Kebaya is a traditional blouse worn by Indonesian women made from thin material worn with a sarong, batik, or other traditional knitted like songket with a colorful motif.
Kebaya origin of the word comes from Arabic word which means clothing abaya. Believed to originate from China kebaya [citation needed] hundreds of years ago. Then spread to Malacca, Java, Bali, Sumatra, and Sulawesi. After acculturation that took place hundreds of years, the clothing is received in the local culture and norms.Prior to 1600, in Java, kebaya worn clothes that only the royal family there. During the period of Dutch control in the island, European women began wearing kebaya as formal dress. During this period, kebaya transformed from only using mori fabric using silk with colorful embroidery.
Similar clothing called "mistress of kebaya" was first created by the Peranakan people of Melaka. They wear a sarong and beautiful beaded shoes called "shoe manek". Now, mistress of kebaya is undergoing renewal, and is also well known among non-Asian women.
Apart from traditional kebaya, fashion designers are looking for ways to modify the design and make clothes that kebaya become more modern. The modified kebaya can even be worn with jeans or a skirt.
