Making an impression with batik for all occassions

By Muara Bagdja

JAKARTA (JP): Long-sleeved batik shirts came into their own as formal attire for men on the level of the business suit during the heyday of then Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin in the 1970s.

But batik is flexible and can also be worn for daily use. Men can wear short-sleeved cotton batik, similar to Hawaiian shirts, for casual times. A collarless batik is even more understated in style.

Women can also use batik as casual and light informal dress, like a sleeveless blouse or sundress. Today's urban women tend to wear batik as sarongs in line with the rising popularity of kebaya (traditional blouses) beginning a few years ago.

Women are also fond of batik shawls, worn over a plain black gown for various occasions.

For art and cultural events, ethnically themed batik is often used to accentuate the marriage of Indonesian cultural heritage with modern clothes.

Batik designs have ceaselessly kept on changing and developing in tune with the current times.

In the 1980s men preferred batik shirts with motifs made of prada (gold ink) for formal wear, but today's trend is back to brownish hues.

Similar changes took place in batik for women's dress. After the previous decade's popularity of batik in large designs with a touch of prada, the favorite today (and also considered most modern) for kebaya and shawls is batik on woven cloth in pastel colors.

A word of caution in choosing the appropriate batik clothes, because of specific motifs and color.

Darker colors tend to be more striking on fair skin and that is why such batik colors look particularly striking when worn by expatriates with fair skin.

Those with darker skin should be more careful with dark colored or brownish batik. Soft hued batik, which is today's trend, or an entirely black background will be more fitting.

Batik with small motifs in soft colors make women look more attractive.

Men will look more dashing in batik with strongly distinct motifs, like geometrical motifs in regular and repeated patterns.

Batik shirts with dark colors as background, like dark brown, look more formal and appealing worn with dark colored or black pants.

For both formal and informal occasions, depending on the motif, taste and shape of the body, batik shirts can be worn inside or outside the trousers.

Rather than hiding interesting motifs, it is recommended the shirt be worn outside the trousers to enhance the beauty of the motifs, while geometrical motifs are acceptable either way. Of course, for potbellied men, it is better to have the batik shirt outside the pants.

For formal events, it is essential to wear long-sleeved batik but long or short sleeves, regular collars, a Chinese-style collar or batik fabric in the form of a jacket are all acceptable for informal events.

Shawls

Batik is frequently an accessory in the form of a shawl. Women love to adorn their black gowns with a batik shawl, which is a practical way to appear formal. Of course, the batik should be of high quality in an elegant presentation, and not just any piece of fabric to merely wrap the body.

For informal occasions, men can also wear a batik wrap or scarf hung round the neck, in the style of yesteryear Jakartans, over a plain shirt or a closed Nehru jacket with a standing collar.

In the book Busana Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian National Dress), Edward Hutabarat said men might wear batik shirts as formal national dress for the following occasions:

* official state dinners

* cultural missions

* conferring of awards

* appointment or transfer of governmental posts

* launching of new products

* officiating at exhibitions, new buildings, offices and so forth

* wedding parties

* birthday parties

* gala dinners

For the same occasions women can wear batik dresses, but a sarong with kebaya or kurung (long tunic) is more advisable. A modification of a traditional dress is acceptable, including a gown, as long as an accessory made of "traditional textile" is added, which in this case can be a batik shawl.

It is uncommon for men to use batik for office wear (unless they are civil servants). However, it is OK for women to wear batik to work, as long as the motifs and colors are not loud or glaring, and such a blouse will look well under a jacket or a blazer.

Muara Bagdja is a fashion writer based in Jakarta. Questions? Contact him at sundaypost@thejakartapost.com.