Malaysian Malay







The traditional Malay manner of dressing  is dictated by the Islamic dress code, and therefore tends to be  conservative, especially with the revival of interest in Islam.

Men

The Malay formal dress for men is the Baju Melayu. A loose, long-sleeved shirt worn over a pair of trousers of matching material and colour, or sometimes over a kain sarung or also known as a wrap-around skirt.

In more formal situations, the the Baju Melayu suit, a kain sampin will be used. Kain sampin is a short sarung, usually colourful and even made of gold-thread songkit material, which is worn over the pants, reaching down to the knees. A Songkok will complete the formal dress. Shoes or leather sandals may be used.


Women

For the Malay women the sarung kebaya was at one time commonly worn and may be seen today as well. This is a two-piece dress consisting of a tight long-sleeved blouse and a figure-hugging sheath of batik or silk with a slit. 

Another traditional and popular  costume for women is the Baju Kurung. This comprises a loose tunic (baju) worn over a long skirt (sarung). The baju kurung  set may be made of any material at all, including batik, sungkit material or silk,  and various styles have been developed in different states. Together with the baju and the sarung, there may also be a shawl, (selendang) to cover the head. 


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