the baju kurungis the traditional apparel for Malay men and women in Malaysia and Singapore.
the baju kurungis the traditional apparel for Malay men and women in Malaysia and Singapore.
For women, the ensemble comprises a long-sleeved loose fitting long blouse worn over a matching sarong. Batik sarong is not usually worn with the Baju Kurung except for very casual wear at home when no attempt is made to match the Baju.
To complete the outfit, a long scarf (selendang) (usually made of lace) is worn around the shoulders or around the head, crossed loosely at the front of the neck.
The Baju Kurung is a very comfortable outfit to wear - it is non-restrictive and is cool in the tropical weather. It looks elegant on any kind of figure as the flowing lines of the baju camouflages any imperfect figure.
Characteristics & variations of the baju kurung
There are a few variations of the Baju Kurung:
1. The traditional Baju Kurung (for women) is worn with the hemline well below the knee. The neckline is round with a vertical 6 inch slit at the front. This neckline is finished in herringbone stitching. The neckline is worn with a special single Baju Kurung button which is held in place by two loops. The baju has one patch pocket placed at the right hand side of the front panel of the baju.
2 The Baju Kurung Kedah (for women) is basically like the traditional Baju, but is cut shorter - the hem being just below the waistline; it is in fact a crop version of the traditional Baju.
3. The Baju Kurung Moden (for women) is the modern version of the Baju. The basic cut for the Baju Kurung Moden is different from the traditional cut and the collars are worn in a variety of different styles. Accessories like piping and fancy buttons are also added.
4. The Baju Kurung (for men) has the same basic cut as for the traditional Baju for women but the collar is different. It has a standup round collar (about three quarters of an inch high) - not unlike the Nehru collar. The neck opening is closed using three cuff-link type buttons.
1.Ceremonial Baju Kurung are made from Kain Songket (Ethnic cloth handwoven in silk and metalic threads). These are worn at formal ceremonies and at weddings.
2.Formal Baju Kurung are made of silk and floral synthetic materials.
3.Casual Baju Kurung which are worn at home are made of printed cotton or other synthetic fibres.
4. Yardage: It takes about 4 metres of 45-inch width cloth to make a baju and kain set. For a tall person, the 45 inch width may have to be extended at the waist end for extra height.
A pattern on how to make the traditional Baju Kurung is given below.(
Sewing Instructions
Flat stitch for the seams
Herringbone Stitch ( Sulam Tulang Belot ) for the neckline.
Five variations of tying the sarong are explained and illustrated below.
the sarong
Variation One. Step into the centre of the tubular sarong. Pull up the sarong up to the waist. Make a fold at the extreme left side of the body and bring the fold over to the right side of the body. The edge of the fold should come up to two thirds at the right side of the body. To adjust the fold, just bunch up the slack on the inside left fold of the sarong. A slim or small person may find the flap going around the right side of the body to the back, in which case the adjustment will become necessary. Keep the sarong in place with a belt.
Variation Two. Start as for Variation One. Take up the slack in the sarong at the left side of the body by making as many folds as is necessary in until the sarong is tightly fitting at the waiste. Keep the folds in place with a belt. The folds should spread out like a fan at the bottom end of the sarong.
Variation Three. Step into the centre of the sarong. Pull the front part of the sarong taut across the tummy. Make a large single large box pleat at the back and fix the sarong in place with a belt.
kain lepas
- Variation Four. The Kain Lepas is about two and a half metres in length and about 45 inches in width. It is worn more tight fitting than the sarong. However because of the way it is folded, it does not restrict walking and is quite comfortable to wear. The right end of the sarong is wrapped around the back of the body towards the left front end. This end should be pulled up so that the bottom end of the sarong hangs around or above the knee. Wrap the long end of the sarong around the waist in an anticlockwise direction so that the sarong gets gradually longer as it is wrapped around. The sarong should end at the front slightly to the right. If the end of the sarong should end up at the back of the body or too far left loosen the wrap and adjust accordingly. Tie up at the waist with a belt.
- As the sarong is tied at an angle with the inside fold half-way up the leg, this will give the sarong wrap some space for movement when the wearer is walking.
kain samping
Variation Five The Kain Samping is worn by a man. It is a short sarong - about half the size of the regular sarong. It is worn over the trouser of the baju kurung ensemble. It is tied like the variations one and two methods described above. However, when variation two is used, the fan at the top left hand is spread out to form a circular fan.
The Kain Samping may be made of any material, but the Kain Songket Samping is usually worn at ceremonies and Hari Raya. The Kain Samping Songket can be purchased at Geylang Serai and Arab Street in Singapore. The Kain Songket is woven in Malaysia especially in the states of Kelantan & Trengganu.
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