Malay Women’s Traditional Dress by State
Diversity of race and culture is one of the uniqueness of Malaysia. Each state has its own unique and different customs and culture in terms of language, accent, food and even traditional clothing. Each state has its own unique traditional fashion including:
1. Perlis
Baju Kebaya Labuh Perlis is a traditional dress for women in Perlis. Baju Kebaya Labuh Perlis is a modern cut dress that is split in the front. This dress will be embellished by wearing a brooch on the front fold of the shirt. This baju kebaya is usually made of songket material which is usually worn by the noble class.
2. Kedah
Baju Kurung Kedah is a traditional dress for women in Kedah. Baju Kurung Kedah is believed to originate from Southern Thailand. This traditional dress resembles a short blouse that is made short to the back. Kurung Kedah is made of cotton cloth with small flowers or semi-transparent thick/thin gauze cloth. The neck is shaped like a betel nut and this dress is usually matched with sarong fabric. Baju Kurung Kedah is considered as daily wear or as wet wear.
3. Pulau Pinang
Baju Kebaya Sulam is a traditional dress that is often worn by women in Penang. Women such as Nyonya and Chetti prefer to wear Kebaya Sulam with batik fabric and a scarf. This Baju Kebaya Sulam is embroidered with floral motifs and decorated with brooches.
4. Perak
The Princess of Perak dress is the official dress of the Sultanate of Perak. This type of fashion is quite hard to see these days. The design of this baju kurung is also very different from other baju kurung because it needs to be worn with trousers and a sampin and matched with a long scarf made of full flower songket fabric. The design of this baju kurung also has similarities with the cekak musang baju kurung because it has a collar on the neck.
5. Selangor
Baju Kebaya Lapuh Selangor or The Malay Dress is a traditional dress for women in Selangor. The Selangor kebaya is characterized by looseness and length past the knee, worn separately, pleated at the front, folded at the neck and the ends of the sleeves are straight. This dress is usually matched with a songket or chiffon scarf.
6. Wilayah Persekutuan
Women in the Wilayah Persekutuan will wear a modern cut Long Sleeve Shirt that is split in the front. This fashion material is made of flower songket fabric. Women will match this dress with a scarf as a complement.
7. Negeri Sembilan
The women in Negeri Sembilan will wear Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga which is matched with sarong cloth made of full flower woven songket fabric. For noble women of Minangkabau descent, their baju kurung clothes are made of velvet cloth embroidered with gold thread and decorated with sequins. The sarong cloth is made from full songket cloth specially woven from Pandai Sikek or from Batu Bara in Sumatra. The women will wear a headdress called Sunting and complete with a chest pad made of velvet fabric with attached sequin beads.
8. Pahang
Baju Kurung Riau Pahang is a traditional dress for women in Pahang. This type of Baju Kurung is known as Baju Kurung Riau Pahang. This fashion is also known as Baju Belah or Turkish Baju Kebaya. This baju kurung is said to be symbolic of revealing the history of the relationship between the two states of Riau and Pahang. On both sides of the Kurung Riau Pahang shirt, it has a flowered cut that is connected with “kekek gantung”. Women will also wear this dress along with a long scarf made of woven songket fabric.
9. Terengganu
The women in Terengganu will wear the Baju Kurung with pesak made of songket fabric woven with Terengganu flower sprinkles produced from gold thread. This dress is also matched with a long scarf made of flower songket material sprinkled with gold thread. The women will wear buns, necklaces and bracelets as a complement to this outfit.
10. Kelantan
Cik Siti Wan Kembang’s clothing is traditional clothing for women in Kelantan. The women will dress in long songket cloth wrapped around as a sarong cloth. The cut limar cloth is wrapped around the “kemban jantan” and fixed with a belt and pendant. This dress is also completed with a long Jong Sarat songket scarf as a shoulder cover.
11. Johor
Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga was introduced during the reign of Late Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Late Sultan Abu Bakar. His Majesty has changed the design of the baju kurung so that it is long enough to reach below the knee. This shirt also has a pocket and wears layered fabric on the left side. Cucuk Sanggul is also worn as a main accessory and Dagang Luar cloth is held at waist level and used as a veil to cover the head when in public. Baju kurung Teluk Belanga is very popular among the Johor community and is worn on festival days and when attending certain events.
12. Melaka
The women in Melaka will wear Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga which has a long and loose cut. This dress is matched with batik, songket or silk fabric. The cloth is tied with a knot called Ombak Mengalun and Melaka women will decorate their heads with Sanggul Lintang. Sanggul Lintang is named because of the placement and shape of the bun horizontally on the head. Malacca women will also decorate their chests with Sibar Layang or breast pads made of velvet fabric attached with beads and sequins.
13. Sabah
The traditional dress of Kadazan Papar women is known as Sia. This dress is made of waist-length velvet fabric and paired with a knee-length fabric called Gonob. Kadazan women will also decorate their heads with Papar/Siung hats and wear silver coin belt accessories.
14. Sarawak
Traditional clothing for Iban women will wear Selampai, a sash that covers the chest and is completed with sweet embroidery. Iban women also wear Kain Karap made from Pua Kumbu woven cloth. On the head, Iban women will wear headdresses made of silver known as Sugu Tinggi and Sugu Rengkap.
Cultural differences are not an obstacle for Malaysians to live in harmony and love for the country.
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