Monday 26 November 2012

Baju Kurung

The baju kurung (Jawi: باجو كوروڠ) is a traditional Malay costume which loosely translated as "Enclosed Dress". This type of costume is the national dress of Brunei and Malaysia[1][2], and can also be found in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

History

The early baju kurung was longer and looser, unsuited to the figure of Malay women. It was popularised in the late 19th century by Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor[3][4]
It has been reported that the baju kurung has "not only survived, but prospered" in modern Malaysia, pointing to its popularity during the Islamisation of Malaysia in the 1970s and 1980s.[5]

Features

Although "Baju Kurung" is the name for the attire for both male and female, in Malaysia, the female dress is referred to as "Baju Kurung", while the male dress is referred to as "Baju Melayu".
Two versions of the costumes are popular. One is the Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga and the other is the Baju Kurung Cekak Musang. The main difference between this two fashion styles is the cutting style at the neck, where the Teluk Belanga style has no collar and the neckline is stitched in the style known as "tulang belut" ("eel's spines or bones"). The Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga originated, as its name implies, from Teluk Belanga, in the island of Singapore, which was previously the capital of the state of Johor. On the other hand the Cekak Musang style has a standing collar with holes for five buttons including two buttons for the collar.

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