BAJU MELAYU
BAJU MELAYU
- A Traditional Malay Men Costume That Fascinate Opposite Gender
Baju Melayu is the general reference to the traditional Malay costume for men and it is said that the style has been in existence since the 15th Century. Actually it has two specific style names, the Baju Kurung Cekak Musang and the Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga.
The man widely acknowledged as the creator of the male Baju Melayu, and the person who first popularized it in the 15th Century in the Malacca Sultanate is Tun Hassan Temenggong, the son of Bendahara Seri Maharaja Tun Mutahir.
The Malacca Empire was enjoying its heydays during the 15th to early 16th Century until the Portuguese conquered Malacca in 1511. It was the strongest empire in the region then stretching from Sumatra in the south to Thailand in the north, and was a center of entreport trade, with traders from India, China, Middle East and Europe coming and sailing to trade there.
With the influx of foreigners to Malacca, they also brought with them their own fashion styles. These eventually influenced the Malay attire, which combined the flowing loose fitting styles (robes) of the Arabs and Indians, trousers and pants of the Mongols and Turks, with the simplicity and elegance of the Europeans. And the Malay Baju Melayu was born.
In Sarawak’s Malay community, the Malay Baju Melayu Cekak Musang are the most famous and any Malay man should have in his cupboard. The Malay Baju Melayu Cekak Musang shirt is opened at the front from the neck up to the middle of the chest. The shirt usually contains five buttons, two at the collar or neck area and three for the upper body.
This is the traditional cut and is of ethical significance, for the fact that Malays follow the Islamic faith or are Muslims, and this number of buttons on the shirt dress of the Baju Melayu signifies the five pillars of Islam.
It is very rare indeed for the traditional Baju Melayu to have more than five buttons.
Another ethical concept is that the Baju Melayu, as a fashion style, the whole dress from the shirt to the trousers cannot be tight. It is not Baju Melayu if it is tight-fitted. The traditional attire is loose-fitting, for both shirt and trousers. This of course also fits with the usage of the costume for Islamic prayers, when bending and sitting are required.
And of course the traditional Baju Melayu is not for the discotheque. The Baju Melayu is worn especially during major religious festivals celebrated by the Malays, such as Aidil Fitri and Aidil Adha. It is worn for prayers, and it is also the attire worn during traditional Malay weddings (during the bersanding as well as during the akad nikah) and performances of traditional dances like joget, zapin, and others.
For those reasons, it is ethically incongruous to wear Baju Melayu to the modern discos. It doesn’t jive if you dress in Baju Melayu to the disco and dance the western dances. You will actually look weird!! And people will probably laugh at you.
For special occasion the Baju Melayu is worn with the tanjak. The Baju Melayu is worn "sedondon", (of one material or fabrics, color and pattern) that is, the shirt, trousers, samping and tanjak, are of the same color, fabric and pattern. And for ordinary occasion, the Baju Melayu is worn with a dastar or a headwear or a songkok.
Well, the Baju Melayu has tested the evolution of time and yet it still retains its popularity and amazes with its style and elegance. But while aesthetically pleasing, the Baju Melayu also has ethical and traditional values that cultured and conservative Malays follow.
Anyway, Men look smarter if they are wearing this Baju Melayu with samping and songkok…they make all women fascinate when look at them…..
