Introduction
Kebaya is the traditional dress culture
of Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese people which used as one of identity of
Indonesian people. Kebaya is made from sheer material such as silk, thin cotton
or semi-transparent nylon or polyester, adorned with brocade or floral pattern
embroidery. it usually wear with a sarong or batik kain panjang, or other
traditional woven garment such as ikat, songket with a colorful motif.
Javanese kebaya
collection and each usage varies depending on the motif as well as many
sequins. Javanese kebaya has experienced many shifts, but they still feel the
traditional concept. Javanese Kebaya using traditional batik cloth to the
bottom. But with the progress of time can be replaced batik cloth with another
cloth that is more modern and less visible ethnic.
Javanese kebaya consists of the blouse (kebaya)
of cotton , silk, lace, brocade or velvet, with the central opening of the
blouse fastened by a central brooch (kerongsang) where the flaps of the
blouse meet. Kerongsang brooch often made from gold jewelry and
considered as the sign of social status of aristocracy, wealth and nobility,
however for commoners and peasant women, simple and plain kebaya often only
fastened with modest safety pin
(peniti).
The Definition of Kebaya
The meaning of the word Kebaya is inspired from Arab region clothing,
the Arabic word abaya which means clothing.
Kebaya is the national costume of Indonesia, although it is more accurately
endemic to the Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese peoples. Since Java is the
center of Indonesian politics since colonial era, as well as the majority of
Indonesian population, it is only natural that the folk costume from Java are
elevated into national status.
Kebaya is a
very old clothes in the presence of Indonesian. It is also one of the many
historic relics of our ancestors in Indonesia in the past. The kebaya is also a
traditional clothing including fancy of so many clothes that exist in this
world.
It is made from sheer material such as
silk, thin cotton or semi-transparent nylon or polyester, adorned with brocade
or floral pattern embroidery. Kebaya usually wear with a sarong or batik kain
panjang, or other traditional woven garment such as ikat, songket with a
colorful motif.
Kebaya as the national costume of Indonesian
women were often featured by Indonesian first ladies. The wives of Sukarno, Indonesian
first president; Fatmawati Sukarno and Dewi Sukarno were known to
wearing kebaya daily. Kebaya is usually worn during official national events by
Indonesian first lady, wifes of Indonesian diplomats, and Indonesian ladies.
During Indonesia's Proclamation of
Independence, Dutch-educated activist SK Trimurti- wore kebaya
cementing it as the female dress of Nationalism.
In Japanese internment camps during the Second World War, Indonesian female prisoners refused to wear the Western dress allocated them and instead wore kebaya as a display of Nationalist and racial solidarity separate from fellow Chinese, Europeans and Eurasian inmates.
In Japanese internment camps during the Second World War, Indonesian female prisoners refused to wear the Western dress allocated them and instead wore kebaya as a display of Nationalist and racial solidarity separate from fellow Chinese, Europeans and Eurasian inmates.
The Suharto-era bureaucrat
wives' social organisation Dharma Wanita wears a uniform of gold kebaya,
with a red sash (selendang) and stamped batik pattern on the kain
unique to Dharma Wanita. The late Indonesian first lady and also a minor
aristocrat Tien Suharto was a prominent
advocate of the kebaya. Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri is a public champion of kebaya
and wears fine red kebaya whenever possible in public forums and 2009
Presidential election debates.
The
earliest form of Kebaya originates in the court of the Javanese Majapahit Kingdom as a
means to blend the existing female Kemban, torso wrap of the
aristocratic women to be more modest and acceptable to the newly adopted Islam
religion. Aceh, Riau and Johor Kingdoms and Northern Sumatra adopted the
Javanese style kebaya as a means of social expression of status with the more alus
or refined Javanese overlords.
The name of Kebaya as a particular clothing
type was noted by the Portuguese when they landed
in Indonesia. Kebaya is
associated with a type of blouse worn by
Indonesian women in 15th or 16th century. Prior to 1600, kebaya on Java island
were considered as a sacred clothing to be worn only by royal family, aristocrats (bangsawan) and minor nobility, in an era when
peasant men and many women walked publicly bare-chested.
Slowly it naturally spread to neighbouring
areas through trade, diplomacy and social interactions to Malacca, Bali, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and the Sultanate of Sulu and Mindanao. Javanese kebaya
as known today were noted by Raffles in 1817, as being of silk, brocade and
velvet, with the central opening of the blouse fastened by brooches, rather
than button and button-holes over the torso wrap kemben, the kain (and
unstitched wrap fabric several metres long erroneously termed 'sarong in
English it is stitched to form a tube, like a Western dress) After hundreds
of years of regional acculturation, the garments have become highly localised
expressions of ethnic culture, artistry and tailoring traditions.
2.
Kinds of Kebaya
- 1.Kebaya Kartini
Women's kebaya nigrat used in the
RA Kartini. Similar
to the kebaya encim. but there are differences in
the chest, pelvis close long kebaya,
the fold-collar forming vertical lines. The 21st of April
is celebrated in Indonesia as National Kartini Day where Raden Ajeng Kartini, the female
suffragist and education advocate is remembered by schoolgirls wearing
traditional dress according to their region.
2.
Kebaya Encim
Kebaya has also been
popular among women of China named kebaya encim. It is the combination of clothing from china Shanghai
with typical Malay
kebaya. Design of the Kebaya encim is so simple with shorter pieces and usually
made from cotton, with embroidered collar and
v along the collar
to bottom.
3. Javanese kebaya
It consists
of the blouse (kebaya) of cotton , silk, lace, brocade or velvet, with the
central opening of the blouse fastened by a central brooch (kerongsang) where
the flaps of the blouse meet. Kebaya jawa is a simple model with v neckline,
long to cover
hips, transparent material made of patterned
fabric.
4.
Balinese kebaya
Balinese kebaya actually similar with the Javanese
kebaya but there is a diference in hallmark of extra obi
is wrapped at the
waist. Obi become the characteristic of the bali kebaya which
distinguish with others type of kebaya. Materials in bali
kebaya are usually made of
brocade or cotton. During Balinese
traditional ceremonies, Balinese women wore colorful Balinese style kebaya with
songket Bali.
5. Kebaya modern
Kebaya modern is
a combination of traditional elements with the modern elements. Innovations of
modern kebaya such as clasps, zippers and buttons- zippers being a much
appreciated addition for ladies' requiring the bathroom, without requiring
being literally unwrapped by a helper- to the extent the true kain is near
unanimously rejected.
Varieties
The varieties of kebaya are two main
varieties. The blouse, known as baju kebaya may be of two main form: the
semi-transparent straighter cut blouse of the Java, Bali and the more tightly
tailored Sunda kebaya and the more Islamic compatible, plainer baju kurung
is a loose-fitting, knee-length long-sleeved blouse worn in the more adherent
Muslim areas- including former Kingdom of Johor-Riau (now Malaysia), Sumatra
and parts of coastal Java.
In Java, Bali and Sunda, the kain is commonly
batik which may be from plain stamped cotton to elaborately hand-painted batik
tulis embroidered silk with gold thread. In Lampung, the kain is the
traditional tapis- an elaborate gold-thread embroidered ikat with small
mica discs. Sumatera, Flores, Lemata Timor, and other islands commonly use kain
of ikat or songket. Sumba is famous for kain decorated with lau hada:
shells and beads.
Modern usage and innovations
Apart from traditional kebaya, fashion designers
are looking into ways of modifying the design and making kebaya a more
fashionable outfit. Casual designed kebaya can even be worn with jeans or
skirts. For weddings or formal events, many designers are exploring other types
of fine fabrics like laces to create a bridal kebaya. It also worn by
Indonesian ladies for attending traditional ceremonies and wedding
Modern-day kebaya now incorporate modern
Western tailoring innovations such as clasps, zippers and buttons- zippers
being a much appreciated addition for ladies' requiring the bathroom, without
requiring being literally unwrapped by a helper- to the extent the true kain is
near unanimously rejected. Other modern innovations have included the blouse baju
kebaya worn without the restrictive kemben, and eve the kebaya blouse worn
with slacks or made of the fabric usually for the kain panjang.
The female uniform of
Garuda Indonesia flight attendants is
more authentic modern interpretations, the kebaya is designed in simple yet
classic kartini style kebaya derived
from 19th century kebaya of Javanese noblewomen. The kebaya made from
fire-proof cotton-polyester fabrics, with batik sarongs in parang or lereng gondosuli
motif, which also incorporate garuda's wing motif and small dots represent jasmine.source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebaya
