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.
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.
The neckline for the Baju is cut like a keyhole. It is a round neckline with a slit down the front up to about six inches long. The interface for the collar is fixed on the inside. When this is done, the herringbone stitches are sewn all around the edge of the neckline. Two small loops are made at the top end of the slit. This is to enable the neckline to be fixed in place with a cuff-link type ornament specially made for the Baju. Alternatively a brooch may be used to keep in place the top flaps of the slit neckline.The tulang belot finish to the neckline is the final touch traditionally given to the baju and the delicate stitches reflect the fine workmanship that goes into the project. Baju kurung that are on sale in the shops do not have a tulang belot finish to the neckline as commercialism does not justify the effort put in for this luxury.
For a step by step instructions on how to sew the herringbone stitches (tulang belot) visit this page:
Click here.
Five variations of tying the sarong are explained and illustrated at this link:
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