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t was a rare sight in the auditorium of the Education and Culture Ministry in South Jakarta on Friday noon when hundreds of women were seen beautifully and fashionably dressed in colorful kebaya (traditional blouses).

Some of them chose to wear them traditional style by matching kebaya with batik and Balinese cloth, while others looked more modern, mixing the traditional blouses with pants or jeans.

The women were not in the building to attend a wedding party, but rather to attend an event that aimed to promote kebaya as a daily outfit for Indonesian women.

The event was held by Komunitas Perempuan Berkebaya (Women Wearing Kebaya community) to commemorate the community’s third anniversary.

The community seeks to challenge the idea that kebaya can only be worn for formal events like wedding parties, since many Indonesian women tend to buy kebaya and other traditional clothes for ceremonial events only, not as daily attire.

“We do not want traditional clothes to be something we only keep in our wardrobes. We can use kebaya in our daily lives to show that Indonesia has rich culture,” said Kristin Samah, the community initiator.

Komunitas Perempuan Berkebaya itself has around 200 active members in Jakarta alone.

“As long as they [women] are interested in kebaya, they can join the community,” Kristin added.

Its notable present and former members include late director of Walhi Emmy Hafidz and House of Representatives member Tuti Roosdiono.

Many women these days are reluctant to wear kebaya on a daily basis as the garment is seen as impractical, especially if one has to take public transport. Such is not the case for Magdalena Dewi. The 53-year-old who works as a consultant said she always wore a kebaya to the office even though she had to take public transport from her house in Pondok Cabe, South Tangerang, to her office in Central Jakarta.

“I wear the kutu baru model, so it does not cause a hassle,” said Magdalena Dewi, 53, referring to an old Javanese style kebaya where the long collars are bridged with a piece of cloth in the middle, covering the stomach and chest. She often mixes kebaya with modern outfits such as long pants.

Magdalena is not the only woman who mixes kebaya with modern clothes. Wisni W. Drupadi, a 35-year-old store owner from Bogor, West Java, said that she chose to wear sneakers rather than women shoes when she wore kebaya on daily basis. The sneakers, she added, allow her to move freely.

To attract more women to wear kebaya, today, designers have created kebaya made out of comfortable materials.

Dian Wisdianawati, for instance, has been creating kebaya made from cotton instead of silk. Comfortable materials such as cotton will not cause discomfort for women while the carry out their daily activities, she said.

“Perhaps, one day, we will see people wearing kebaya while riding a bike,” Dian, 45, told The
Jakarta Post during the event.

Despite the progress, Komunitas Perempuan Berkebaya continues to approach a broader community around the archipelago to promote the traditional attire. Kristin said the community had actively held campaigns both directly and digitally.

“We do some campaigns through social media networks and events for the public to show that they are not alone in wearing kebaya everyday. This way, we can share more knowledge about kebaya,” Kristin said.

Meanwhile, a fashion show at Friday’s event gave some women and girls the opportunity to strut their stuff on the catwalk, showing off the beauty of their kebayas. There was also a discussion about the history of kebaya and a bazaar selling traditional clothes and accessories. (kkk)