Penang Clothing Line

Penang is a grow metropolis of many cultural traditions and backgrounds. There are many stills of clothing within Penang to include those of western influence. Depending on where you are and the age group you will see some skimpy clothing as well as traditional clothing. However, most women in Penang and in Malaysia wear head coverings called Massaash. This is due to the heavy Islamic presence in the country. Religious beliefs also play an important role in what people wear in Penang. But even with all the modern clothing introduction people in Penang still wear traditional clothing. Traditional clothing can be seen a number of ways to include festivals, weddings, or special events. Traditional clothing you not normally worn on a day to day basis due in part to how elaborate everything is. The types are clothing are sold in traditional stores but are of cheaper quality. Most groups also wear what are called kebaya (is a traditional blouse-dress combination), saree (female garment that consists of a drape of varying length that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff), but how it is worn depends on your nationality. Many people in Penang also wear what is called a sarong (is a length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and can be worn by women and men). Sarong can be made from cotton, songket (hand-woven silk that is patterned with gold or silver thread) and brocade (decorative shuttle-woven fabrics made of colored silks with or without gold/silver threading). Because of the mixed culture lots of these traditional pieces are mixed and matched. Men can also wear these items about their dress are also challenged by the nationality. An example of this is Malay men wearing samping (is about half the size of a normal sarong ) over their trousers and Chinese women wearing samfoo (consists of ankle (or slightly above) length trousers worn with a blouse which are fastened by toggles. Also most of the women wear long dresses with a shawl to cover up.

 

Because there are so many cultures and tourist is will not be difficult to figure out what to wear in this country. Younger less traditional nationals and tourists are usually seen wearing jeans, shirts, and sneakers. Visitors are not expected to adhere to religious practices that are not their own. Example foreign women don’t have to cover their hair.

 

Everyday clothing can be broken down into the three main cultures of Penang which are Malay, Chinese, and Indian for everyday wear. Malay men wear baju melayu, a loose tunic over trousers, wrapped in a sarong. The men also may wear a songkok (cap) when dressed. The Chinese women wear the cheongsam or dress with a high collar and diagonal clasps to keep it closed. Well respected Chinese women wear the samfoo. Chinese men wear short sleeved shirts with trousers and sandals. Malay women wear baju kurung, a knee length, long-sleeved blouse over a long skirt. This is also adorned with a headscarf, though not always. Finally, Indian, both men and women, wear the sarees. For a more traditional wear a Lungi, this is a short length of fabric that is worn around the thighs like a sarong. Most of the clothing is made from silk, linen, or cotton, due to high temperatures in Penang.