Tradition vs. modern in the presidential wardrobe

By Bruce Emond

JAKARTA (JP): She came, she saw, she wore her presidential best.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri's whirlwind trip to nine ASEAN countries in eight days was not just about how she would stand up to testing the diplomatic waters as Indonesia's first woman president. It was also, to a point, about the fashion statement she made along the way.

Just like Jackie Kennedy leaving the French breathless for her elegant attire during a trip to Paris in 1962, or Nelson Mandela making the batik shirt official wear outside its country of origin, the President's clothing was up for scrutiny.

Inevitably, it's because of the female factor -- a woman in power will get more attention for her clothes than her male counterparts. And she also stands to get a greater dressing down than her male counterparts for perceived lapses in fashion taste. Case in point is the hullabaloo over then U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright and her short skirts or, closer to home, the sometimes barbed comments about the clothes of Bank Indonesia director Miranda Goeltom.

From her wardrobe, Megawati chose to sometimes stick with the traditional, or go with a more modern look. For instance, she donned a businesslike white shirt with a maroon jacket and matching skirt for a meeting with Singapore elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew and president Gok Chok Tong, but was more traditional in a tunic with embroidered paisley trim and slacks for a trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Designers Ghea Panggabean and Oscar Lawalatta, and fashion writer Muara Bagdja were almost unanimous in stating that Megawati looked her best when she put the accent on tradition in her wardrobe.

Ghea said it was time for the President to establish the "Mega look" for overseas trips, which would show that she was both a modern woman but also affirm her Indonesian "personality".

"To me, I think she should speak more about the country through the way she dresses. It can be through textiles, or the way she wears them. Today, there are so many designers who have adapted the traditional to a more modern look -- modern traditional -- and it can be shown even if it's only with a wrap or stole ..."

She added she was a "bit surprised" that some of the clothes during the trip did not really compliment Megawati. Both Ghea and Muara pointed out that the loose-fitting, long-sleeved cream tunic that Megawati wore for her arrival in Manila was an unflattering choice.

"She was looking so fine, so feminine, so elegant recently in Jakarta, like on Independence Day in her kebaya (traditional blouse) and kain (fabric used as a wrap skirt) ... But she should also do so much more. She could wear songket (traditional woven cloth) for evening wear, or a suit made of ikat. It doesn't mean it all has to be full (traditional), she can combine it with something a bit more modern ... "

Oscar also liked Megawati's traditional attire during her trip but was less enthusiastic about the business suits she wore on part of her trip to the Philippines and in Singapore.

"She should have an Indonesian element in her clothes, wherever she goes," said the young designer, who will launch his couture line this week. "Of course, she should adapt what she is wearing to the occasion, whether it is a state dinner or a more relaxed function."

Muara advised Megawati to avoid long, loose outfits, like the tunic she wore on arrival in Manila, because it was unsuitable for her body proportions.

"Megawati chooses fabric, I'm not sure if it's linen or what, which has a tendency to look creased, like in the tunic she wore to Angkor Wat. There needs to be more attention to the fabric, because she has to look chic. Also, (there should be attention) about the selection of colors and motifs. For instance, when she announced the Cabinet, she wore a blue-checked blazer with a red skirt. I think it's a combination which could have been given some more thought."

Muara agreed with Ghea and Oscar that Megawati made her optimum impression in traditional clothes.

"For me, Megawati is at her best wearing baju kurung (a Sumatra style straight-cut tunic worn over a wrap skirt) or kebaya, but especially the former," he said. "It creates a slimmer impression, like a sack dress ... For instance, in the baju kurung she wore to meet the Sultan of Brunei, she looks so elegant."

He also advised that more attention be paid to the whole package of her attire. For her outfit to Angkor Wat, he said a more set hairdo, accessories of a small but striking brooch, a handbag or a shawl from traditional fabric would have avoided an overly casual appearance.

But creating or defining a look is not easy for a woman in the public eye. It took several years before Hillary Rodham Clinton did away with the fussy suits of the early years of her husband's administration to arrive at a coiffed but not crimped style of dress.

All three agreed that it might take some outside help to arrive at the Mega look. Muara noted that Jackie Kennedy is an enduring fashion icon but her look was created by designer Oleg Cassini.

"I think she can use a number of designers (eventually), but, for the time being, she should go with one to help her form a look ... Many designers have the capability and the opportunity, but a designer really has to have a rapport with a client before they can start creating a look ... and they would have to be familiar with traditional textiles ... "

It's also about how she carries herself. Albright, Muara noted, was flayed by critics for being a heavy woman in short skirts, but she wore them with confidence. He said Megawati was known as a woman of simple tastes.

"But being simple does not mean that one cannot have an elegant appearance. What's more, she is the head of state."