Traditional Attire of Asia – Singapore (Part 6)
Singapore is the home of people with multiple cultures and traditions. The key inhabitants of the small island country comprise of the Malays, Chinese, Indians, and the Eurasians too. Each of these groups follows their own traditional costume as followed by their ancestors in their respective countries. Singapore thus brings forth a diversity in its ethnicity and attire.
The Prominent Dresses of Singapore
Cheongsam
Cheongsam is a Chinese outfit, also called Qipao. It is worn by women and is a unique combination of modern wear dignity and 80 years old Chinese tradition. It is a high-collared one-piece dress made of silk or cotton. The high skirt offers an elegant look with artistic embroideries in satin or colored fabric. There are variations in the design varying from knee-length to slit sides. The necklines represent sophisticated behaviour and grandeur.
Baju Kurung
Baju Kurung is the traditional outfit of the Malay women and also the national dress of Singapore. It comprises of a blouse for the upper part and a long skirt or sarong for the lower part. The dress is especially worn by the Malay women during Fridays for work as a mark of respect to the tradition and culture. There are two distinct typed of the dress, one being the Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga and the other being the Baju Kurung Cekak Musak. The difference between the two varieties in the absence of a collar for the first one. In Northern Malaysia, the women wear a headscarf called Tudung along with Baju Kurung.
Baju Melayu
Baju Melayu is the traditional outfit of the Malay men. It comprises of a long sleeve baggy shirt with long trousers. A full length or three-quarter piece of cloth called Sampin, made of woven materials, is wrapped around at the waist.
Sarong Kebaya
Sarong Kebaya is the traditional outfit of the Peranakan community, a mix of Malay and Chinese origins. The dress comprises of a blouse called Kebaya and a long skirt or Sarong. It is heavily embroidered and fitted with embellished designs. The skirt is either woven or made of batik pattern fabric. The costume looks quite dignified and elegant.
Saris
Sari is the traditional outfit of Indian women. The dress comprises of a blouse accompanied by a long cloth wrapped around the waist with neat pleats and leaning over the shoulder. They are available in both silk and cotton with bright dazzling designs and colors.
Salwar Kameez
Salwar Kameez represents Indian clothing with loose pants and long tunic style tops. It is the official dress of the State of Punjab in India. The dress is available in vibrant colors and varied designs. The materials may be silk or cotton or synthetic.
Kurta
The Indian men in Singapore traditionally wear a salwar kurta. It consists of a long knee-length robe with tight-fitting trousers. The dresses are available in myriad colors with rich textures.
The men and women in Singapore are style conscious and love to be dressed fashionably.
So many of the fabric used have such beautiful detailing — and the colours are so vibrant! Thanks for sharing!
I mostly saw the 2nd attire when we went there. Cool to know more about it. SG is so beautiful right now.
Oh my goodness, this place (and the clothing) looks beautiful! Although I’ve never been to Singapore before myself, I would love to make my way over in the near future. Thanks for sharing all of this! 🙂
Another beautiful blog post. I love seeing all the traditional outfits. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Laura
https://pinkfrenzymissl.blogspot.com/
I love learning the cultural ways of living, dressing, eating, entertainment. Singapore culture is so fascinating!
Beautiful and elegant. I love traditional Asian fabrics. I feel that they can be an infinite source of inspiration for nowadays designers.
Asian culture is so unique and beautiful. So proud to call myself an Asian. (:
I am from India and I admire saree a lot! 🙂
I love the traditional outfits. The detail in the fabric is simply amazing.
Traditional outfits are absolutely exseptional. I am always charmed. thanks for sharing it
Sarong Kebaya are so beautiful. I learn a lot about traditional outfits in this blog, good job!
Nice to know more of these traditional outfits.. The details are so great..! Thanks for sharing..!
I love the Salwar Kameez attire. It’s simple yet very elegant. This is the attire I can picture myself wearing.
The traditional attires are so beautiful. Thanks for sharing!!
Woooooww this is great stuff here. Great presentation and explanations. Love your work. thanks for sharing.