Rajapatni.com: Surabaya (12/11/24) – Dress shows identity. Moreover, clothes have styles and models. For example, ꧌ꦏꦼꦧꦪꦽ꧍ kebaya clothing, which is traditional and has a distinctive cut that is open at the front and is traditionally made from light fabric. This kind of kebaya expresses ꧌ꦅꦝꦺꦤ꧀ꦠꦶꦠꦱ꧀ꦗꦮ꧍ Javanese identity.
Kebaya is traditional clothing, which is often worn by Javanese women in Central Java, ꧌ꦗꦮꦠꦶꦩꦸꦂ꧍ East Java, the Special Region of Yogyakarta and West Java, including by Balinese people with a typical Balinese style.
Generally, ꧌ꦏꦼꦧꦪ꧍ kebaya is often found at weddings and also traditional ceremonies. The shape and cut are simple.
Kebaya is often combined with a jarik as a bottom wear and a kendit or stagen. The kendit functions to hold the bottom wear (long cloth) so that it does not sag. Stagen also makes the stomach feel firmer and looks slimmer. The shape and cut are simple. So it generally becomes a symbol of simplicity and refinement of the wearer.
In Javanese culture, a set of Kebaya cloth has meanings and symbols such as obedience, refinement and gentle and graceful behavior of women.
The image of a gentle and graceful woman has recently gone viral through the figure of a woman named Dara Saraswati, who wears a kebaya and sways in public and tourist places. The aim is to promote the soft and graceful figure of Javanese women and traditional Javanese clothing, the kebaya.
For people who live in the city, they usually wear kebaya when they attend an event or at certain occasions. It is very rare for urban women to wear kebaya as part of their daily clothing. For example, it is worn for work or in relationships as social contact.
Kebaya (Java) and Saree (India)
There is a proverb “꧌ꦭꦭꦶꦤ꧀ꦭꦝꦁꦭꦭꦶꦤ꧀ꦧꦼꦭꦭꦁ꧍ Lain ladang lain belalang, lain lubuk lain ikannya”. This Indonesian proverb means that every region, group or country has its own customs. This proverb also illustrates that every society has its own customs.
In Java, women’s clothing is called kebaya. Meanwhile in India, women’s clothing is called Saree. Saree is the proud clothing of Indian women.
Are Javanese women proud of their traditional kebaya clothing?
Let’s look at the habits of Indian women with their Sarees. ꧌ꦅꦠꦯꦹꦫꦗꦪ꧍ Ita Surojoyo, founder of the Surabaya Javanese Script community, ꧌ꦥꦸꦫꦷꦄꦏ꧀ꦱꦫꦫꦴꦗꦥꦠ꧀ꦤꦷ꧍ Puri Aksara Rajapatni, is currently in India on the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program at the English Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad during ꧌ꦤꦺꦴꦮ꦳ꦺꦩ꧀ꦧꦼꦂ꧍ November 2024.
Ita witnesses how a lecturer in front of the class wearing a traditional Sarees. She is proud of the Sarees she wears. She was proud to show her traditional clothing in front of 42 students who came from 25 countries including Indonesia.
It is not just in class where the atmosphere feels formal. Indian women, wearing Sarees in an informal atmosphere, also feel good and comfortable while chatting on the side of the road in the campus area or even when they are travelling on a two-wheeled vehicle. This shows that Sarees have become a culture of clothing.
꧌ꦅꦠꦯꦹꦫꦗꦪ꧍ Ita Surojoyo herself is a modern lady from a city, who promotes traditional Javanese clothing, Kebaya. In Surabaya, East Java, she has been accustomed to wearing a kebaya in her daily activities. At the office she sometimes dresses in Kebaya. In her social activities, she often wears kebaya.
Even when she goes abroad, she brings and wears a kebaya. Including when in India. A full day of activities exploring the history of the City of Hyderabad (on Saturday 11/24) Ita Surojoyo wore a Kebaya combined with casual shoes.
She is proud to wear kebaya.
“What I love about India is how they show their identity through clothes. It is not just a piece of garment but it is an identity. Anyway, I always have spare kebaya in my car in case I have a sudden occasion to attend” concluded Ita with a smile. (PAR/nng)