Thejakartapost - Every country is gifted with a signature costume that embodies the nation’s identity.
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| Women make ‘kebaya’ a fashion mission |
When one thinks of Indonesia, one imagines an Indonesian woman wrapped in the country’s iconic kebaya blouse and a piece of intricate batik or tenun (woven cloth) as her kain (long skirt).
But in most parts of Indonesia, kebaya are suffering from waning appeal and are mostly worn during official functions and special events.
Some women have taken it upon themselves to bring the classic and elegant attire back to its glory days.
Without much fanfare, these women wear their kebaya blouses with matching batik or tenun every day.
Just recently, a dozen of them strolled around the Cilandak Town Square shopping complex in South Jakarta, fully aware that people were noticeably staring at them.
“When wearing kebaya, we’re frequently asked: ‘Did you just attend a special event?’” said one of the women, Taty Apriliyana.
“And most of the time, I answer: ‘No, I just came from home’,” she said.
Taty, a businesswoman and mother of six, is one of 41 active members of Perempuan Berkebaya (Women in Kebaya) — a movement to wear the traditional blouse and skirt sets during their work and leisure time.
They come from various occupations, from homemakers, lecturers and journalists to government officials. Their commitment to wearing kebaya extends to overseas travel, trekking mountains, cycling and even paragliding.
Perempuan Berkebaya was started by Kristin Samah, an author and former journalist, who started wearing kebaya as her daily attire two years ago.
- “At first, I just wanted to look different,” she laughed.
“But then, I had many experiences that prompted me to wear kebaya every day. One of them was when I wore kebaya in my hometown of Yogyakarta but people there thought that I was Balinese.”
Kebaya remain part of daily life in Bali, where women wear the attire regularly including for religious and traditional ceremonies. But in most parts of the country, kebaya are usually reserved for official functions and special events.
