Going all traditional.
Prior to Chinese New Year, I visited friends in my former workplace. Like most days, I wore the Baju Kurung, the Malay traditional attire for girls, hence that sparked the remark from my friend.
Frankly, I seldom see Chinese adorning their traditional gear, though I’m in agreement on other races wearing the traditional attires of other races. Over here, it’s common to see Chinese wearing Indian or Malay clothes, vice versa. There are also instances whereby the public wears Arab, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese etc. traditional attire.
Considering I have loads of Baju Kurung, I don’t see any reason not to wear it. In Madinah, sis got me to purchase an abaya. It’s still hanging in the closet, like some kind of overdue party dress never to be worn, *believe me, it does look like that. Sis was raving on how it looks like something out of a fairytale. Alas, what was I thinking then?* I strongly believe that its sole purpose is meant to collect dust or otherwise to be infested with moth holes. As for the other races traditional attire, I have worn the cheongsam. In my kiddy years, cousins and I experimented with bales of cloth mimicking the way Indians twirl their saris, although that doesn’t count since we were merely fooling around. I do however have a dress, a synthesis of Indian and Malay, made from sari material. *one of the rare moments when I allow the tailor to go crazy on the creation; I guess the material must had provided the inspiration*
I have friends that are alright with it, whilst some are totally against it. As for me, as long as it is within my dress code boundaries, I'm fine with it.
What's your take on this?
Friend:: I take my hat off the Malays and Indians. They are proud to wear their traditional costume anywhere. Us Chinese prefer to wear your traditional costumes instead of our own.
Prior to Chinese New Year, I visited friends in my former workplace. Like most days, I wore the Baju Kurung, the Malay traditional attire for girls, hence that sparked the remark from my friend. Frankly, I seldom see Chinese adorning their traditional gear, though I’m in agreement on other races wearing the traditional attires of other races. Over here, it’s common to see Chinese wearing Indian or Malay clothes, vice versa. There are also instances whereby the public wears Arab, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese etc. traditional attire.
Considering I have loads of Baju Kurung, I don’t see any reason not to wear it. In Madinah, sis got me to purchase an abaya. It’s still hanging in the closet, like some kind of overdue party dress never to be worn, *believe me, it does look like that. Sis was raving on how it looks like something out of a fairytale. Alas, what was I thinking then?* I strongly believe that its sole purpose is meant to collect dust or otherwise to be infested with moth holes. As for the other races traditional attire, I have worn the cheongsam. In my kiddy years, cousins and I experimented with bales of cloth mimicking the way Indians twirl their saris, although that doesn’t count since we were merely fooling around. I do however have a dress, a synthesis of Indian and Malay, made from sari material. *one of the rare moments when I allow the tailor to go crazy on the creation; I guess the material must had provided the inspiration*
- Do you wear your traditional clothes, excluding festive days?
- Do you wear the traditional clothes of other races?
- What do you think of other races wearing your traditional clothes?
I have friends that are alright with it, whilst some are totally against it. As for me, as long as it is within my dress code boundaries, I'm fine with it.
What's your take on this?
9.37 Malaysian Time
12 comments:
Assalamualaikum.
I do wear traditional clothes such as kurung since it's my school uniform. I used to wear it to Quran classes but not anymore since I, now, cycle to the Ustazah's house. It wouldn't be proper if I go cycling around in kurung as it would 'show' my legs. I prefer wearing loose pants and shirts.
But I don't wear 'kebaya' since I think that it's a bit too girly and I think I look fat in it... :)
Well ....
- I do wear my traditional dress excluding of festive days.
- Yes I've worn arab dresses, a kind of english gown, and western clothes like long skits and shirts ... and I luv the Malay attire too though I haven't worn it ... it's similar to the Indian Lehanga
- Well I don't mind ppl wearing my traditional clothes ... bcoz soo many like Indian wear especially designer clothes .... and so many like Indian food and movies too .... guess that's where they get it from ....
Well, being an American we don't have any traditional clothing to speak of but on certain holdidays (Eids) will adorn an Indian style garb (shalwar or lehenga) or if we sisters have a get-together I might pull out one or the other... which I know my husband does appreciate.
It's nice to see others in non-traditional wear of their own- there's nothing wrong with experimenting with another culture's clothing... go with what feels best (and natural) for you!
Miss Ash:: Wa'alaikumussalam.
The good ole school uniform. :) Yeah, I don't wear Kebaya or Kebarung either as aunts say I look ridiculously anorexic in it even though I have packed a few kilos these past months. That's not my reason though.
Ms.Unique:: Cool~ Insya'Allah, I'll bring one Malay attire for you when I'm there sis. :) And you're right on the food. ^^
Empress Anisa:: Somehow this reminded me of your love story ... :)
-----
hajar
asalamu alaikum,
I wear my traditional clothes at home. I wear western clothing under my abayah when I go out because I find it to be more comfortable. I don't mind other people wearing my traditional clothing, it's very amusing for me. Haha.
RYC: The stone is actually very smooth; it's not harmful in any way. InshaAllah, try it =].
As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu my dearest sister,
Oohh.. interesting topic (not that I'm a 'fashion' kinda person).. but see, you managed to make it interesting. (No that's talent!)
Where was I..
In the past, I've worn lots of different kind of things.. (I suppose because I don't fit into any culture/race group - and love this fact). It's great being everyone and no-one at the same time.
At the present moment.. my entire closet is abaya's! Yes..that moth entree you mentioned..haha I wear them because, they are COMFORTABLE, I don't need so many different sizes in my closet, they're hijab appropriate, and did I mention comfortable. I even wear them in the house :D
As for other races wearing 'my' traditional.. seeing how I don't have any. Either way, I think it's great to see people in different kinds of fashion, eating diffrent kind of food, learning different languages, etc. To me, it's part of that "appreciating and loving other cultures/races" thing. (Yes..I live in a bubble..haha)
Love Farhana
Noshi:: Wa'alaikumussalam.
Welcome Sister Noshi. ^^ I find it more amusing when they speak in my language. More on that later. :)
If you say so ... Insya'Allah I'll give it a go. :)
Sketched Soul:: Wa'alaikumussalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh dear Sister Farhana.
Finally something we can agree on! Haha~ Similarly, 'fashion' do not equal me.
"It's great being everyone and no-one at the same time."
Back to back on the similarities here ...
Yeah, abayas are comfy. Truthfully, I often wear kaftans or abayas at home, but the one I mentioned is the OTT kind, with sparkles, glitters etc. Outside, it's mostly Baju Kurung or fusion/western clothing.
I guess I was born and am still kept in captive in that bubble. :P
W'salam,
hajar
Assalamualaikum Hajar.
I do wear baju kurung once or thrice a week under my abaya and of course on Sunday it's compulsory since it's the formal dress day at the Library.
I love baju kurung and I wear it proudly at home although i also wear skirts and pants. My friends use to say that my family is really neat and formal because all of the girls usually adorned baju kurung at home. The truth is we are not really good in tying the sarong like everyone else here, hehehe and we've been like that since our childhood days.
It's good for you to like baju kurung and committed in wearing it. It's really aurat compliance as long as you adorn it with hijab and the material is non-transparent. I really respect today's youth who can stick to baju kurung while so many out there opt to wear pants, skirts and many other trendy wardrobe. Good for you hajar.
Wa'alaikumussalam Kak Chik.
Tying the Sarong is nerve-wrecking. Alhamdulillah, my performing days aided in mastering it. However, you won't see me in it unless the situation calls for it. :)
I do have some of those transparent types, though we have lining underneath it. The thing I like about Baju Kurung is that it's already paired, and you can never go wrong with it as a formal, casual, daily wear apart from adhering to the Islamic dress code.
One time, a friend queried me on the Kurung. Instead of explaining, I gave her one of mine to wear to a function. She got a couple for herself soon later. :)
W'salam,
Hajar
I love abayas and caftans.
I've tried to wear Indian / Pakistani style Shalwar Kameez before, but I found it annoying, because the shawl part does not stay put, it slips and slides all over the place and I keep having to pick it off the floor to keep from stepping on it...Oh, and did I mention how annoying that is?
I like loose pants and knee-length sweaters, jackets, coats and tunics for winter, and for summer I like to wear abayas and caftans because they are so loose and comfy. I found the Arab styles to be simple to wear, usually made of weather appropriate fabric for summer, and COMFORTABLE. I really like the ones with some delicate bling.
The embellishments on Indo/Pak styles are often too gaudy and exaggerated for my taste. The fabrics are often not the kind of fabrics I'd like to wear every day and the prints remind me of drapes and table cloths. Besides, the Indo/Pak styles are often insanely expensive, if they are really nice ones.
So, to me, the Arab styles are more realistic, even the formal ones are affordable and can be washed a gazzillion times without changing their shapes and colors drastically.
No one would want to wear my traditional clothes, I don't even want to wear them. Old Order Mennonites wear 16th century style European peasants clothing, and their church elders do not allow them to experiment with other styles because they think that paying attention to fashion is a symbol of pride and therefore an undesirable quality for people to experience. I disagree. I think that as long as people are observing certain rules of modesty they can experiment with a thousand different styles, until they find the one that suits them.
I love abayas and caftans.
I've tried to wear Indian / Pakistani style Shalwar Kameez before, but I found it annoying, because the shawl part does not stay put, it slips and slides all over the place and I keep having to pick it off the floor to keep from stepping on it...Oh, and did I mention how annoying that is?
I like loose pants and knee-length sweaters, jackets, coats and tunics for winter, and for summer I like to wear abayas and caftans because they are so loose and comfy. I found the Arab styles to be simple to wear, usually made of weather appropriate fabric for summer, and COMFORTABLE. I really like the ones with some delicate bling.
The embellishments on Indo/Pak styles are often too gaudy and exaggerated for my taste. The fabrics are often not the kind of fabrics I'd like to wear every day and the prints remind me of drapes and table cloths. Besides, the Indo/Pak styles are often insanely expensive, if they are really nice ones.
So, to me, the Arab styles are more realistic, even the formal ones are affordable and can be washed a gazzillion times without changing their shapes and colors drastically.
No one would want to wear my traditional clothes, I don't even want to wear them. Old Order Mennonites wear 16th century style European peasants clothing, and their church elders do not allow them to experiment with other styles because they think that paying attention to fashion is a symbol of pride and therefore an undesirable quality for people to experience. I disagree. I think that as long as people are observing certain rules of modesty they can experiment with a thousand different styles, until they find the one that suits them.
The shawl so far have been very obedient with me, but I only wear it with Baju Kurung. I love to annoy others by flapping it around. :) Perhaps pinning it might help? That's what most of my Indian friends do with theirs.
To a certain extent, I have heard from friends that the prices can skyrocket to preposterous heights.
I'm sure someone would want to wear it. In fact I don't mind. ^^ To some, it may be a symbol of vanity. However, it really depends on the individual to make the judgment, and not to be passed by outsiders.
Post a Comment