Tradition vs. modern in the presidential wardrobe

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."