Kebaya
A kebaya is an upper garment traditionally worn by women in Southeast Asia, notably in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Southern Thailand. It is also worn in parts of southern Philippines and Cambodia.
Javanese kebaya is a sheer blouse worn over batik kemben, as shown here worn by Princess Hayu of Yogyakarta. | |
| Type | Traditional upper garment |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Maritime Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia) |
| Manufacturer | Javanese and Malay |
Kebaya is an upper garment opened at the front traditionally made from lightweight fabrics such as brocade, cotton, gauze, lace, or voile, sometimes adorned with embroidery. The front is secured with either buttons, pins, or brooches. The lower garment for the outfit is known as sarong, kemben or kain, a long piece of cloth wrapped and tucked around the waist or under the armpits, either made out of batik, ikat, songket or tenun.
Kebaya is officially recognised as the national attire of Indonesia, and its fashion icon, although it is more popularly worn by Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese people. In Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, it is recognized as one of its ethnic attires especially among Malay and Peranakan communities; the complete outfit is known in these region as "sarong kebaya". The style of sarong kebaya vary from place to place throughout the region.
Kebaya has become a Southeast Asian fashion icon, with many Southeast Asian flag carrier airlines including Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines and Garuda Indonesia adopting the traditional clothing as the uniforms for their female flight attendants.