THE TERNO: The Haute Couture of National Dresses

Elegance to the highest level… stately grace at its utmost… the Haute Couture of national dresses!

The Terno is absolutely one of the world’s most distinct and recognizable traditional dresses identified ONLY to the Philippines…*Northern Mariana, did you hear that? Ha!*

A Terno is a seamless, long, elegant dress with a signature “butterfly” sleeves. The “butterflies” frame the woman’s smooth shoulders, collar lines, neck and of course, the face. It is made with fabrics expensive enough to scandalize the World Bank. LOL!

Seriously…I’m sure you guys have seen beautiful women from the Philippines wore a “terno”, at least one time in your life. Imelda Marcos showed the world how to wear it while she strut her stuff in the 70’s and 80’s around the globe. Oh did she make a Filipino fashion statement or what? So imeldific! *some dictionary lists “imeldific”, mind you*

Isabel Preysler never leave her “palace” without proudly wearing one! Mrs. Preysler (for those who don’t know) is an ultra-famous Madrid socialite of Filipino origin. And she happens to be Julio Iglesias’ ex-wife (ask your grandparents who he is or click here). And yeah, yeah, yeah…I’m sure my Filipino readers want me “highlight” this… Isabel is Enrique’s mom. Ok? Ok. Now, get off me.

Anyways, back to the topic…”Terno” is a coined term for the Spanish word “to match” or “matching” AND it didn’t start the way it looks today…

The evolution started in the Spanish era when Tagalog women (of Luzon Island) modified their traditional dress (Baro’t Saya) and made it more conservative. They made it longer at floor-length so not to scandalize the foreign priests.

Historians also noted that it has also been influenced by Hindus and Chinese traders in those times. In the turn of the century (1900s) it came to a point when the Terno is made with 7 layers to create the skirt! *Whoa!* I guess they haven’t realized that the Philippines is a tropical country in those days, did they? Interesting.

I am aware that Filipinos nowadays identify the Terno with Imelda Marcos. And I hope they get over it soon. Although she's the one who popularized it, the Terno is still a Filipino national identity worthy to be worn by any woman who is proud of her heritage.

The Terno – Style icon of Southeast Asia.

****

BEAUTIFUL WOMEN WEARS KEBAYA

One heritage icon of Southeast Asia that spans half of our region is the elegant Kebaya. It is a traditional chemise *ok, blouse!* worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand. It is usually made with translucent fabric, lace or linen and worn together with a sarong or other traditional textiles.

Some says the Kebaya originated from the Middle East; more likely because they share religious background with them. Some claimed it came from a type of blouse worn by Javanese women in the 1400s; but others also claim it originated from China which spread through the region a hundred years earlier.


As the Kebaya extends 6 different countries over hundreds of years, it is also interesting to note that styles vary with cultural infusions…

One familiar style is the Sarong Kebaya; the uniform of flight attendants of Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. *If you see it on a male cabin attendant, that’s another story*

Kebaya Indonesia is worn with sarong batik, colorful songket and a long thin scarf called salendhang. There are notable variations by province.

The Nyonya Kebaya is worn by the classy women in Malacca, complete with sarong and beaded shoes. This is one of the most famous *and indecently expensive* styles of this elegant outfit. A book written by Mahmood Endon shows how beautiful the Nyonya Kebaya is. The Pua T’ng The is the version of Hokkien ladies in Penang.

And Bruneian ladies wear it with particular elan. Simply lovely.

In the early days, women used to wear it just for going out of the house. And it’s very nice to see those old Malayan movies where all women wears one and dang! Does it look good on them or what?! But sad to say nowadays, it is mostly reserved to be worn only in special occasions. *sigh*

Maybe because Kebayas are too expensive nowadays? Maybe – a modern piece costs at least 1,000 Ringgit (US$320/ 11,200 Baht/€218) in Malaysia alone. I say, they should make it more affordable so that the Kebaya won’t die with it.

The Kebaya is a heritage that we should not lose with time.
It is the collective identity of our graceful women.

Because women in Kebaya, and wears it with pride --
are the most beautiful women in the world.

****

Photo credit: Mahmood Endon & Javajive.

ÁO DÁI: The Elegance of Simplicity and Subtle Sensuality

Is there any traditional dress with striking simplicity yet elegant and provocative as the Ao Dài? A conservative dress than reveals no skin at all and yet flatter the natural curves of a woman’s body. What appears to be an ordinary dress fiercely embodies the extraordinary beauty of Vietnamese women.

It is very hard not to fall in love when seeing a woman dressed in Áo Dài wearing it with pride... seemingly floating as she pass by like a gentle dream. The grace, the form, the refined sensuality.

The Áo Dài is relatively a new design. Its original pattern dates back to the 1700s compared to the thousand-year history of Vietnam. It faced numerous modifications as it adapts to the ever changing time but the form remains the same.

From Southeast Asia’s first ever couturier... Monsieur Le Mur (a Vietnamese) in the 1930s to the innovative local designers like Tram Kim and Dung in the 50’s -- the Áo Dài was transformed to what we see today. Fashion geniuses like Ralph Lauren created an entire collection of Áo Dàis as well, a testament that this dress is distinct and special.

Áo Dài is pronounced as ‘ao-jai’ in the South and ‘ao-zai’ in the North. It literally means a "long dress" or "long tunic".

Vietnamese women wear the Áo Dài on traditional and festive occasions. Usually with special fabrics -- from floral to checkered, from silk to see-through fabrics. Plain white Áo Dài is the uniform for female students in Vietnam. Many companies and government bureaus also require their female staff to wear the Áo Dài.

The striking contrast of women dressed in Áo Dài walking in the streets of Hanoi against the modern tall buildings is mesmerizing. Watching women dressed in Áo Dài riding a bicycle along modern cars and motorcycles in Saigon is awe-inspiring. A tradition I hope will not vanish with time.


The Áo Dài is not just a traditional dress;
it is an affirmation of elegance of a Vietnamese woman.

The Áo Dài is not just a national symbol;
it is a global icon.

****

-- Pisanu in Bangkok

*Photo credits: Duyen Chao, the Nervous and Ytuong Sang Tao.
You liked this post? - Subscribe to BISEAN.