via Tatler Asia, 11 July 2023: Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand nominate the kebaya blouse for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, representing Southeast Asia’s rich history and cultural diversity.
The kebaya originated around the 15th century in the court of the Majapahit empire in eastern Java, now Indonesia. It was initially a tailored blouse worn over their traditional kemban torso wrap but evolved to include peniti (safety pins) to fasten the blouse. This versatile garment swiftly gained popularity among communities in Indonesia and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, each region infusing its unique cultural elements into the kebaya, adapting it to suit their specific needs.
In Malaysia, the kebaya blouse is particularly associated with the Peranakan community, also known as Baba Nyonya. This community comprises the descendants of Chinese immigrants who arrived in the Malay-Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the colonial era in the late 15th and 16th centuries. The kebaya also holds significant cultural importance for women in Malaysia’s Chetty, Siamese, and Malay communities, contributing to their identity and heritage.
