knees.^[8] It is usually made from traditional Malay textiles from Indonesian provinces (Jambi, South Sumatra, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Riau, and Riau archipelago) and the Malaysian states (Pahang, Terengganu or Kelantan),^[9][7] or sometime even from imported silk from China, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE or India.

Sarong

Baju Kurung is usually paired with a sarong (skirt), and the sarong itself is worn with ikatan ombak mengalun, which is a wavy-style fold. These folds can be seen on the left or right side of the sarong. Traditionalists prefer sarong fabric from peninsular Malaysia's eastern states of Pahang, Terengganu, and Kelantan, where the culture of batik and other hand-designed fabrics such as songket and tenun are still strong.

Kain Dagang

Kain Dagang, also known as samping is a type of sarong cloths used as a veil when outdoor. This cloth is used to protect oneself from the scorching sun. When indoor, Kain Dagang will be tied at the waist or hung on the arm.

Scarf

The scarf is usually slung over the shoulder. If one's wearing a Kain Dagang, instead of wearing a long scarf, they usually opt for a traditional veil such as Keringkam. The Keringkam is a kind of short embroidered scarf. In the more conservative states in northern Malaysia, a woman will often wear a Baju Kurung with a headscarf (tudung).^[10]

Varieties

A Portuguese illustration of Malay traditional clothing (Baju Kurung), 1540.

There are five versions of Baju Kurungs that are the most popular. All five of these variations were developed in the Malay peninsula and were gazetted as Malaysia's intangible cultural heritage in 2015.^[11]

Baju melayu for men

The Cekak Musang style also normally has three pockets – two at the bottom, and one at the upper left breast. The Teluk Belanga style normally has only two pockets both at the bottom. The Baju Melayu is a loosely fitting shirt with long sleeves, worn with long pants with a Kain Dagang which is wrapped around the middle of the body from the stomach to the knee and sometimes lower. This cloth is usually a three-quarter length or full sarong-style cloth made of kain songket, Tenun Pahang Diraja, or other woven materials with traditional patterns.

Cultural significance

Baju Kurung is worn to attend weddings, religious ceremonies, and official functions. In Malaysia, generally, all the Malay women wear traditional dresses as formal attire including primary and secondary school students. The Baju Kurung is also worn by non-Malays females (including Malaysia's ethnic Chinese, Indian and native Bornean minorities). This can be partially due to the Baju Kurung being one of the approved styles of dress for female civil servants and one of the approved styles of uniform for female school students. However, its peak sales occur in the month of Ramadan on the Muslim calendar, mostly due to the upcoming "Hari Raya Aidilfitri" (Malay for Eid al-Fitr) after Ramadan ends which is celebrated by Muslims worldwide.^[7]

Modern usage and innovations

In line with the changes in the cut and shape, to produce a more modern and creative design, Baju Kurung is also decorated with embroidery, filigree, beads, and sequins. The material to produce Baju Kurung also changed. Now, there is a wide selection of materials including satin, organza, chiffon, silk, batik, linen, and more. These changes are made to suit the current situation or the event to be attended in addition to trying to imitate the style of foreign cuts that may be intended to look more elegant. There are now various variations of Baju Kurung and it is known as Baju Kurung Moden. The modern Baju Kurung commonly uses lively colors and geometric patterns.^[7] In line with the changing times, various fashion styles, and modern design Baju Kurung has been accepted by the community. The design of the Baju Kurung is now more contemporary but still retains its original features.

Although Baju Kurung has evolved in line with the changing times and tastes of the wearer, the design is still the same.

See also

• National costume of Indonesia
• Malaysian cultural outfits
• Culture of Indonesia
• Culture of Malaysia

References