Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Eid Al-Fitr is here. The Malay Muslims are busy changing their wardrobe with new clothes. As a Malaysian, I join the joy of this festival by donning a baju melayu to attend their Hari Raya open house. I also enjoy seeing my Malay female friends all dressed up to the nines in their kebaya and baju kurung. All these intricate designs reflect the culturally rich fashion trends of the Malay community.
Selection of baju melayu for sale during festive period. Photo from Adobe Stock
Step Back in Time
Let me start with baju melayu. This is a traditional Malay outfit for men. There are two distinct types, the cekak musang collar(fox lease) which has a raised stiff collar and the Teluk Belanga style which was originated from Johor during the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar.
I remember how my Malay dance teacher taught me how to wear the kain sampingor sarong together with the baju melayu. Believe me, it was not easy to wrap and tie it around my waist but practice makes perfect, I did finally manage to tie it.
While the baju melayu continues to be well-loved by the Malay men, the influence of Middle East and Bollywood fashion has seeped into the community in the new millennium. Today, Malay men love to don jubah, the Arabic long loose garment and kurta, the collarless shirt worn mostly by South Asians.
A traditional Malay men outfit. Photo from Adobe Stock
“Although the Middle East and Bollywood influences are making an impact here, the baju melayu is still a popular choice of menswear during Hari Raya,” says Farel Mikhail, the founder of Farel Mikhail designer label. For Farel, the Ramadan period will see a sudden surge on demand for baju melayu.
Apart from the baju melayu, European influences were strong in the early days. We always saw men in suits in P. Ramlee movies and those big suits have since evolved into a new fashion trend.
In fact, I was amazed to see how unique and smart the men suits can be using the classic Malay songket(hand-woven brocade) fabric and batik.
According to Bon Zainal, Chief Creative Officer, Bon Fashion Legacy Sdn Bhd who is also the President of Malaysian Bumiputra Designers Association (MBDA), “Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures and we should take advantage of this uniqueness to infuse this Malaysian features into our fashion.
“The West love our Malaysian-made suit and they are willing to pay a lot for it,” says Bon who is Malaysia’s most celebrated men’s suit king.
Text by Francis Yip
