The kebaya is the perfect symbol of South-east Asia’s shared heritage. At its core, it is an upper garment, which opens at the front and is typically made from lightweight fabrics such as cotton or voile.
It is mistakenly thought of as only a traditional outfit. But, in fact, it has evolved as a fashionable blouse in diverse and dynamic ways over more than three centuries in the region.
It is worn by women in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines and Cambodia, expressing South-east Asia’s diverse and contemporary cultures.
Many communities in these countries have contributed to the evolution of the kebaya that people see today.
Here is a look at how the kebaya silhouette – visualised as tiles – has evolved.
The kebaya was originally a long jacket 
and was also called baju panjang, meaning “long robe” in Malay. In the 1800s, many women across South-east Asia wore the baju panjang.
The baju panjang was loose-fitting 
with a straight silhouette, and worn over a sarong.
In the early 1900s, shorter variants of the kebaya became more fashionable. The hip-length kebayas 
allowed women to show off their sarongs.
Over time, the kebaya became more tight-fitting 
, accentuating a woman’s figure.
In the 1930s, as sewing-machine embroidery, or sulam in Malay, 
gained popularity, the kebaya took on an intricate, lacy feel. By the 1950s, bold, modern embroidered patterns were all the rage.
Another popular variation of the kebaya is the kutubaru 
, which features a bodice flap of the same material at the front. Like the previous styles, this originated in Java.
The kebayas with bright, translucent materials 
were in great demand.
Kebaya’s rich history goes back to the seventh century
The first iteration of the kebaya was a long, loose-fitting jacket derived from the ancient Persian qaba, a robe worn at least since the seventh century by Islamic rulers across the Middle East, Central Asia and northern India.
In the 19th century, a long kebaya, or the baju panjang, became fashionable among women across the region who preferred it in sombre hues paired with a sarong, or kain panjang.
The kebaya could be made from Javanese batik, Sumatran songket, European printed cottons and velvets, and Chinese silks. The sarongs and kain panjang could be made from similar local and imported materials, although batik was one of the more popular options.
Today, both short and long variations of the kebaya are worn by women across South-east Asia. The silhouettes also range from tight- to loose-fitting versions that are customisable.
“The kebaya is for everybody, whatever shape and size,” says Madam Ratianah Tahir, who owns Kebaya by Ratianah in Bussorah Street.
Kebaya belongs to everyone
In 2023, five South-east Asian countries – Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – jointly nominated the kebaya to be inscribed on the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. The result is expected to be announced by the end of 2024.
But the Unesco joint bid is not about the kebaya’s tangible form. It is about safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of the kebaya, which refers to the “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and know-how”.
Making a kebaya is a long process of designing and tailoring the details, such as embroidery and seams, so it fits the wearer.
“It goes through so many hands. It takes time and effort to make. It’s a form of slow fashion,” says Peranakan kebaya-maker Raymond Wong.
Gradually, the kebaya transitioned from everyday wear to attire reserved for formal occasions such as weddings and festivities.
However, views on the kebaya are beginning to shift, through references in pop culture in the past few decades, such as the 2008 Mediacorp drama series The Little Nyonya, and practitioners dedicated to maintaining its relevance.
Find out how three Singaporeans keep the practice of making and wearing the kebaya alive.
This kebaya is designed by Mr Wong. It follows a style that is especially popular among Peranakan women.
The most eye-catching part of this garment is its embroidery, or sulam in Malay. Mr Wong has also embedded Swarovski crystals, a signature detail of his kebayas.
The kebaya is fastened by brooches called kerosang, which come in a set of three.
In addition to a sarong skirt, the look of the Nonya kebaya is completed with beaded shoes, or kasut manek in Malay.
According to Mr Wong, attaining this level of finesse in his embroidery demanded a great deal of time and effort.
He is committed to exploring new technologies to preserve and advance the art of sulam.
When Mr Wong, 45, first sought to learn embroidery, or sulam, in 2005, his mentor warned him that the kebaya sulam industry was in decline.
“Why do you want to learn kebaya sulam? In my time in the 1970s, it was a sunset industry. I do not want to destroy your life. Don’t waste time on this,” he recalls her saying.
Nevertheless, he remained determined to master the craft. “Why is it not relevant? I must try to find the relevance,” he says.
He bought vintage kebayas and studied their embroidery work, and taught himself to copy the stitches. He often “reverse-engineered” some broken stitches, and eventually learnt the ropes. In 2006, he hired his first worker and trained her in the craft as well.
Now, Mr Wong runs Rumah Kim Choo, a shop in East Coast Road dedicated to showcasing Nonya culture.
Eventually, he developed his own style, with one signature detail being the addition of Swarovski crystals to his kebayas, creating a dewdrop-like effect. He started offering this style to brides seeking custom kebayas for their Peranakan-themed weddings.
Recognising that it took considerable amounts of time and skill to attain the quality of the embroidery for which he is known, Mr Wong has recently begun exploring computerised embroidery techniques.
However, even with this modern approach, he is adamant about maintaining high standards. He stresses that it is important that the threads do not run in a single direction. The embroidery technique should allow for intricate detailing and soft textures.
The use of computerised embroidery does not reduce the quality of his sulam. Instead, it helps save time and energy which can be used for more intricate embroidery work that cannot be done using a machine.
One example of the computerised embroidery is this embroidered butterfly that he added to a modern kebaya. Mr Wong chose this technique for the butterfly so there would be more time and energy for adding intricate handmade embroidery, like that of the national flower of Singapore, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid.
Embroidering a butterfly by hand might take about 45 minutes, while computerised embroidery might take only 15 minutes.
Mr Wong says: “Can you imagine? In the era when our Peranakan pioneers had no technology, the only technology was the sewing machine, and they could make so many kebayas and sulam. So, what are people doing now? Why can’t we use technology to move on?”
He aims to demonstrate the continued relevance of the kebaya for women today. He explores innovative designs such as a black kebaya with a jacket-like appearance, which he pairs with batik trousers for a modern, professional ensemble.
In addition, he adapts the kebaya to suit various settings by incorporating new materials. For instance, he uses materials such as wool tweed for clients who intend to wear the garment in cooler regions like Europe, offering both style and comfort.
He has seen how women today integrate the kebaya into their modern lifestyles. One customer, for instance, ordered a kebaya from him during the Covid-19 pandemic to wear during her Zoom meetings. She said wearing the kebaya helped her stand out on-screen from her colleagues in conventional business attire.
Occasionally, deviating from conventions of Nonya kebaya design is necessary to ensure the garment flatters the wearer. In the past, Nonya kebaya sleeves were aligned with the hem of the blouse. However, Mr Wong says that today, many women have wider hips than those of the past, so he emphasises the importance of breaking this rule to create a more flattering silhouette for the kebaya wearer.
This is Madam Ratianah Tahir, who owns Kebaya by Ratianah. She is wearing a baju panjang-inspired kebaya, but with a modern twist.
It has an asymmetrical cut, with one side being longer than the other. It is made with black bridal satin.
She fastens the front of the kebaya with a kerosang.
She pairs the kebaya with a batik tulis, or hand-drawn batik with spider motifs.
Madam Ratianah aims to strike a balance between simplicity and elegance with her kebaya designs – just like this one.
Together with her daughter, Ms Putri Nadirah, they have not only built their brand in their boutique, but have also cultivated a tight-knit community of customers.
When Madam Ratianah started making the kebaya almost 20 years ago, she had only a small stall in Arab Street.
She had a dream to make the kebaya simpler and relevant to the younger generation. Back then, Madam Ratianah recalls, the kebaya had elaborate designs which were often adorned with sequins, was mostly reserved for formal occasions and was not very comfortable to wear.
Her aim was to revive the love of wearing the kebaya by making simpler garments for daily wear that could be mixed and matched.
She started to learn how to sew from many sources. She learnt from neighbours and library books, and took inspiration from fashion magazines.
Madam Ratianah prioritises simplicity in her design, making sure that her kebayas are durable and comfortable to wear. “I believe the kebaya also started very simple. The fabric must be comfortable and as natural as possible,” she says.
Eventually, her daughter, Ms Putri, joined her in the business too.
Together, they cultivated a tight-knit community of customers, and they witnessed the evolving perceptions surrounding the kebaya. Some customers who initially came to purchase a kebaya only for a particular event returned to buy more.
Many took along their daughters, passing down their appreciation for the kebaya to the next generation, some of whom have become parents themselves.
“My customers are my friends,” Madam Ratianah says.
Upon entering Kebaya by Ratianah, visitors are enveloped in an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie. Madam Ratianah and Ms Putri help customers to find the perfect kebaya, tailored to their individual preferences and the occasion they have in mind. They also offer guidance on colours, embroidery and other elements.
Madam Ratianah believes the kebaya is suitable for people of all shapes and sizes. She says many of her customers gain confidence and feel beautiful when wearing a kebaya. The key, she adds, is to wear the garment with the intention of honouring and elevating it.
“I love creating,” says Madam Ratianah. She enjoys incorporating modern touches into the traditional kebaya silhouette, such as by integrating unique patterns into the garment. One of her well-known designs is a modern kebaya panjang with embroidered cat laces and bridal satin panelling.
Despite the challenges, she embraces the task of crafting kebayas that strike a balance between elegance and simplicity.
While Madam Ratianah embraces modern influences, she maintains a deep appreciation for the kebaya’s traditional elements, particularly its silhouette. For example, she prefers kebayas with no buttons or zippers, and instead fastens them with a kerosang. This ensures that the kebaya can be worn for a longer time, as the size can be adjusted. “If I don’t keep on wearing the kerosang, how will the youngsters appreciate the purpose of the kerosang?”
For the mother-daughter duo, the kebaya serves as a unifying emblem for women across South-east Asia, instantly recognisable and forging connections transcending linguistic and cultural barriers.
Ms Putri adds: “With food, you have to make it. With language, it takes two people to communicate. But with fashion, it’s instantly recognisable.”
This is a kebaya, worn by ST senior correspondent Chantal Sajan. She wears the kebaya frequently, as it is part of her Peranakan Indian, or Chetti Melaka, heritage.
Ms Sajan wears this vibrant kutubaru kebaya, purchased from Kebaya by Ratianah. Her outfit features a kerosang, courtesy of Foundation Jewellers.
To complete the look, she wears earrings, a necklace and a bracelet.
According to Ms Sajan, a kebaya is incomplete without these jewellery pieces because they evolved alongside the garment, contributing to the creation of a distinctively South-east Asian appearance.
As a proud member of the Chetti Melaka community, Ms Sajan sees the kebaya as a precious blouse steeped in heritage and history, and one that unifies all the diverse cultures of South-east Asia.
Growing up in a Chetti Melaka household, she saw her elders wearing simple kebayas most of the time, with minimal jewellery. Their preferred style was also mostly loose-fitting and short, unlike the baju panjang.
A distinguishing feature of the Chetti Melaka is their staunch adherence to Hinduism. Ms Sajan observed the older women in her family wearing sedate palettes after they were widowed. These include light blues, earthy ochres and browns, as well as neutrals such as ivory and white. This style of dressing adheres to the Hindu practice of respecting a husband’s passing by avoiding bright colours such as red, orange and yellow.
Nowadays, the kebaya greatly influences Ms Sajan’s wardrobe choices. She frequently wears the kebaya to work, particularly on noteworthy occasions such as award ceremonies at the office, or at festive gatherings such as Christmas or Chinese New Year parties.
Reflecting on her upbringing, Ms Sajan recalls how her relatives, despite normally wearing simple kebayas, would choose to wear sarong kebaya ensembles with vibrant prints and colours during family visits or weddings. This imparts to the younger generation of Indian Peranakans the significance of having “a sense of occasion” and putting in extra effort for it.
“I prefer to showcase the kebaya, always paired with a sarong and never jeans, during celebratory events because it embodies the essence of the occasion,” she says.
When she is not wearing the kebaya, Ms Sajan evokes its elegant silhouette through her designs of long skirts and blouses based on the components of the kebaya. These have been tailored for her since the 1990s by local fashion designer Suzanne Chua, founder of Zann & Denn boutique in the Chinatown area.
“Growing up and seeing how my mum tailored the clothes of my six sisters on her 1950s Singer sewing machine, which I still have at home, I now take the time to design my own clothes. I rarely buy ready-to-wear blouses or skirts,” she says.
While her mother and ancestors preferred the traditional V-cut-style kebaya, Ms Sajan prefers the kutubaru cut. “I find this neckline very flattering and modern, and it also allows me to show off my neck adornments,” she says.
To Ms Sajan, the kebaya cannot be separated from its ensemble, which includes the sarong. She prefers to pair the kebaya with the appropriate lower garment for an authentic look.
“While there are many who buy ready-to-wear kebayas and pair them with jeans, I am more old-school,” she says. “I prefer to pair my kebayas with a sarong or a specially tailored long skirt that is ruched at the hips and tapered at the ankles, with folds in front that look like a melding of sarong and sari.”
The look is also incomplete without jewellery, especially for celebrations.
Ms Sajan emphasises the unique history of the kebaya, which evolved through contributions from Eastern as well as Western cultures. “The kebaya is an item of clothing like no other in the world, and we are so fortunate in South-east Asia to have it.”
“Wearing it means to show solidarity with my neighbours in the region,” she adds. “When I wear the kebaya, I am not only showing everyone that I represent a minority within a minority in Asia – the Chetti Melaka – but also that I am proud to promote a precious blouse steeped in heritage and history, and one that unifies all the diverse cultures of South-east Asia.”