photos courtesy of flickr.com/photos/wescraftfoto, kaboodle.com, onesimus.com.ph
We’re all proud of our national attire. Most of us are familiar with the coat and tie, kimono, cheongsam, kebaya, even Vietnam’s ao dai. In the Philippines, we have Barong Tagalog, which means a Tagalog dress. This is an embroidered formal garment worn untucked over an undershirt. Making this requires utmost skill because the fabric used are very delicate and made of indigenous materials such as ‘pineapple’, ‘jusi’ (blend of banana fiber and silk) and ‘banana’ fibers.
History tells us that during the Spanish colonial days, Filipinos were mandated to wear a sort of uniform to differentiate themselves with the Spaniards. Rules have to be followed in creating this menswear. First, it had to made out of see through or flimsy material so they cannot hide any weapon under their shirt. Second, it should be untucked to designate low rank and lastly, it cannot have any pockets so the Filipinos cannot keep anything / dissuade them to steal. The Filipinos, being creative and ingenious in nature, used the indigenous materials found in their vicinity such as pineapple fiber and jusi since they were forbidden to use imported fabric. Our ancestors further showed their creativity and turned the so-called uniform into a work of art by doing hand embroidery on the front portion of the shirt.
This is such an exquisite piece of clothing that you should get your hands on. You will definitely look manly and oh so dignified. It's so unique and can be found only in the Philippines.
-r-
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