C. Java traditional couture dying out<\/p>\n
By Ahmad Solikhan<\/p>\n
MUNTILAN, Central Java (JP): Garment factories mass-producing
\nready-made clothes for various purposes, such as suits, office
\nwear as well as men's and women's underwear sprang up in 1980s, a
\nwelcome phenomenon for the larger part of the community, who
\nthought the clothes were efficient, practical and fashionable.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this meant bad business for the ordinary
\ndressmakers. Only once a year, when the beginning of a new
\nschool year is approaching, would they make a lot of money sewing
\nschool uniforms for students of elementary and high schools.<\/p>\n
Today, these people, who enjoyed their golden era in the 1970s
\nand 1980s, seem to have disappeared from the scene. It is
\ndifficult to find them around now, as many of them, believing
\nthat their job prospects are no longer promising, have turned to
\nother employment. Djoko Pekik, now a renowned painter whose
\npainting Celeng trilogy fetched Rp 1 billion, used to be a
\ntailor. He quit the profession in the 1970s.<\/p>\n
Some of these dressmakers still cling to their old job but to
\nsurvive they have to really rack their brains. Usually they will
\nhave their bases of operation either in the town or in the
\nsuburbs and instead of making clothes they will usually just
\nrestyle shirts or jeans for people of various professions in the
\nmiddle-to-lower income brackets.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of dressmakers, mostly housewives, are found in
\nMuntilan, a small Central Javanese town famous as a center of
\nstone handicraft located not far from the tourist resort of
\nBorobudur Temple. These women will sit in a row, ready with their
\nhand-driven sewing machines, waiting for orders.<\/p>\n
Strangely, they do not receive orders for clothes made of
\nthick cloth like jeans. They will only accept orders for clothes
\nmade of thin cloth such as kebaya (a woman's blouse the front of
\nwhich is pinned together), batik used as a wraparound, surjan
\n(long-sleeved man's jacket usually of woven, striped material,
\nsarong, stagen (women's waist sash), blangkon (male batik
\nheaddress) and even underwear. Their customers are usually local
\nfarmers and merchants.<\/p>\n
Before or after visiting the Borobudur Temple, some foreign
\ntourists will usually look around the place to buy some snacks or
\ndrinks. While doing so, they are attracted by the presence of so
\nmany dressmakers, and also by their manually-operated sewing
\nmachines.<\/p>\n
One of these dressmakers, Mrs Abdullah Zainuddin, 80, said
\nthat one day a tall, blond Caucasian lady came to her,
\naccompanied by her boy friend. She unabashedly took off her T-
\nshirt and asked Mrs Zainuddin to sew some colorful patches on it.
\nObviously she drew a lot of attention in the market area as she
\nwas then only wearing her bra. \"I sewed five patches and got Rp
\n5,000 in return. I was very happy, of course,\" said Mrs
\nZainuddin, who has seven children.<\/p>\n
A resident of Jumbleng, Muntilan, Mrs Zainuddin said that she
\nasked Rp 7,500 to sew a kebaya but that she did not name any
\nprice for doing patchwork. During the two market days in a week,
\nPon and Kliwon in the Javanese calendar, she can make Rp 10,000 a
\nday. In the days toward the Muslim post-fasting festive day of
\nIed, a lot of customers ask her to sew new kebaya. \"But I can
\nfinish only three kebaya a day. I don't want to force myself. If
\nI get sick, I will have to spend more money for the medicine,\"
\nshe said, chuckling.<\/p>\n
As old Mrs Zainuddin is already weak, she always needs to ask
\na favor from someone else to make the sewing machine ready. Every
\nday she has to spend Rp 1,400 to cover the cost of carrying the
\nmachine (Rp 1,000), the market levy (Rp 100) and the cost of
\nleaving the sewing machine in somebody's care. \"If I do not get
\nany orders, I will have to fork out my own money,\" she said, in a
\ngrumbling tone.<\/p>\n
As a matter of fact, dressmakers began offering their services
\nin this area as far back as 1957. Although the manually-operated
\nsewing machines are no longer produced now, they have the
\nmachines serviced regularly so that the machines, mostly under a
\nSinger trademark, can continue to be used.<\/p>\n
Mrs Zainuddin, for example, bought her Singer sewing machine
\nat Rp 2 in 1955 and it was not until 1984 that the machine was
\nbroken beyond repair, necessitating her to replace it with a
\nButterfly sewing machine, for which she had to fork out Rp
\n50,000. \"I'm proud as this job has enabled me to raise my
\nchildren properly,\" she added.<\/p>\n
Suwandi, 52, the only male tailor in Muntilan traditional
\nmarket area, said that he would only take orders for restyling
\njeans. He said he did not want to be a rival of the local women
\nearning a living sewing kebaya. A father of one, he said that he
\nbegan to receive sewing orders when he was 18. For eight years he
\nworked every night somewhere near Jatinegara railway station in
\nEast Jakarta. As the number of people doing this job increased,
\nhe decided to move to Muntilan. \"I can earn between Rp 15,000 and
\nRp 20,000 a day,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Although the garment industry has pushed them aside, these
\nordinary dressmakers feel happy because kebaya and surjan are yet
\nto be mass-produced. These traditional outfits are popular only
\namong elderly women in particular areas. Women in large cities no
\nlonger wear kebaya and sarong. \"City women find kebaya and sarong
\nalien to them. They say they must keep up with the latest
\nfashion. It is a pity they do not realize that in this way they
\nignore their own cultural wealth,\" said Mrs Subardan while sewing
\na kebaya.<\/p>\n
Mrs Subardan is right. If kebaya is mass produced, what will
\nhappen to these ordinary dressmakers? Perhaps, the manually-
\noperated sewing machines will have to go to the museum. Or, will
\nforeign culture eventually wipe out our regional culture?<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/c-java-traditional-couture-dying-out-1447893297",
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